Jena, 11. April 2026. The ad hoc Arena in the Ernst-Abbe-Sportfeld was the venue for the 35th Thüringen state competition “Jugend forscht”. Under the motto “Maximum Perspective,” young scientists from across the Free State competed with a total of 80 innovative projects.
- Event: 35th State Competition “Jugend forscht” Thüringen
- Location: ad hoc Arena, Ernst-Abbe-Sportfeld, Jena
- Scope: 80 research projects from all over Thüringen
- Patronage: Thüringen Minister of Education Christian Tischner (CDU)
A Look Behind the Scenes and Project Presentations
Following intensive jury interviews in the morning, the young participants were given the opportunity to explore the home of FC Carl Zeiss Jena in more detail. The stadium areas of the ad hoc Arena were opened to the young researchers, who were allowed to sit in the seats of the Regionalliga players, among other things. In the afternoon, the competition then opened its doors to the general public, allowing interested visitors to examine the diverse scientific works.
Special Prizes for Participants from Northern Thüringen
The regional winners from Northern Thüringen were particularly successful at this year’s state competition in Jena. The Humboldt-Gymnasium Nordhausen was strongly represented with six students. At the festive award ceremony in the evening, several projects received awards:
- Bike-Safe Project: Nigel Linus Bickel and Tim Kirchner received the HDI AG special prize on the topic of “Shaping the Future with Safety” for their work.
- Microplastics Study: Carla Höpker and Maren Ludewig were awarded the special prize of the Thüringer Schulgeografen for their investigation into water pollution in the Landkreis Nordhausen.
For its strong participation and statewide success, the Humboldt-Gymnasium Nordhausen was also honored with a school prize of 500 euros, which is to be invested in future MINT projects. The successful students were supervised by the Schüler-Forschungs-Zentrum Nordhausen, among others.
Background: Jena as a Science Location
Hosting the state competition “Jugend forscht” underlines Jena’s importance as the “City of Light” and a center for optical technologies and natural sciences in Thüringen. Formats like this competition are considered an essential building block for promoting MINT subjects (Mathematics, Informatics, Natural Sciences, and Technology). The use of the ad hoc Arena also shows how the extensively rebuilt Ernst-Abbe-Sportfeld is increasingly establishing itself as a multifunctional event location beyond pure football operations in the city.
Source:
Young Researchers in Jena: 11.04.2026, 11:34 AM
Transparency Note: This article was automatically generated, editorially reviewed, and expanded with AI support.