Cluster Retreat 2025

From September 30 to October 1, the members of the Cluster of Excellence met in Travemünde to prepare for the new funding period, which begins next year. The two-day meeting provided an opportunity to set the course for the future and further strengthen cooperation within the cluster.

The first item on the agenda was the innovation presentations. They covered a wide range of topics within the cluster and impressively demonstrated its diversity. Particularly exciting was the contribution by Michael Stolpe from the Institute for the World Economy, who took a social and political look at chronic inflammation in his presentation.

In addition, the existing areas of the cluster structure were presented and discussed in depth. The aim was to evaluate experiences from the previous funding phase and provide impetus for the next one.

A special moment was the tribute to Ernst Th. Rietschel, who played a key role in the initial funding of the predecessor cluster Inflammation at Interfaces (I@I). He described the achievement of this milestone as the finest moment in his career associated with the cluster – even though it took two attempts to succeed: the previous year, the application to the DFG had narrowly failed. 

The new members of the Steering Committee were also elected during the general meeting. Cluster spokesperson Stefan Schreiber concluded the meeting with a maritime image: “Our goal now must be to leave the harbor quickly and set sail for the ocean well prepared.”

This marked the end of two intensive and inspiring days that were enriching not only in terms of content but also on a personal level: numerous new opportunities for cooperation and networking arose during shared meals, coffee breaks, and many conversations.