Week 47: Forum Junge Spitzenforschung

Weekly Wrap-up: Highlights in week 47

The Forum Junge Spitzenforschung is a highlight every year when it comes to showcasing young researchers and their excellent projects. This year, the focus was on topics related to “Water & Water Management.” Six finalist teams from Berlin’s major universities presented their innovative research projects, which were awarded a total of 42,000 euros. The following teams won, recognized by a jury of business experts for their practice-oriented solutions and transfer potential:

• 1st place (€12,000):
  • Bio-adsorber beads for water purification, Dr. Alejandro José Lorente Sanchez, Dr. Olaf Wagner, Ana Zidar, Freie Universität Berlin
• 2nd place (€10,000):
  • DeepANN-Hydro3D, Abdelrahman Ahmed Ali Abdelrahman, Technische Universität Berlin
• 3rd place (€8,000):
  • iOLE – intelligent online leak detection, Dr. Ella Steins, Nikolai-Iraj Sanamrad, Technische Universität Berlin
• 4th places (each €4,000):
  • CompactWater, Dr. Christian E. Halbig, Freie Universität Berlin;
  • High-performance atmospheric water harvester (HYVEST), Dr. Gustav Graeber, Maria Geidel, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin;
  • Ecopotfilter – Modular Biopolymer-Based Water Filtration for Heavy Metal Ion Removal, Dr. Mohammad Fardin Gholami, Dr. Siamak Gholami, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin

The event is an initiative of Humboldt-Innovation GmbH and the Stiftung Industrieforschung, and showcases how outstanding young research is supported and celebrated in Berlin.

Why are young people turning to the extreme right, and what can we do about it? On November 21, 2025, researchers, journalists, policymakers, and representatives of civil society came together at the Lovers & Leaders Space in Berlin to discuss exactly this question. Participants included, among others, Prof. Dr. Heike Klüver (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin), Prof. Dr. Sara Binzer Hobolt (The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)), Prof. Dr. Theresa Kuhn (Universiteit van Amsterdam), and Dr. Lena Gumnior (Alliance 90/The Greens).

Laura Möller, CEO of UNITE and Managing Director of AI NATION, has now been selected by Capital magazine as one of the “Top 40 Under 40,” recognized as individuals who achieve extraordinary things for German society. Laura can look back on an impressive career in the startup sector: she is a successful founder, has served as an investor, board observer, member and director, business angel, and today successfully leads UNITE and AI NATION. The startup factory UNITE is now supported by 35 partners as well as by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, which is funding the initiative with a total of 25 million euros. AI NATION is also a recent achievement: it represents the recent merger of the AI hubs K.I.E.Z. in Berlin and AI Munich. The merger aims to provide even better support for AI startups.