Chancellor Visits KIT at Hannover Messe

Friedrich Merz learned about current fusion research at KIT’s stand at Hannover Messe and emphasized the importance of the work carried out at KIT.
Friedrich Merz and Jan S. Hesthaven at the KIT stand. Sandra Göttisheim, KIT
Friedrich Merz (l.) learned about fusion research at KIT together with Dorothee Bär and Katherina Reiche (2nd from l.) from KIT President Hesthaven (2nd from r.) and Professor Christoph Kirchlechner (r.).

Today, on April 20, 2026, Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz visited the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) stand at Hannover Messe. Together with Federal Minister of Research Dorothee Bär and Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy Katherina Reiche, his focus was on the so‑called First Wall, the Tritium Breeding Blanket, a crucial step toward a future fusion reactor.

Professor Jan S. Hesthaven, President of KIT, presented the current state of research and explained the importance of the First Wall to the Chancellor, thanking the Federal Government for its support. Fusion research at KIT is unique worldwide, Hesthaven said. Merz praised the work being carried out at KIT. “We need fusion technology!” the Chancellor said. He reiterated his ambition for the first fusion reactor to be located in Germany. KIT’s research is indispensable in achieving this goal.

ckö/tsc, April 20, 2026