DW-TV: What do you think about the chances of CO2 replacing oil as a starting material in the chemical industry. How realistic is that?
Jürgen Mlynek: We have to do something about CO2. We have to separate it and store it, and the best possible use would be to make other materials out of it. That’s not so obvious, and even if you succeed – whether you can do it on a big scale is an open question. So we do need some more research.
What would you say are the most significant themes in research right now?
Energy. We need energy that is sustainable and that everybody can afford from an economic point of view, and that is also environmentally safe. It’s also about health. People are getting older. People want to get older and stay healthy at the same time. That’s a challenge for the health system and also for research.
What would you say is it about Germany that makes this such an interesting place for researchers around the world?
Germany has very attractive working conditions for researchers. We have done a lot for junior researchers over the last 10-15 years. We have become more competitive. Think of the recent excellence initiative. We have a fantastic infrastructure in Germany, which includes research. We have become more competitive in terms of salaries. So everything is fine, and we have a clear priority for education and research in contrast to other countries.
You have just come back from Japan and have spent a lot of time in the US. How would you characterize the partnership between Germany and the US in terms of research. Are they partners or rivals?
Both. As a scientist, you first compete with scientists in your own country and also at the international level. At the same time, in many projects you need international competition – especially for the big challenges. Nuclear fusion is an international cooperation – you can’t do it otherwise.
What about countries like China and India? Will we see research from there eclipsing Germany?
They really make a big effort concerning education and research. From my viewpoint China clearly is the more dynamic country. They set clear priorities and have become competitive in a number of fields, also with respect to international standards like we have in the US, Japan and Germany.
(Interview: Heather DeLisle)