Curiosity and the desire to try things out for oneself are key driving forces behind scientific work. This is precisely where "Jugend forscht" and "Jugend forscht junior" come in: the nationwide competitions for young researchers are entering their 61st round. In Central Hesse, the Technische Hochschule Mittelhessen (THM) and the Justus Liebig University Giessen (JLU) are jointly hosting the regional final. On Friday, February 20, 38 teams will present their projects to the public.
The "Jugend forscht" (Youth Researches) foundation has chosen "Maximum Perspective" as the motto for this year's competition. Around 11,500 students across Germany are participating in seven subject areas. In Central Hesse, 19 projects each will be entered in the two competition categories. "Jugend forscht" is aimed at young people aged 15 and over, while the "Junior" version is for younger children. Matthias Burk from the Clemens-Brentano-Europaschule in Lollar will once again be in charge of the competition.
“This competition teaches young people how science works. They work in a structured way, document thoroughly, and present their results convincingly. These are key skills for our future,” says Prof. Dr. Jochen Frey, praising the unconventional nature of “Jugend forscht” (Youth Researches). This fosters motivation for later university studies. The Vice President for Research, Transfer, and Young Researchers at THM is hosting the regional competition: Starting at 9:30 a.m., the teams will present their work to a jury. From 2:00 to 4:00 p.m., the projects will be on public display as part of an exhibition in the Giessen Congress Hall. “Exciting questions arise everywhere, in everyday life and in space. Dealing with them creatively is always an asset. This year’s motto, ‘Maximum Perspective,’ challenges young researchers to also grapple with the big questions beyond immediate applications,” adds Prof. Dr. Kai-Thomas Brinkmann, coordinator and co-host from JLU.
The experiments cover a wide range of topics, from food production and energy generation and storage to investigations of cognitive abilities in humans and animals. Medical and cosmetic subjects, as well as classic questions from physics, chemistry, and mathematics, are also represented. A total of twelve schools from the region are participating. The public awards ceremony, starting at 4:10 p.m., will reveal which projects particularly impressed the jury. It will be YouTube channel THM . Frey is eager to see the quality of the work and says, "Ultimately, it's not just about prizes. It's about learning, exchange, and making research understandable. Our society urgently needs these skills."
The first-place teams qualify for the state competitions: "Jugend forscht junior" takes place on March 20 and 21 in Kassel. The state final of "Jugend forscht" follows on March 18 and 19 in Darmstadt. The state winners then advance to the national final from May 28 to 31, 2026, in Herzogenaurach – hosted by Schaeffler AG, the national sponsoring company, together with the "Jugend forscht" foundation.
