Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting brings together Nobel laureates and Stuttgart researchers

Every year in Lindau on Lake Constance, Nobel laureates gather with outstanding young scientists from numerous countries. The unique exchange across generations, the international atmosphere, and the outstanding scientific excellence make the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings a world-renowned scientific event. The anniversary edition – the 75th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting – took place from June 28 to July 3 and focused on the theme of “Interdisciplinary Research.”

For early-career researchers, it is a special honor to be invited. They are nominated by universities and scientific organizations through a rigorous selection process. Only the most promising talents from around the world are selected from the applications and invited to the conference.

Also in attendance this time were three doctoral students from the University of Stuttgart: Luisa Coen is conducting research on biophotonics and bioimaging at the 2nd Physics Institute. Dominik Ludescher is developing a new method for analyzing nanoplastic particles in environmental samples at the 4th Institute of Physics. Mayank Kedia is conducting research at the Institute for Photovoltaics on new materials for sustainable energy generation from solar cells. Their participation was sponsored by the Carl Zeiss Foundation.

“Intense yet full of new perspectives: That’s how I’d sum up my week in Lindau,” says Mayank Kedia. He found the Nobel laureates to be very approachable. “We had the opportunity to get to know the people behind the award – including the challenges they had to overcome on their path to the Nobel Prize.”

Kedia was particularly impressed by Katalin Karikó’s opening remarks. The biochemist received the Nobel Prize for her research on mRNA technology, which played a crucial role in the development of the COVID-19 vaccines. The meeting with Angela Merkel – where Kedia was one of just 50 selected young talents invited to participate – will also leave a lasting impression on him, as will the opportunity to engage with fellow early-career researchers from around the world.

Since this year's theme was “interdisciplinarity,” the participants came from a wide range of fields. “I spoke with cancer researchers about perovskite solar cells. That showed me how important it is to communicate research clearly and make it accessible to everyone,” said Kedia.

Following the 75th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting, 18 young international researchers took part in a week-long tour. The event was organized by Baden-Württemberg International. The itinerary included visits to the state's most important research institutions. On July 6, the group visited the University of Stuttgart.

“Welcome to one of Europe’s most dynamic economic regions,” said Prof. Manfred Bischoff, Vice Rector for Research and Sustainable Development, as he welcomed the group on July 6. During the presentation of the University of Stuttgart’s seven strategic focus areas, he particularly emphasized the close interconnection of research: “If you conduct research at our university, you are part of a unique research ecosystem. We embrace interdisciplinarity.”

The guests then learned what this means in practice: Prof. Rainer Niewa, Dean of Undergraduate and Graduate Studies for Chemistry, presented the faculty’s extraordinary diversity and highlighted how interdisciplinary research networks shape its work – such as the CRC 1333 “Molecular Heterogeneous Catalysis in Defined, Directing Geometries” or the Center for Bionic Intelligence Tübingen Stuttgart (BITS). 

Prof. Cornelia Monzel from the 2nd Physics Institute reported that research in physics is also highly interdisciplinary. The following institutions are part of this ecosystem: Center for Integrated Quantum Science and Technology (IQST), the Carl-Zeiss Foundation Center for Quantum Photonics (QPhoton) or the Stuttgart Research Center of Photonic Engineering (SCoPE). 

Prof. Steffen Staab, Director of the Institute for Artificial Intelligence, and Prof. Mathias Niepert, Head of the Machine Learning for Simulation Science Division, provided fascinating insights into their interdisciplinary work. The institute's goal is to conduct research on fundamental questions regarding AI, to reflect on its societal benefits, and to promote the adoption of AI applications in business and society.

In addition to cutting-edge research, the University of Stuttgart offers young talents dedicated support and exciting career paths – as Nina Gillé from the Graduate Academy (GRADUS) pointed out. GRADUS is the University of Stuttgart’s central office for supporting early-career researchers and offers a wide range of training, information, counseling, and mentoring services.

During the coffee break, the guests took the opportunity to talk one-on-one with young researchers from Stuttgart; there were many questions and lively discussions. The visit concluded with a guided tour of ZAQuant. This forward-looking, interdisciplinary research institution brings together experts in physics, engineering, and other disciplines to develop quantum technologies for applications such as sensor technology, communications, and information processing.