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As part of the renowned Harvard/MIT Germany Trek 2025, about 40 students and alumni from Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) visited the Abbe Center of Photonics at the Friedrich Schiller University Jena for a hands-on immersion into Germany’s tech landscape.
The MIT/Harvard Germany Trek, an annual initiative supporting transatlantic knowledge exchange and technological cooperation, is making its first-ever tour through Thuringia, with stops in Munich, Dresden, Jena, and Berlin. In Jena, program featured sessions on photonics as enabling technology for artificial intelligence, sustainable energy systems, biomedical technology, secure quantum communication, and hardware for EUV chip production, showcasing Jena’s long-standing tradition of combining academic research with practical applications. The visitors had the opportunity to engage with leading researchers, explore Jena’s innovation ecosystem, and discuss future collaborations in areas such as digital health, quantum technologies, and smart materials, and even visit some of the research labs. Emphasis was put on technology incubators, where the international group experienced first-hand the translation of cutting-edge science into entrepreneurial ventures.
This unique encounter was organized in partnership with the Stiftung für Technologie, Innovation und Forschung Thüringen (STIFT) and highlights Jena’s reputation as a center of scientific excellence and entrepreneurial drive. “We are thrilled that students from Harvard and MIT chose Jena as a destination to witness innovation that is Made in Germany,” said Dr. Christian Helgert, CEO of the Abbe Center of Photonics. “These meetings bridge continents and advance the future of technology through dialogue and real-world engagement.”
The Harvard/MIT Germany Trek 2025 will continue with visits to other innovation hubs across the country, further strengthening ties between U.S. and German academic and technology communities.
