Excellent and internationally visible

On 17 November, Friedrich Schiller University Jena celebrated the 15th anniversary of the Jena Center for Soft Matter (JCSM) with a festive event at the Centre for Applied Research (ZAF). More than 120 guests and members gathered to celebrate the development of the centre and to look ahead to the future prospects for soft matter research in Jena.

In his welcoming address, Dr Bernd Uwe Althaus, State Secretary in the Thuringian Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, emphasized the »outstanding importance of the JCSM for science, innovation and transfer in Jena and Thuringia«.

University President Prof. Dr Andreas Marx highlighted the role of the JCSM in the University of Jena’s current proposal in the University of Excellence funding line: »The JCSM stands for internationally visible cutting-edge research and strategic networking. This strength is a central component of our excellence strategy.«

Strong alliances and successful spin-offs

Prof. Dr Michael Bauer from Jena University Hospital (JUH) emphasized the role played by interdisciplinary cooperation. Using the example of the Collaborative Research Centre SFB 1278 »PolyTarget«, he illustrated how joint projects enable new scientific discoveries and at the same time open up avenues for application.

Prof. Dr Holger Ruckdäschel (University of Bayreuth) and Prof. Dr Stefan Leible, President of the University of Bayreuth, presented another example of successful cooperation with the JointLab for Polymers Jena-Bayreuth. The joint Research Training Group GRK 3040 »COIN« is just the beginning of further planned collaborations.

Three start-ups demonstrated the transfer strength of the JCSM in a pitch format: SmartDyeLivery GmbH, Polytives GmbH and NGP Polymers GmbH. They are examples of a dynamic start-up culture that has emerged from many years of research.

Review of a successful research centre

Prof. Dr Ulrich S. Schubert, spokesman of the JCSM Board of Directors, outlined the centre’s development since its foundation. According to Schubert, the centre’s growth was only made possible by long-term support from the University, the Free State of Thuringia and the Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung. Investments in new buildings and infrastructure totalling over 40 million euros, as well as investments in equipment of more than 13 million euros, provide the basis for more than 1,000 scientific publications, 50 patent applications and over 130 million euros in third-party funding.

»The JCSM shows how consistent funding and strategic pooling of expertise can raise the international profile of a field of research«, said Schubert.

Keynote speech with a view beyond the horizon

After a poster session and talks, Prof. Dr Rainer Haag (Freie Universität Berlin) gave a keynote speech providing insights into interdisciplinary polymer research in Berlin—from large infrastructure projects to spin-offs at the interface of chemistry, biology, physics and medicine.

The event ended with further talks, a continuation of the poster session and guided tours, underscoring the lively, networked research landscape that the JCSM has shaped over the past 15 years.

In the picture above (from left to right): Prof. Dr Rainer Haag (FU Berlin), Dr Anja Traeger (Friedrich Schiller University Jena), Prof. Dr Stefan Leible (President University of Bayreuth), Prof. Dr Andreas Marx (President Friedrich Schiller University Jena), Dr Stephanie Schubert (Managing Director Spin-off NGP Polymers GmbH), Prof. Dr Holger Ruckdäschel (University of Bayreuth), Dr Bernd Uwe Althaus (State Secretary Thuringian Ministry of Education, Science and Culture), Prof. Dr Michael Bauer (Jena University Hospital), Prof. Dr Ute Hellmich (Friedrich Schiller University Jena), Prof. Dr Ulrich S. Schubert (Friedrich Schiller University Jena)