News

Ted Talk at Helmholtz Future Forward

On April 22, the new Helmholtz President, Prof. Dr. Martin Keller, and the new Helmholtz Executive Director, Dr. Sabine Helling-Moegen, hosted the Helmholtz Future Forward event at the Helmholtz headquarters in Berlin. During the evening event, which drew approximately 300 guests from science, politics, industry, and society, one question took center stage: How can the societal benefits of research be made more clearly visible? Martin Keller emphasized that scientific excellence in Germany can only remain strong in the long term if people are made to understand the concrete difference it makes in their lives. That is why there is a constant focus on reflecting on the progress Helmholtz has made in recent years and how these results are having a tangible impact on society, everyday life, and the future. The Helmholtz Water Initiative, which was presented this evening by Dr. Larisa Tarasova (UFZ), is a flagship project that aims to achieve significant societal impact while maintaining scientific excellence (link to presentation). 

SOLVE Kick-off meeting on March 23 & 24, 2026

On 23 and 24 March 2026, the kick-off meeting of the Solution Lab SOLVE took place at the Weinberg Campus in Halle. The event brought together numerous researchers as well as representatives from practice and administration from Germany and the Czech Republic to discuss key challenges in water management within the Elbe river basin. Together, participants identified knowledge gaps and priority needs that the project will address over the next three years. The aim is to develop practice-oriented solutions and further strengthen collaboration between research and implementation.

World Water Day March 22, 2026

World Water Day, themed ‘Water and Gender’, will take place on 22 March 2026. In a recent Helmholtz interview, Prof. Dr Dietrich Borchardt discusses how water has a democratic dimension and can therefore help to promote greater justice. 

SOLVE at "Tag der Hydrologie 2026" (Hydrology Day)

From 4 to 6 March 2026, the SOLVE team was represented at “Tag der Hydrologie” in Kassel. Under the theme "Water Resources Under Pressure," the conference brought together researchers and practitioners to discuss current challenges in hydrology, including issues of water quality, water balance under increasing hydrological extremes, and adaptation measures for sustainable water management.

For SOLVE, the conference provided a valuable opportunity for exchange, to engage in ongoing discussions within the hydrological community and to learn about perspectives from research and practice. These insights contribute to the further development of approaches that combine scientific findings with practical solutions for sustainable water management.
 

The discussions will be continued and deepened at the SOLVE kick-off meeting on 23–24 March 2026 in Halle.

Stakeholder consultation in Brussels

Prof. Dr. Dietrich Borchardt, spokesperson for the Helmholtz Water Initiative, attended the European Ocean Days in Brussels on 4 March 2026. As a panel participant, he took part in the session on closing knowledge gaps and building capacity to develop solutions for restoring and protecting the water cycle. An initiative for stakeholder participation within the framework of the EU Water Resilience Strategy in Brussels. 

The water initiative in the UFZ newsletter

In the latest UFZ newsletter, Prof. Dr. Dietrich Borchardt talks about the global water balance, the challenges facing Europe and Germany in particular, assesses the National Water Strategy, discusses possible solutions for better water management, and explains what all this has to do with the Helmholtz Water Initiative.

SLRE Kick-off Meeting

The kickoff meeting for the Solution Lab SLRE took place in Leipzig on February 26–27, 2026. Fifteen scientists from four Helmholtz Centers attended.