Minister-President Bodo Ramelow, Science Minister Wolfgang Tiefensee, and State Secretary Prof. Dr. Barbara Schönig, together with representatives of the Friedrich Schiller University Jena, today inaugurated the new building for the Center for Energy and Environmental Chemistry (CEEC Jena II) and the associated Application Center (AWZ CEEC) at the Friedrich Schiller University Jena. The two new research buildings will be used across disciplines by twelve research groups from the university and the new Helmholtz Institute for Polymers in Energy Applications Jena (HIPOLE Jena). Both projects, with a total investment volume of €52.9 million, were financed with €13 million each from state and federal funds, €19.2 million from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), and support from the Carl Zeiss Foundation, the Ernst Abbe Foundation, and funds from the University of Jena allocated by the state.
Minister-President Ramelow explains: “The CEEC is a true driving force behind the energy transition and possesses remarkable pioneering qualities in the important issue of efficient and sustainable energy storage. It also sets standards in the field of application-oriented research. I am therefore delighted that the already excellent research landscape in Jena is being further strengthened.”
“In light of current geopolitical events, it is clear how important it is to invest in securing our future energy supply. Energy storage is a key issue in this regard. The new research buildings offer battery research an optimal environment that combines basic research, applied research, and prototype development,” said Minister of Economic Affairs Wolfgang Tiefensee. This innovative environment was ultimately also decisive in the decision to locate the “Helmholtz Institute for Polymers in Energy Applications HIPOLE” at this site as a joint research institution of the Helmholtz Center Berlin for Materials and Energy (HZB) and the Friedrich Schiller University Jena. The Ministry of Science has funded the research at CEEC with a total of €20.9 million from ERDF and state funds since 2015.