Dr.-Ing. Maria Freese
Group leader “Work Research
& Industry 5.0“
Production Systems and Automation (IEPS)
Since May 2023, Maria Freese has been working as a group leader at the Chair of Production Systems and Automation at the Otto von Guericke University in Magdeburg. She obtained her Bachelor in Psychology and master’s degree in Human-Technology-Interaction from the Otto von Guericke University in Magdeburg. From 2013 to 2017, Maria Freese worked as a doctoral candidate at the German Aerospace Center in Braunschweig. After this, she worked as a postdoctoral researcher at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands (2018 – 2023), except from January to August 2022, when she worked as a researcher at Raccoon Serious Games (commercial serious gaming company) in the Netherlands.
Professional distinctions and memberships
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April 2025 |
Certified facilitator of Lego® Serious® Play method and materials |
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March 2025 |
Invited Speaker, German-American Frontiers of Engineering Symposium |
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February 2025 – ongoing |
Chair of the Executive Board of the Swiss Austrian German Simulation and Gaming Association |
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July 2024 |
Keynote Action, International Simulation and Gaming Association’s Conference |
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May – July 2024 |
University of Canterbury Visiting Erskine Fellowship at the Human Interface Technology Lab NZ (University of Canterbury, New Zealand) |
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August 2023 – ongoing |
Associate Editor, Journal of Simulation and Gaming |
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October |
Keynote, Austrian Center for Digital Production Partner Conference |
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July 2023 |
Best Workshop Award, International Simulation and Gaming Association Conference |
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December 2022 – ongoing |
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Jury member, German Simulation and Gaming Award |
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December 2021 – ongoing |
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Board member, Swiss Austrian German Simulation and Gaming Association |
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July 2021 – ongoing |
Member, International Simulation and Gaming Association |
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June 2021 |
German Simulation and Gaming Award |
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September 2016 |
FameGame Competition Winner, Simulation Technology and Training Conference & International Simulation and Gaming Association Conference |
- Decision-making processes and possible influencing factors (such as emotions) in human-human and human-technology interactions
- Development, use and evaluation of applied immersive and serious games for the analysis and design of complex socio-technical systems
- Human-centered design of systems (ergonomics)
Current projects
Gamelab Saxony-Anhalt - Research and development platform for applied immersive games
Duration: 01.01.2024 bis 31.12.2027
Companies in Saxony-Anhalt are facing major challenges. Innovations help to overcome these challenges by offering creative solutions and enabling new perspectives and more efficient approaches. Applied immersive games - to be understood as a human-centered and sustainable innovation method - are attractive for Generation Z (talent acquisition), can be used as a tool for lifelong learning (Industry 5.0) of all employees, a central basis for securing implicit experience knowledge (shortage of skilled workers), indispensable in the context of future-oriented training as well as for qualifications and further training participation (training purposes) and an ideal instrument for raising awareness of cutting-edge technologies in the context of digital learning systems.
Project objective
The aim is to establish a research and development platform for applied immersive games which, through the synergy of science and business, enables companies in the country to address the challenges of the working world by means of human-centered innovations and to develop solutions. The project is pursuing research into an (integrative) modular principle.
The Gamelab Saxony-Anhalt project is funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) for the project period from 2024 to 2027.
This text was translated with DeepL
Other publications
2025
Book chapter
Transfer of learning in analogue, digital and hybrid games
Lukosch, Heide K.; Freese, Maria
In: Transferring gaming and simulation experience to the real world - Singapore : Springer ; Kikkawa, Toshiko . - 2025, S. 73-86
Peer-reviewed journal article
Game research by design in project management and beyond
Freese, Maria; Bekebrede, Geertje
In: Project leadership and society - Amsterdam : Elsevier, Bd. 6 (2025), Artikel 100174, insges. 11 S.
2024
Book chapter
Approaching cognitive biases in the circular economy through serious gaming
Behnert, Anna-Kristin; Arlinghaus, Julia C.; Kessler, Melanie; Freese, Maria
In: Human Factors, Business Management and Society - New York, NY : AHFE Open Access ; Salminen, Vesa . - 2024, S. 11-21 - (AHFE international; volume 135) [Konferenz: 15th International Conference on Applied Human Factors and Ergonomics and the Affiliated Conferences, Nice, France, 24-27 July 2024]
Artificial intelligence meets serious gaming
Freese, Maria; Zürn, Birgit; Arlinghaus, Julia C.
In: GI-Edition. Proceedings / Gesellschaft für Informatik - Bonn : Ges. für Informatik, Bd. P337 (2024), S. 437-438 [Workshop: INFORMATIK 2023, Berlin, 26.-29. September 2023]
Peer-reviewed journal article
Digitale Transformation und Serious Gaming - Erfolgsfaktoren für intelligente Fabriken
Freese, Maria; Kessler, Melanie; Arlinghaus, Julia C.; Maaß, Eike
In: Industry 4.0 Science - Berlin : GITO mbH Verlag für Industrielle Informationstechnik und Organisation, Bd. 40 (2024), Heft 5, S. 114-121
Digitale transformation and serious gaming - identifying success factors for smart factories
Freese, Maria; Kessler, Melanie; Arlinghaus, Julia C.; Maaß, Eike
In: Industry 4.0 Science , [Englische Ausgabe] - Berlin, Germany : GITO mbH, Bd. 40 (2024), Heft 5, S. 114-121
2023
Book chapter
About dinosaurs in laboratories - evaluation of the serious game cards for biosafety
Freese, Maria; Bekebrede, Geertje
In: Simulation and gaming for social impact - Cham : Springer International Publishing ; Harteveld, Casper . - 2023, S. 52-65 - ( Lecture notes in computer science; volume 13622) [Konferenz: 53rd International Simulation and Gaming Association Conference, ISAGA 2022, Boston, MA, USA, July 11-14, 2022]
Stop work - serious games as intervention method to enhance safety behavior
Freese, Maria; Vliet, Karen
In: Simulation and gaming for social impact - Cham : Springer International Publishing ; Harteveld, Casper . - 2023, S. 134-148 - ( Lecture notes in computer science; volume 13622) [Konferenz: 53rd International Simulation and Gaming Association Conference, ISAGA 2022, Boston, MA, USA, July 11-14, 2022]
Peer-reviewed journal article
The funnel of game design - an adaptive game design approach for complex systems
Freese, Maria; Lukosch, Heide
In: Simulation & gaming - London [u.a.] : Sage Publ. . - 2023, insges. 19 S.
Empfehlungen zur curricularen Integration von Planspielen in Wirtschafts-Studiengänge
Zürn, Birgit; Trautwein, Friedrich; Freese, Maria
In: Zeitschrift für Hochschulentwicklung - Wien : ÖGHD, Bd. 18 (2023), S. 167-185
Applied Game Design in winter semester