Health research as an economic factor
Thuringian Minister of Finance Katja Wolf visits the Leibniz-HKI in Jena
On July 17, 2025, Thuringian Finance Minister Katja Wolf visited the Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (Leibniz-HKI). As part of her “summer visits,” she gained insights into the institute’s research priorities and their great importance for the economic development of the Free State.
Using the example of the tuberculosis drug BTZ-043 developed at the Leibniz-HKI, she was able to see for herself how results from basic research lead to concrete product developments that strengthen the Thuringian economy. The Minister of Finance was particularly impressed by the JenXplor robotics platform, which was designed and built in collaboration with Analytik Jena GmbH. This platform enables drug development with high sample throughput and precision, which greatly facilitates the transfer of projects to industry.
“Our research achievements make us an important economic and innovation factor for Thuringia. At the same time, we attract sought-after specialists from the region and abroad and qualify them for the Thuringian labor market,” emphasized Institute Director Prof. Axel Brakhage.
The Leibniz-HKI places particular emphasis on attracting, training, and retaining international skilled workers. Many of the highly qualified young scientists who come to Jena from other parts of Germany or from abroad decide to pursue a permanent career in Thuringia - an important contribution to strengthening the region. The environment is also attractive for entrepreneurship – a recent example being the biotech start-up Biophelion GmbH which was just founded at the Leibniz-HKI.
The minister praised the role of research funding as a key instrument for Thuringia’s economic and social development. “With the help of the Free State, well-networked and internationally recognized cutting-edge research focusing on human health is being conducted at the Jena site. That's very exciting,” said Finance Minister Katja Wolf.
