On the way to the final with dragonfly mapping, dye-sensitised solar cells and a digital interpreter

• Six projects have qualified for the national competition in Hamburg at the state competition Jugend forscht Brandenburg.
• BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg becomes new regional competition partner for Jugend forscht 2026.
• BASF in Schwarzheide organised the competition for the 32nd time in a row.

How many dragonfly species live in Brandenburg's Silbersee and Scharmützelsee lakes? Is the Grätzel cell the solar cell of the future? Or how can language barriers be broken down with the help of digital sign language assistants? The answers to these and many other questions were found by 58 out of a total of 271 pupils who entered 34 projects in the Brandenburg State Youth Research Competition at BASF in Schwarzheide. The 25-member jury was spoilt for choice and decided on six projects that will take part in the 60th national competition from 29 May to 1 June 2025 in Hamburg.

"The projects of the participating students not only reflect the pulse of the times, but also deal with topics that are also very close to our hearts at BASF," says Anne Francken, Commercial Director of BASF Schwarzheide GmbH. "Issues such as the reuse of raw materials or the climate-friendly transformation of our energy supply are key challenges for the future. The participating young researchers have turned 'questions into answers' and achieved impressive results. Their curiosity and desire to find solutions are exactly the qualities that are needed in research and in companies like BASF," Francken is convinced.

Science Minister Dr Manja Schüle: "From digital sign language interpreters to dragonfly mapping: I am impressed by the variety of projects in the state competition 'Jugend forscht'. This year's motto is 'Turn questions into answers' - and that's exactly what science and research are all about: finding solutions to problems and causes for phenomena. I think the children and young people have done a great job of this with their inquisitive, empathetic view of the world and their environment. And because we want to reward the spirit of research at an early age, my ministry has once again donated a special prize for the state competition. I would like to congratulate all the prizewinners and keep my fingers crossed for the national 'Jugend forscht' competition!"

Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg (BTU) will be the new regional competition partner in 2026

10,350 young researchers have registered nationwide for the anniversary round of Jugend forscht. Seven federal states recorded increases. In Brandenburg, registrations have risen continuously over the last few years. "We are delighted to welcome BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg as a new partner in the Jugend forscht network," says Dr Jessica Bönsch, Manager of the Jugend forscht e. V. foundation. "The university will be organising a third regional competition in Brandenburg in the future. In view of the continuously increasing number of participants in Brandenburg, we are thus creating the optimal framework conditions for the sustainable promotion of young STEM talent in the region." Prof. Dr Peer Schmidt, Vice-President for Academic Affairs at the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg (BTU), emphasises: "Funding young talent at an early stage, in particular in the region, actively supporting and inspiring pupils on their path into science and getting them excited about STEM subjects - these are important tasks that we at BTU are committed to. We are very pleased about the new cooperation with 'Jugend forscht'. With the new regional competition at our university, we are jointly creating a place where curiosity, creativity and the spirit of research meet science and state-of-the-art infrastructure."

BASF and Jugend forscht

BASF has supported Germany's best-known youth science competition Jugend forscht since 1966 as a sponsor company at state level in Rhineland-Palatinate and since 1990 also in Brandenburg. BASF Lampertheim has been organising the South Hesse/Bergstrasse regional competition since 2015. BASF has also organised the national competition three times.

Winner of the state competition Jugend forscht Brandenburg 2025

• The state winner in the biology chair is Esther Marie Schüler (17) from Carl-Friedrich-Gauß-Gymnasium. She researched and mapped the dragonfly population at the Silbersee and Scharmützelsee lakes.
• Young researcher Djamila Ellinger (18) from Einstein-Gymnasium Neuenhagen near Berlin examined dye solar cells in an in-depth study. She came out on top in the chemistry chair.
• Milena Reißmann (16) and Lisa Matthäus (16) have developed a digital interpreter. The young researchers from Paulus-Praetorius-Gymnasium in Bernau near Berlin were awarded first prize in the Mathematics/Computer Science chair .
• Vinzent Schultze (17) from Max-Steenbeck-Gymnasium Cottbus simulated quantum mechanical systems in his work. The research project earned the pupil first place in the Physics chair.
• In their project,Ben Köhler (19) and Oleg Smoli (20) focussed on the indoor climate at their school. The students from Comprehensive School 3 with upper secondary school from Eisenhüttenstadt were awarded first prize in the technology chair.
• Loreley Paul (17) from Einstein-Gymnasium in Neuenhagen near Berlin presented the "photometric development of the recurring NovaTCrB 2024". The student impressed the expert jury with her in-depth basic understanding and thus punched her ticket to the national competition in the chair of Earth and Space Sciences.
• 17-year-old student Kaja Hartmann (17) from Carl-Friedrich-Gauß-Gymnasium Frankfurt/Oder received the special prize from the Ministry of Science, Research and Culture for her project work in the chair of chemistry.
• Students Maguns Nickel (16), Erik Kasulke (16) and Emely Lenz (16) from Marie-Curie-Gymnasium Wittenberge received the special award from the Minister President of the State of Brandenburg for their work in the chair of Labour.
• Henning Hugo Hasenleder (18) and Moritz Ulrich (17) from the Bertha-von-Suttner-Gymnasium in Babelsberg, Potsdam were delighted to receive the sustainability prize for pupils from BASF Schwarzheide GmbH for their research work on the production of natural bio-PLA pellets for organic seeds.

Winners of the state competition Jugend forscht Junior Brandenburg 2025

• Nora Hertzfeldt (12) and Ella Berndt (12) from the EinSteinchen Frankfurt/Oder Centre for the Promotion of Gifted Students won 1st prize for their research in the chair of Working Environment.
• Levin Özkaya (12) and Finn Otto Dannenberg (13) from Weinberg-Gymnasium Kleinmachnow were awarded 1st prizefor their further development of the previous year's research work in the chair of biology.
• Timo Ernst (13) and Julius Schneider (13) from Barnim-Gymnasium Bernau bei Berlin dealt with anti-freeze for car windscreens in their research project. They were awarded 1st prize in the chemistry category.
• Greta Rutschke (12) from the EinSteinchen Centre for the Gifted in Frankfurt/Oder investigated the optimal soil structure for a raised bed in times of drought. She was awarded 1st prize in the chair of Earth and Spatial Sciences.
• Anouk Judisch (15) from the EinSteinchen Frankfurt/Oder centre for the promotion of gifted students identified microplastics from groundwater nourishing waters in his project. He was awarded 1st place in the Physics category.
• Lukas Nitsch (14) from Barnim-Gymnasium Bernau near Berlin investigated irrigation control using various environmental variables in his work and was awarded 1st place in the technology category.
• The EinSteinchen Centre for the Promotion of Gifted Students in Frankfurt/Oder received the special prize from the Dehmel Foundation as an outstanding STEM institution in the state of Brandenburg.

Jugend forscht e. V. Foundation

Jugend forscht is Germany's best-known competition for young scientists and is a joint initiative of the federal government, the federal states, stern, industry, science and schools. Every year, Jugend forscht organises more than 120 competitions across Germany to get young people interested in Mathematics, Computer Science, Natural Sciences and Technology (MINT), discover talent at an early stage and fund them in a targeted manner. Jugend forscht is aimed at children and young people up to the age of 21. Participants choose a question themselves, which they work on using scientific, technical or Mathematics methods. Cash and non-cash prizes worth more than one million euros are awarded in each round of the competition. The Jugend-forscht network with around 250 partners is the largest public-private partnership of its kind in Germany. More than 5,000 teachers support Jugend forscht on a voluntary basis as project supervisors and competition organisers, while over 3,000 specialist and university teachers as well as experts from industry are involved in the juries. Further information can be found at www.jugend-forscht.de.

The Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg (BTU)

is the only university of technology in the state of Brandenburg to assume responsibility for the sustainable development of the Lusatia region undergoing structural change. With scientific expertise and practical solutions, it contributes to shaping the major issues of the future and transformation processes. The focus is on interdisciplinary key research areas, networking and close cooperation with partners in science and business. BTU offers its students the opportunity to realise their potential and help shape the future. Excellent supervision, small study groups, state-of-the-art equipment and unique degree programme profiles characterise the study conditions. Many students appreciate the international yet informal atmosphere on campus. www.b-tu.de

About BASF Schwarzheide GmbH

BASF Schwarzheide GmbH has been part of the BASF Group since 1990. More than 2,100 employees manufacture chemical specialities at the production site in Lusatia. The product range includes polyurethane base products and systems, crop protection products, water-based coatings, engineering plastics, foams, dispersions, laromers and, from 2023, battery materials. With these high-quality products that contribute to a more sustainable future, BASF Schwarzheide GmbH helps its customers to be successful. BASF Schwarzheide GmbH assumes responsibility in the region. From training to settlement, it contributes to the positive development of the surrounding area as a structurally defining company. More than a dozen local companies are already benefiting from the many synergy effects of a progressive chemical site and are supported by BASF's experience and expertise. Further information can be found at www.basf-schwarzheide.de.

Press contact BASF Schwarzheide GmbH
Mareike Agnes Quint
Press spokeswoman
Phone: +49 151 16846620
mareike-agnes(at)quint(at)basf.com

Press contact Stiftung Jugend forscht e.V.
Dr Daniel Giese
Press spokesperson
Phone: +49 40 374709-40
Email: daniel.giese(at)jugend-forscht.de

Press contact Ministry of Science, Research and Culture
Ricarda Nowak
Deputy Press Officer
Phone: +49 331 866 4563
Email ricarda.nowak(at)mwfk.brandenburg.de