Visit of Friedrich Merz to CEEC Jena

Friedrich Merz, Chairman of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group of the German Federal Parliament, visited the newly opened CEEC Jena II and AWZ CEEC Jena buildings of the Friedrich Schiller University Jena on May 29, 2024. He also visited the laboratories of the new Helmholtz Institute HIPOLE Jena (Helmholtz Institute for Polymers in Energy Applications) and the CEEC Jena.

In his welcoming speech, Prof. Dr. Ulrich S. Schubert, founding director of HIPOLE Jena and director of the CEEC Jena, highlighted the diverse research infrastructure offered by the new Helmholtz Institute for Polymers in Energy Applications Jena (founded as a collaboration between the Helmholtz Center Berlin (HZB) and the Friedrich Schiller University Jena). This includes top laboratories for research, various meeting areas and communication areas for researchers and employees, as well as state-of-the-art research equipment. Schubert emphasized that these framework conditions make work on important topics such as polymer-based batteries possible in the first place. The aim is to provide the best possible support for the development of innovative, sustainable energy storage and conversion technologies “Made in Germany”. This includes using CO₂ as a raw material.

Merz’s visit to HIPOLE Jena and CEEC Jena underlines the importance of innovation and research for promoting Germany’s technological independence and energy efficiency.