Adlershof Journal July/August 2025
Highly recommended: Experience healthy vibes at Campus Adlershof:
ESSAY by Jörg Blech: What body and mind need to stay young and fitIN CONVERSATION WITH Michelle Zantopp and Paul Wildner who are committed to building a powerful team at Vaionic TechnologiesPORTRAIT The cosmetics…
From the editors
Finding balance
The self-optimisation trend has shifted in recent years. While it once revolved around consuming bite-sized pieces of knowledge or achieving a state of constant happiness, the focus has now moved toward a state one could call “tracking and the optimal maintenance of the human body as a high-performance machine”. Is it even possible to get through the day without a meditation app or a handful of dietary supplements? Not if you believe the claims of clever marketing companies and self-proclaimed wellness gurus.
Yet it’s entirely understandable that people aspire to live healthier—ideally longer—lives. In an increasingly fast-paced and complex world, however, that’s easier said than done. In this summer issue, we therefore offer you some practical support for staying healthy. Whether it’s yoga or callisthenics, the options for getting active in and around the Technology Park Adlershof are plentiful. Perhaps you’ll find an activity that suits you in our cover story. Or take a look at the free services offered by the Adlershof Health Network, which takes a holistic approach to health by looking at both body and mind. We spoke with Vaionic Technologies GmbH about how smaller companies can benefit from occupational health management.
Volleyball—and indeed university sports in general—are currently experiencing something of a boom among Berlin’s students. The sports science programme at Humboldt-Universität is also growing in popularity, prompting a major expansion of the sports facilities in Adlershof. Why not take inspiration from the younger generation and make this summer a season of health and exercise?
I wish you an enjoyable time doing so.
Sincerely,
Peggy Mory
Editor-in-chief
Articles
What body and mind need to stay young and fit
Essay by Jörg Blech, biologist and author:
The ultimate anti-aging remedy would be to swap out your body for the healthy body of younger person. This would be made possible by a head transplant, placing the old mind on a fresh frame. As chilling as it sounds,…
In conversation with Michelle Zantopp & Paul Wildner
… who are committed to building a powerful team at Vaionic Technologies:
The Adlershof Health Network offers a broad array of holistic, preventative services to support employees across the campus, ranging from back health and longevity coaching, to eye yoga, strength and mobility training…
The cosmetics designer
Penélope Jirón develops personal care products from natural ingredients:
She never imagined her professional life to turn out the way it has. “I had sworn never to become self-employed. I saw how exhausting it was for my parents,” says Penélope Jirón. The original plan was to have a steady…
Full of energy: Adlershof is on the move
Fitness, ball games, or running – the campus offers plenty of options. How passionate is its scientific community about sports?:
While working from home, Faruk Garic came to the callisthenics park at Alexander-von-Humboldt-Weg during his lunch break. “I live just one street away with my family. I’ll do exercises for arms, shoulders, and core…
Hormones, steroids and more
Protein drinks and dietary supplements are in the focus of Landeslabor Berlin-Brandenburg:
Landeslabor Berlin-Brandenburg, the region’s state laboratory, is engaged in regular testing of protein drinks and dietary supplements as part of the German government’s official food control. Inspectors are on the…
Is my child gifted?
From Excel spreadsheets to high-performance sports – how performance diagnostics is changing the way talent is managed:
When Daniel Heidrich’s son was scouted by 1. FC Union Berlin for their youth academy, one key question kept coming up—one for which there were surprisingly few solid answers: Is my child really athletically gifted? As…
A head full of numbers and physics in the heart
Memory athlete Konstantin Skudler on an unusual path between memory palaces and formal logic:
How is it possible to memorise hundreds of numbers in a matter of minutes? And why do emotions help more than sheer discipline? Physicist and memory athlete Konstantin Skudler shares an unusual path between memory…
Staying on the ball
Why Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin's sports campus in Adlershof is being expanded:
With an increasing number of places in sports science courses, the demand for university sports courses is also growing. Because of this, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin is set to expand its Adlershof sports…
How quantum particles communicate
Nanophysicist Günter Kewes brings complex physics to life during Berlin’s Long Night of the Sciences:
We owe solar panels, smartphones, MRI scanners, and even supermarket barcode readers to quantum physics. For this reason, the UN General Assembly has declared 2025 the International Year of Quantum Science and…
News in brief
Outdoor cinema at the Technology Park
Are you looking to wind down after work with a bit of culture and other people from Adlershof? “Culture x Science at Work” makes that possible. Together with Hörsaalkino Adlershof and the Adlershof Health Network, WISTA Management is opening an outdoor cinema. Animation, science fiction, or biopic? You can decide because we will show three completely different films on three evenings: Wall-E on 4 September, Arrival on 9 September, and Bohemian Rhapsody on 17 September. They begin at 7 pm, doors open at 6.30 pm. Admission is free. Drinks and popcorn are available to purchase.
Joint data and AI centre
Data-driven research is crucial for tackling societal challenges—whether in health, materials, or climate research. In a collaboration that is so far unique, Berlin University Alliance (BUA), the Max Delbrück Centre, and the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin, together with the Zuse Institute Berlin, aim to establish a powerful data and AI centre in the German capital. As a first step, a new high-performance research data centre is to be built at the HZB site in Berlin-Adlershof in cooperation with the ZIB.
New city trees for Johannisthal/Adlershof
With over 430,000 street trees, Berlin is one of the greenest major cities in the world. Unfortunately, many of the street trees that had to be felled in the past years could not be replaced for budget reasons. On average, planting a street tree in Berlin and maintaining it for the first three years cost about 3,000 euros. Donations are needed to maintain the current stock. Once 500 euros has been raised, the Berlin Senate will cover the rest. Until 15 September, you can donate specifically for the planting period in autumn in the Johannisthal/Adlershof development area. New trees are to be planted in 75 locations, including Ernst-Lau-Strasse, James-Franck-Strasse, Johann-Hittorf-Strasse und Wagner-Régeny-Strasse. If you have any questions, call the donation hotline: (030) 9025-1234.
Chemistry Day: programmes, research, career paths
What comes after university? What career opportunities do chemical companies offer? What professional paths exist in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries? What exciting research questions are PhD candidates working on? What’s happening at the interface between universities, companies and non-university research institutions? These and other questions are addressed at Chemistry Day. Now in its 34th year, Berlin and Potsdam universities and institutions once again invite participants to join the conversation at Walter Nernst-Haus, Newtonstrasse 14. This year’s hosts are the Department of Chemistry at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and the research network IGAFA e. V. Participation is free-of-charge.
Falling Walls Lab Berlin-Adlershof
At the Falling Walls Lab Berlin-Adlershof (FWL), students and early-career researchers from all disciplines will present their groundbreaking research or innovative business ideas to a distinguished jury of experts from science and industry. The event takes place on 15 July 2025, starting at 2.00 pm at the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM). The winners of each international FWL qualify for the Falling Walls Labs final on 7 November in Berlin. All those interested are warmly welcomed.
BVG is building a new tram depot in Adlershof
Berlin’s public transport operator BVG is set to enhance its services in Treptow-Köpenick with the construction of a new tram depot in Adlershof. Located at the corner of Köpenicker Strasse and Adlergestell, the facility will cover approximately 50,000 square metres and provide stabling, maintenance, and repair capacity for up to 60 vehicles. This additional operational base in the southeast of the city will make essential and regular servicing visits significantly more efficient, thus improving the long-term reliability of the service. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2026. The tram depot will go into operation in the year 2030.
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