What do you see?
When the Journal illustrator, Dorothee Mahnkopf, comes to the technology park, the first thing she sees are whales. Trailing vines. Monads. Moles in knitted jumpers. What do you see? How would you change the buildings? As the year draws to a close, it is tradition to make a wish: What does the campus lack? Where could it become more lively? We invite you to get creative with paint and pencil, scissors, needle and thread, glue and old magazines. You can use photoshop or AI—but we would certainly consider that a collaborative effort. The pictures can either come from your own phone or you can find some on adlershof.de.
Send us your creations, either digitally or by post, to our editorial address by 31 December 2026. We will raffle two vouchers, each worth 50 euros, for lunch at the new restaurant Spätzle and Spice at Forum Adlershof. If the memories of your own art classes still make you wince, don’t fret. We won’t be making any passive-aggressive comments. (“A bit of blue here would help...the transitions are too harsh, I’m afraid.”) We promise.
In this final issue of the Journal for this year, we bring you stories of highly creative approaches to science communication, start-up ventures, business ideas, and remarkable life journeys. And see what that has to do with pretzels, pants, and parties. Here’s to a new year full of good ideas.
Sincerely,
Peggy Mory
Editor-in-chief
Terms and conditions: Anyone aged 18 or over may enter. The closing date is 31 December 2026 at 11.59 pm. By submitting their work, participants confirm that they are its author and that the submission does not infringe any third-party rights. They grant WISTA the right to publish their work in its print and online media in connection with the competition. AI-assisted entries are permitted, provided participants hold the necessary usage rights to the submitted content. The winner will be selected at random and notified. The prize cannot be exchanged for cash. No legal recourse is available.
Information on data protection and further details (in German)
Articles
The animal in my blind spot
Essay by the Berlin-based writer Paul Bokowski:
I have this pet. It lives with me. It is a curious creature that spends its days sitting beside my desk, staring at me with a persistence I sometimes envy. It looks up at me pleadingly, waiting for me to give it my…
In conversation with Yessica Yeti, creative director at PEIX Health Group
If you’re expecting the ultimate guide to being creative, you’re about to be disappointed. Yessica Yeti is a copywriter, author, musician, music journalist and creative director at PEIX Health Group. And yet, she…
The protein maker
Bernd Haase’s company supplies molecular diagnostics with highly purified enzymes:
Bernd Haase has the simplest possible formula for what value creation means: “Creating something new.” That’s what drives him. Water, sugar, salt and yeast extract go in; highly purified proteins come out. This is the…
In the flow with Lego
Whether plastic bricks, photovoltaics, or fungi, creativity in Adlershof flourishes where people from different backgrounds, disciplines and perspectives come together:
A quick glance at some Lego bricks is enough to make Franziska Emmerling’s fingers itch. Children’s toys? Some might say so. But toys that spark creativity and make abstract concepts tangible. “I’m fascinated by how…
Are you losing control of something? Divide it up into pants!
HU professor Gaëtan Borot explains mathematics using clear examples:
“I don’t need to know anything about filmmaking to go to the cinema,” says mathematics professor Gaëtan Borot. “In the same way, science can be part of everyone’s cultural life without people having to do science…
A colourful family
How a small paint and decorating supplies shop in Treptow grew into Farben-Frikell:
The company CEO takes off his glasses and points to the tiny lettering on the inside of the arm. “Everything has some kind of lettering on it,” says Henrik Frikell. His glasses were just one example. The range extends…
Turning waste into resources
MycoWerk focuses on regional fungi:
Chitosan is a versatile biopolymer. This biodegradable, antimicrobial substance is used as a flocculant in water treatment, as a plant-strengthening agent in agriculture, and as a raw material for coatings and…
Thoughts on creativity
Finger painting at the campfire:
Have you ever wondered what creativity actually is? When you’re chatting to your friends about your kids’ talents, do you say things like “Our Deniz is so creative, he’ll win the Nobel Prize one day!” or “Alex has…
Physics is movement
Allison Pinto is finding new paths in science communication:
Where are we in the universe? What is relativity? To better understand these and other questions about physics, Allison Pinto is finding new paths in science communication. She has developed entertaining formats for…
Talk show under pressure
How the ARD hit talk show “maischberger” is made at Studio.Berlin in Adlershof:
Presenter Sandra Maischberger has been a fixture on German television with her eponymous political talk show (Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and sometimes Mondays, at 10.50 pm on ARD) since 2003, attracting more than a…
News in brief
Adlershof Research Forum
The Adlershof Research Forum, held every two years, is a joint conference organised by Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, IGAFA e. V. and WISTA Management GmbH. Through presentations, pitches and a poster exhibition, it provides an overview of the latest research and technology highlights from Adlershof—showcasing the wealth of knowledge generated at the campus. This year’s AFF will take place on Wednesday, 11 November 2026 at the Erwin Schrödinger Centre, Rudower Chaussee 26.
Prior registration is required: Email: events(at)igafa.de
www.adlershof.de/en/research-forum
WISTA Academy: 3 women, 3 generations
How do the realities of women’s lives differ across generations, and where do they intersect? What experiences shape our professional and personal paths? What can we learn from one another? On Wednesday, 18 November 2026, from 11 am to 1.30 pm, three women will share their experiences, perspectives and insights at a panel discussion moderated by Bessie Fischer-Bohn, head of human resources at WISTA. The event will take place at Rudower Chaussee 28, in the Equality Room on the ground floor. The panelists are Susann Zietek, climate activist, consultant and account manager at PEIX Health Group; Franziska Hagos, research associate at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin; and Natascha Kompatzki, systemic coach specialising in women in leadership and effective teamwork. As personal experiences can be highly individual and sensitive, we place great importance on providing a safe and supportive environment. The event is primarily aimed at women, including trans women, and non-binary people who feel the event is relevant to them.
Prior registration is required:
sweapevent.com/b?p=awc2026
www.wista.de/en/academy
The “Battle den Horst” science slam is back
On 26 November 2026, Adlershof’s science slam “Battle den Horst” returns to the Bunsensaal, Volmerstraße 2. Scientists will step out of the laboratory and present their research in an accessible, creative and entertaining way, with a good dose of humour. In just a few minutes, the contestants must win over the audience and get them excited about their subject. At the end of the evening, the audience decides who takes the stage and claims the title of Science Slam Champion 2026.
Drinks and snacks will be available to buy at the venue. The event is organised by WISTA Management GmbH, with support from BTB GmbH Berlin and SENTECH Instruments GmbH. Doors open at 6 pm, and the event starts at 6.30 pm. We recommend buying tickets through Eventim. Tickets cost 11.34 euros, including fees. As capacity is limited, only a limited number of tickets will be available at the door, priced at 13 euros.
www.adlershof.de/en/event/science-slam-berlin-adlershof-battle-den-horst
Another round of the Adlershof Startup Lab
Calling all innovative start-up teams! Applications for the second round of the Adlershof Startup Lab (ASL) are open from 1 December 2026 to 20 January 2027. The 12-month support programme helps technology-focused start-ups with coaching, workshops, mentoring, access to the Adlershof network and a monthly grant of 2,500 euros per team member. The programme is looking for ideas in forward-looking fields such as AI and DeepTech, the circular economy and GreenTech, as well as smart cities and mobility.
Best of “Adlershof Journal”
WISTA Magazine
We also report on the other WISTA Future Sites and cross-cutting topics in Potenzial:
