“Jugend forscht” visits KRIWAN

In November, we had the pleasure of welcoming two school classes from the Ganerben Gymnasium to our site in Forchtenberg. Around 60 students presented their project ideas for the 2026 “Jugend forscht” competition in small groups.

During the project presentations, the students first introduced their basic ideas, but also shared very concrete considerations regarding implementation. These included, for example, the required materials such as programming, sensors, and LEDs, as well as AI solutions they planned to develop themselves. Many groups had also prepared an initial sketch of their project to clearly illustrate the structure and functionality.

The Friedrich Kriwan Foundation has been supporting schools in the region for many years with school awards for “Jugend forscht” projects. This commitment is now intended to go beyond financial support: direct professional exchange is also important to us.
This year, Prof. Zeitler and Matthias Mangold therefore evaluated the submitted projects in advance from a technical and scientific perspective. In an open discussion, they provided the students with valuable feedback — for example, on how to sharpen research questions, sensibly plan experimental setups, or realistically implement technical solutions. The aim was not to provide ready-made answers, but to encourage the young researchers to find their own paths and further develop their ideas in a targeted way.

Another highlight of the two days was a guided tour of the production facilities of KRIWAN Industrie-Elektronik. This allowed the students not only to present their ideas, but also to gain an impression of who we are as a company and how our products are made. Our various temperature sensors, in particular, offered exciting points of connection — they could provide an ideal technical foundation for some of the projects.

And what happens next?
At the next meeting at the Ganerben Gymnasium, Prof. Zeitler and Mr. Mangold will take a look at the first prototypes of the projects. At that stage, practical implementation, testing, and fine-tuning will be the main focus. We are already looking forward to seeing how the initial ideas develop into real “Jugend forscht” projects — and we are proud to be able to accompany this journey as a regional partner.