The focus of the visit was the newly applied for “The Martian Mindset: A Scarcity-Driven Engineering Paradigm” Cluster of Excellence of the Materials Science and Technologies high-profile area, as well as the existing “The Ocean Floor – Earth's Uncharted Interface” Cluster of Excellence at MARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences.

During the tour, the innovative character of research at the university impressed Mayor Andreas Bovenschulte. In conversation with the academics, he gained an impression of what it means to take part in such a high-caliber funding competition.

Mayor Andreas Bovenschulte: “The achievements of the researchers at the University of Bremen are truly impressive. Not only because they are outstanding in academic terms, but also because they address existential questions concerning the future. I am absolutely convinced that the university is well equipped for the Excellence Competition. Now we need to keep our fingers crossed that we hold our own in the national contest."

President Professor Jutta Günther: “At the University of Bremen, we do not pursue excellence for the sake of excellence, but out of a sense of social responsibility. Our cutting-edge research in the Cluster of Excellence teams in the fields of materials and marine sciences contributes significantly to the pressing problems of our time. As the university management, we are proud of what we have achieved so far in the Excellence Competition and are delighted that the mayor is acknowledging our top researchers with his visit. They are representative of all the University of Bremen members who make indispensable and valuable contributions to academia and society with their outstanding research.”

At the Center of Applied Space Technology and Microgravity (ZARM), the MaMBA – Moon and Mars Base Analog (MaMBA laboratory) – was viewed. In the coming years, the facility is to expand and encompass a complex for testing production processes under Martian conditions. Both facilities are unique research infrastructures worldwide.

This was followed by a visit to the Bremen Institute for Mechanical Engineering (bime), headed by Professor Kirsten Tracht. The testing of low-threshold and interactive exhibits illustrated the potential of technologies such as virtual reality and artificial intelligence, as well as their possible applications in production scenarios on Mars.

During the tour of the MARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences at the University of Bremen, led by MARUM Director Professor Kai-Uwe Hinrichs, the focus was on the application for continuation of the “Ocean Floor” Cluster of Excellence. MARUM is the largest university marine science research unit in Germany and together with scientists from the University of Oldenburg, the researchers at MARUM have submitted a joint application for the continuation of the cluster. The new alliance with the University of Oldenburg would enable the future cluster to place a greater emphasis on marine ecosystem and biodiversity research.

One of the highlights was the new remote-controlled diving robot, ROV MARUM-QUEST 5000, located in the research institute's workshop. The development of underwater technologies is a central area of focus at MARUM. These technologies are groundbreaking for marine and climate research and demonstrate the outstanding research infrastructure of the University of Bremen.