Ernst Abbe University of Applied Sciences Jena successfully launches new research project with strong partners.

The “TOOLS – Tailored Optics for Life Sciences Engineering” project was officially launched with a festive kick-off event. The project gives Ernst Abbe University of Applied Sciences Jena the opportunity to make the transition from applied to knowledge-oriented research – and thus build new bridges between basic science, medical technology, and clinical application.

The focus is on pooling expertise: optical technologies (Prof. Robert Brunner, Prof. Jens Bliedtner), biophotonic methods (Prof. Iwan Schie, Prof. Maria Dienerowitz) and clinical expertise from the ENT clinic at Jena University Hospital (Prof. Orlando Guntinas-Lichius) are combined with artificial intelligence (ZAKI, Prof. Dirk Schmalzried) and accompanying social science research (Prof. Nicole Harth).

The goals of TOOLS:

• Establishing and strengthening basic research at EAH Jena
• Promoting interdisciplinary collaboration
• Developing a future-oriented profile in optics, medical technology, and biotechnology
• Expanding national and international networks

The kick-off event at StadtLab demonstrated the significant response that TOOLS has received: in addition to numerous partners from science and industry, companies such as Carl Zeiss, asphericon, and GRINTECH, as well as representatives from the Thuringian Ministry of Economics, Agriculture, and Rural Areas, also participated. In his welcoming address, Ministerial Director Burkhard Zinner emphasized that the funding was a strong signal of the research competence of the universities of applied sciences in Thuringia.

Particularly noteworthy: TOOLS is one of the few projects that were successful in the first special funding line of the German Research Foundation (DFG) for universities of applied sciences – only 10 of 69 applications received funding.

With a broad network of partners such as OptoNet, SpectroNet, medways, ThiMEDOP, InfectoGnostics, Fraunhofer IOF, FLI, and LPI, TOOLS is ideally positioned to generate innovative scientific findings and shape the transfer of knowledge to industry and society.

We wish TOOLS every success on this groundbreaking research path!