Junior Professor Philipp Rothemund, who leads the Adaptive Mechanical Systems group at the University of Stuttgart and serves as a Participating Researcher in the Cluster of Excellence SimTech, has been elected spokesperson of the Junge Akademie – Germany’s interdisciplinary academy for outstanding young researchers and artists.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Junge Akademie, making Rothemund’s appointment particularly notable. His election reflects both his scientific achievements and his commitment to fostering dialogue between disciplines and with society at large.
“The Junge Akademie thrives on the diversity and openness of its members. I am honored to serve as its spokesperson in such a special year,” says Rothemund. “We aim to address topics like academic freedom, the societal impact of science, and broader science policy issues.”
Interdisciplinary Research at the Core
In addition to his academic leadership, Rothemund conducts cutting-edge research in the emerging field of soft robotics. His group, Functional Soft Robotic Matter, focuses on systems made from flexible, often bioinspired materials – with potential applications ranging from medical devices to industrial automation and environmental sensing.
As a Participating Researcher in SimTech, Rothemund links this work to data-integrated simulation science. His team explores how functional materials respond to environmental stimuli such as temperature, humidity, or light, and how these behaviors can be accurately modeled and simulated. This contributes to SimTech’s broader mission of advancing simulation as a key technology in science and engineering.
A Leadership Team with Diverse Expertise
Alongside Rothemund, the newly elected Junge Akademie board includes Helen Ahner (Cultural Studies, University of Vienna), Hani Harb (Infection Immunology, TU Dresden), Benedikt Hartl (Architecture, Opposite Office), and Hanna Pfeifer (Political Science, University of Hamburg). The board is responsible for shaping the Academy’s strategic and thematic direction. All projects and initiatives are developed and implemented by the Academy’s roughly 50 members.
The Junge Akademie is jointly sponsored by the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities (BBAW) and the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina. Its headquarters are located in Berlin.