18.03.2026 CZS Network Joint meeting of the Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung

Once a year, the governing bodies of the Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung convene for a joint meeting. The meeting provides an opportunity to discuss current developments within the Foundation and its affiliated companies, as well as the strategic direction of its funding activities.

The foundation’s administration constitutes the foundation’s Executive Board. Its current members are Petra Olschowski and Christian Tischner in their capacities as the ministers responsible for higher education in Baden-Württemberg and Thuringia.

The Foundation Council consists of Chairman Michael Bolle and members Martina Merz and Eric Schweitzer. As Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the foundation’s companies ZEISS and SCHOTT, Michael Bolle also serves as the link between the foundation and the companies.

The board members of the two foundation companies together form the Executive Advisory Board. This body advises the foundation’s office in particular. The foundation’s ongoing strategic and operational tasks are carried out by the office in Stuttgart.

The Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung is a foundation that supports businesses while also promoting science. Using the dividends from its foundation companies, it supports research and teaching in the STEM disciplines—a structure that is unique in the German foundation landscape.

Currently, more than 250 projects with a total volume of around 500 million euros are receiving funding. Click here for an overview of all current funding projects.