Project overview

For the first time, light-controlled adaptive micro-optics for endoscopes that can dynamically adapt their focus position and spectral properties to changing requirements in real time are to be researched.

The aim of the project is to develop an adsorption heat storage system that can store regenerative heat and provide temperatures above 100 °C, as required in the commercial and service sectors, for example.

Prof. Steffen Beese, Professor of Engineering Mechanics/FEM at the EAH Jena, researches the optimization of additively manufactured components using sensitivity analyses and AI models. In doing so, he determines the material parameters and improves performance.

The Center for Applied Artificial Intelligence (ZAKI) at Ernst Abbe University connects actors from science, business and society. The aim is to advance artificial intelligence in these areas and, above all, to put it into practice.

The endowed professorship researches adaptable and patient-centered robotic systems in order to use them for operations, diagnoses and as assistance. The professorship thus strategically expands the profile of Jena University of Applied Sciences to include the pioneering field of medical robotics.

Since April 1, 2026, Prof. Dr. Gernot Hochleitner has held the CZS Endowed Chair for Resource-Efficient Product and Process Development at the Ernst Abbe University of Applied Sciences in Jena. The goal of the endowed chair is to conduct research and development on products and processes with a particular focus on resource availability and efficiency.

JENAINNOVATION aims to translate cutting-edge research into innovations and DeepTech startups. The goal is to create a cross-institutional innovation ecosystem with supra-regional impact and impulses for science, business, and society.

AI systems make decisions, e.g. in autonomous driving. The endowed professorship aims to improve the transparency and comprehensibility of these decisions. Innovative methods and tools will be developed to explain complex AI models.

The Carl Zeiss Foundation supports 150 German scholarships at a total of 20 universities in Baden-Württemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate and Thuringia, thus creating scope for young scientists in STEM subjects.

Prof. Philipp Heßler, Professor of Optometry and Visual Aids Technology at the EAH Jena, is investigating ways of objectively measuring accommodation parameters, the ability of the human eye to see objects sharply at different distances.