Finance Minister Katja Wolf and Science Minister Christian Tischner visited the institute to learn about current research projects and how technologies are being transferred into medical practice.

“So much positive energy, so much drive for the future,” said Finance Minister Katja Wolf during her visit to the Beutenberg Campus in Jena, where she toured both the Leibniz IPHT and the Leibniz HKI. She was impressed by the technologies that are being developed there and highlighted the site’s key role in driving innovation across the state.

Just a few days later, Science Minister Christian Tischner also stopped by the institute. As part of his HighTech Tour, he spoke directly with researchers about how new photonic methods are helping detect diseases faster, more precisely, and with less impact on patients — and how these innovations can be brought from the lab to clinical practice as quickly as possible.

Researchers showcased several of Leibniz IPHT’s developments, including a multimodal endoscope for cancer diagnostics, a portable spectrometer for infection analysis outside specialized labs, and a laser probe designed to precisely remove tumor tissue. The open-source microscopes from the spin-off OpenUC2, presented by founder Benedict Diederich, also drew strong interest. These technologies are perfect examples of how scientific ideas are turned into real-world instruments — true to the institute’s motto: From Ideas to Instruments.

In a conversation with Prof. Dr. Jürgen Popp, the institute’s scientific director, structural issues were also addressed: How can female leaders be better supported? What conditions are needed to enable top-level research? And how can Thuringia remain an open, welcoming location that attracts international talent?