Merseburg is announced as the future CTC location in Saxony-Anhalt
February 2024
On February 14th, Merseburg is officially announced as CTC location in Saxony-Anhalt. With its university of applied sciences and a direct connection to the numerous companies in and around the Leuna Chemical Park, Merseburg offers ideal conditions for future research and cooperation between science, industry and the region.
Rental of temporary office space in Leuna
January 2024
The CTC’s growing scientific team moves into temporary offices in the main building of Leunawerke. This ensures a direct link to the companies and research facilities in the Leuna Chemical Park.
Key aspects on CTC funding signed
November 2023
Federal Research Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger, Saxony’s Minister President Michael Kretschmer and Saxony-Anhalt’s Minister President Dr. Reiner Haseloff sign the key aspects of the federal-state agreement on financing the CTC.
Rental of temporary office space in Delitzsch
March 2023
The Center for the Transformation of Chemistry (CTC) obtains offices for the first employees in the building of the District Office of North Saxony in Delitzsch.
Start-up phase begins
January 2023
The start-up phase begins. In addition to setting up the organizational structures and preparing for the construction of the research center, the main task is to work out the scientific topics that the CTC will address. All preparatory work is to be completed by no later than 2025.
Winning the competition
September 2022
The concept for the CTC to establish one of two new large-scale research centers is selected from nearly 100 ideas in the competition “Science Creating Prospects for the Region” organized by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, the Free State of Saxony and the State of Saxony-Anhalt.
Evaluation by the Commission for Transfer and Structural Impact
August 2022
The concepts were evaluated by a Commission for Transfer and Structural Impact in terms of transfer, organizational structure and expected economic impact on the region. The twelve members contributed their expertise in the fields of institute foundation, entrepreneurship, start-ups, investment, innovation and transfer as well as regional development.
Defending in front of Scientific Commission
July 2022
The scientific quality of each of the six concepts was evaluated by separate, subject-specific Scientific Commissions. Each of these commissions consisted of seven to ten world-leading scientists.
Selection by Perspectives Commission
July 2021
In a first selection round in July 2021, an independent Perspectives Commission selected the best six from nearly 100 proposals and recommended them to be funded for further development. Starting in November 2021, these six initiatives, including the CTC, worked out their visions for potential large-scale research centers into concepts ready for review.
Science Creating Prospects for the Region!
January 2021
“Science Creating Prospects for the Region!” is a joint initiative of the Federal Government, represented by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, the Free State of Saxony and the State of Saxony-Anhalt. The ideas competition is based on the “Act on Structural Change in Coal Mining Areas” (StStG).
Act on Structural Change in Coal Mining Areas
August 2020
On August 14, 2020, the “Act on Structural Change in Coal Mining Areas” (StStG) has come into force as a measure to structurally aid the regions affected by the coal phase-out. In order to create new prospects for the coal regions, Section 17 (29) of the StStG provides for the “establishment of one new institutionally funded large-scale research center each in accordance with Helmholtz or comparable conditions in the Saxon part of Lusatia and the Central German mining region on the basis of a competitive procedure”.