How can structural change in the Anhalt-Bitterfeld region be successfully managed? With this key question in mind, the Just Transition Centre (JTC) at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) hosted the event ‘JTC meets Region’ in the metal laboratory of the Bitterfeld-Wolfen Chemical Park on 6 November 2025. A meeting on equal terms between politics, research, business, and society.
The event was opened by Armin Schenk, Mayor of Bitterfeld-Wolfen, and Prof. Dr. Christian Tietje, Member of the Board of JTC. Elena Herzel from Entwicklungsgesellschaft Bitterfeld-Wolfen mbH provided a keynote speech on current opportunities and challenges for regional transformation in Anhalt-Bitterfeld and beyond.
JTC researchers then presented their projects. Dr Steffi Formann (Team A3) focused on the soil remediation project ‘Redesigning quality of life in Bitterfeld’. Jenny Steinhorst (Team C3, Transformative Learning) and Hermine Bähr (Team A1, Structural Change & Participation) provided insights into the evaluation of the ‘Revierpionier’ funding programme.
Networking
In the afternoon, a panel discussion provided an opportunity for in-depth discussions on key topics such as the shortage of skilled workers, promoting young talent in the chemical industry and the importance of industrial culture for regional identity. The panel discussion featured Patrice Heine (Managing Director of Chemiepark Bitterfeld-Wolfen), Susann Schult (Managing Director of Bitterfeld Construction Company (NEUBI)), Dr Alexander Klose (Team A2, Chemistry in Transition) and Philipp Hilgeroth (Team B7, Design of 3D-printable Polymers). The discussion was moderated by Prof. Dr Wehrspohn (Member of the Board of JTC and spokesperson for Pillar B). During the audience Q&A session, the importance of interesting chemistry lessons in schools, or cultural spaces and activities for young people was emphasised, so that skilled workers will continue to be attracted to the region and want to stay here in the future.
At the networking event that followed, numerous participants from politics, business, science, and civil society took the opportunity to engage in interdisciplinary discussions about future collaborations
Research Insights for the Next Generation
Four workshops were held in the morning at ABI LAb, an experimental workshop space of Forum Rathenau e.V., a local platform for science and education, where JTC teams provided insights into their interdisciplinary research. Team B5 inspired trainees with a practical demonstration of solar energy, in which a Bluetooth speaker built by the participants themselves was brought to life by a solar panel. Team B2 introduced participants to the world of geology, while Team B1 focused on soil research – the layer above the rocks. Teams A4 and C3 took participants on a journey into the future of spaces, memories and living environments undergoing structural change.
