The most innovative young minds from Thuringia

On April 2, 2025, 137 young researchers presented their projects for “Jugend forscht” and “Jugend forscht Junior” at the Thuringia state competition. Many projects and Thuringian schools were also awarded special prizes at the award ceremony, including from the two state sponsors STIFT and Jenoptik.

Under the motto “Turn questions into answers!”, this year’s state competition was held in the Ad hoc Arena at the Ernst Abbe Sports Field in Jena. The 137 young researchers presented a total of 61 projects (72 last year) in the seven subject areas of work, biology, chemistry, earth and space sciences, mathematics/computer science, physics and technology in the two competition categories “Jugend forscht” and “Jugend forscht Junior”. The participants had previously qualified in seven Thuringian regional competitions.

As state sponsors, the Foundation for Technology, Innovation and Research Thuringia (STIFT) and JENOPTIK AG once again made the competition possible, which took place for the 34th time in Thuringia in 2025. They were represented by Adrian König, Head of Innovation Management at Jenoptik, and Dr. Sven Günther, Member of the Executive Board of STIFT.

Dr. Sven Günther was impressed by this year’s competition: “Jugend forscht shows what happens when young people are taken seriously, encouraged and supported with their ideas, their curiosity and their courage to think things differently. The state competition in Thuringia is more than just a competition: it is a place of support, visibility and trust, with passion, depth and a genuine spirit of research. Jugend forscht in Thuringia is the future that begins today.”

Winners:inside Jugend forscht

The winners of the “Jugend forscht” state competition qualified for the national final, which will take place in Hamburg from May 29 to June 1, 2025.

Working environment

CC Bot – Luca Buchwald, Janek Ritz and Constantin Kupfer

Heinrich-Ehrhardt-Gymnasium, Zella-Mehlis

Development Perspectives of Student Assessment Using Artificial Intelligence – Oskar Rost & Marius Strauß

Adolf-Reichwein-Gymnasium Jena

Biology

Development of an RNA-based sensor for the detection of the antibiotic tetracycline – Linnéa Fröber, Anika Stephan & Mara Hanse

Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Institute of Microbiology

Chemistry

Acids, electricity and synthesis – Production of diesel fuel by Kolbe electrolysis – Albert-V. Meyer, Joshua Schraud & Paula Kaltwasser

Staatliches Gymnasium “Albert Schweitzer” Erfurt

Earth and Space Sciences

Software Development for the Analysis of the Structure and Dynamics of Star Clusters – Johannes Adrian Rudolf, Johannes-Konstantin Schmidt & Tilman Nikolaus Bald

Staatliches Gymnasium “Albert Schweitzer” Erfurt

Physics

Analysis of the Flettner rotor as an underestimated alternative to the use of wind energy – Nils Lange, Cécile Dräger & Arthur Rößler

Staatliches Angergymnasium, Jena

Technology

OrthoFiber: Foot drop orthosis made of carbon fibers with laminate coupling effects – Tessa Sophie Kurth, Ineke Albus & Oscar Glaser

And these are the winners

Winners:inside Jugend forscht Junior

A big round of applause goes to the young researchers from the “Junior” category! Your participation has enriched the competition and shows the enormous potential that lies in the next generation of scientists and researchers. We’re proud to have seen your work and look forward to seeing you evolve and live out your passion for discovering, exploring, and inventing in the future.

Working environment

How can you mobilize a skater kicker? – Nils Wich, Justin Jänike & Tibor Hartmann (

Staatliches Gymnasium “Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi” Stadtroda, Stadtroda

Biology

Bacteria Detectives In Search of Clues at School – Matthis Bienert, Karl Bennet Zebe, Anton Ritter

Primary School at Steigerwald

Chemistry

Sustainable cleanliness: Aesculin as an ecological whitener for detergents – Annabell Nonnenmacher

Earth and Space Sciences

Terraforming Mars – Elias Hollosi

Student Research Center Rudolstadt

Mathematics and Computer Science

Learning in Virtual Spaces 1001 – Tristan Martin Klause & Elias Körner

Student Research Center Rudolstadt

Physics

Is everything still very “dense” here? – Markus Freundt

Technology

Volume Regulator – Daniel Szabó

Student Research Center Rudolstadt

Award ceremony and special award ceremony

At the award ceremony on the afternoon of 2 April 2025, the first, second and third place winners in their respective subject areas received their awards, as well as the best interdisciplinary project and all other (special) prize winners (see attached lists). The projects were evaluated by a jury made up of representatives of Thuringian schools and universities, institutes and companies.

The winners of the “Jugend forscht” state competition qualified for the national final, which will take place in Hamburg from May 29 to June 1, 2025.

In addition to the “Jugend forscht” awards, there were numerous special prizes.

Dr. Sven Günther, Chairman of the Foundation for Technology, Innovation and Research Thuringia (STIFT), awarded the “STIFT School Prizes” to the most successful Thuringian schools in the state competition:

Primary schools
Grundschule am Steigerwald, Erfurt (750 €)

Secondary schools
Staatliches Gymnasium ‘Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi’ Stadtroda, Stadtroda (1.000 €)
Albert-Schweitzer-Gymnasium Ruhla, Ruhla (750 €)
Jenaplan-Schule Jena, Jena (500 €)

Special Grammar School
Staatliches Gymnasium “Albert Schweitzer” Erfurt, Erfurt (1,000 €)

Adrian König, Head of Jenoptik Innovation Management, awarded two Jenoptik special prizes to the following young researchers:

Der Bettenretter (special prize Apple Home Pod (None, prize donor: Landespate JENOPTIK AG)
John Sebastian Wolf-Müller (13); Ricardo Ader (12)
Philipp-Melanchthon-Gymnasium Schmalkalden, Schmalkalden

Development Perspectives of Student Evaluation Using Artificial Intelligence (Special Award Apple Home Pod (None, Prize Donor: State Sponsor JENOPTIK AG)
Oskar Rost (17); Marius Strauss (17)
Adolf-Reichwein-Gymnasium Jena

Long-standing commitment of the state sponsors

The Thuringia Foundation for Technology, Innovation and Research has been supporting the “Jugend forscht” competition since 2005, including at regional competition level. The foundation also offers coaching services across all competition levels and supports children and young people on their path to research. STIFT and Jenoptik have been joint state sponsors for the Thuringia state competition since 2018.

The award ceremony was moderated by Daniela Schmidt, MDR Wissen, and the state competition directors Dr. Uta Purgahn (Jugend forscht) and Tom Fleischhauer (Jugend forscht Junior).