Heimspiel Wissenschaft: Alexander Klimek gave a talk in his hometown Eilsleben

Science is coming home: Alexander Klimek, scientist at the Max Planck Institute in Magdeburg, gave a presentation to a local audience outlining future production methods for sustainable aviation fuels on September 3, 2026.

At the end of the workday, there is a bustle of activity around Eilsleben Town Hall; the lively voices of children can still be heard coming from the library, and chickens and geese are clucking in the neighboring garden. The community center is already bathed in the evening sun, but on the evening of September 3, 2026, the doors to the hall are open for “Heimspiel Wissenschaft.”

Scientist Alexander Klimek is visiting his hometown of Eilsleben to talk about his research on the production of sustainable aviation fuels. He knows the visitors - they are his family, people from his hometown, members of his soccer club, and classmates from his school. And the guests seem to be curious about what Alexander Klimek has to tell them.

More than forty guests have followed the invitation to discuss research with someone they know. Alexander Klimek gives his audience a vivid and interactive account of his daily work, taking them on a journey from his school days in the Börde region and his studies at Otto von Guericke University in Magdeburg to his office and his current responsibilities as a doctoral candidate at the Max Planck Institute in Magdeburg.

His mathematical calculations on his computer come to life here. Using various mathematical methods and artificial neural networks, he optimizes thousands of variables and hundreds of yes-or-no decisions to find the most cost-effective way to produce kerosene from atmospheric CO₂.

Several times, he engages his audience in short online polls. They take out their smartphones and consider questions ranging from what process engineers do, to the CO₂ footprint of a short-haul flight, to the lowest price for a plane ticket using sustainable jet fuel. Afterwards, there is still enough time to address any open questions from the audience.

They take away one important insight from the evening: Sustainable flying is already technically possible - if everyone is willing to pay a few euros more for it. And Alexander Klimek is working with his teammates to find the best possible solution from among all the alternatives.

Report: Gabriele Ebel, 4 September 2026