Bitterfeld's Anna Richter is the national winner of the student competition!

Bitterfeld's Anna Richter is the national winner of the student competition!

A brilliant success for the young engineer Anna Richter! The eighth-grader from the Walter Rathenau Europagymnasium in Bitterfeld-Wolfen triumphed at the national final of the “Junior.ING” student competition in Berlin on June 20, 2025. Her creative work, the “Green Tower,” impressed the expert jury among more than 1,160 entries from all over Germany. The competition, which is under the patronage of the Federal Ministry of Housing, Urban Development and Construction, promotes enthusiasm for engineering professions and combats the shortage of skilled workers in technical professions, as Magdeburger News reports.

With her model, Anna presented an innovative idea on the topic of “natural climate”. The “Green Tower” is characterized by a moss facade equipped with solar panels as well as trees and grass, which support photosynthesis. It was a long journey from the first line on the exercise book to the impressive finished model, which was rewarded with first place at the state competition in Magdeburg in May.

A competition with great commitment

The “Junior.ING” student competition had record participation this school year: around 6,000 students from all over Germany submitted a total of 2,227 models. The best three placements in both age groups received special recognition, receiving cash prizes in addition to awards. The first models will even be exhibited in the Science Center Spectrum until the end of the year in order to inspire more young talents for technology and natural sciences.

The national final, which took place in the German Museum of Technology, not only gave participants the opportunity to present their projects, but also to network with experts and like-minded people. The President of the Saxony-Anhalt Chamber of Engineers, Jörg Herrmann, praised Anna Richter for her technical skills and creative ideas. As BBIK notes, the state award ceremony took place in April 2025, at which 262 students from 28 schools were also represented, some with 116 creative and stable tower models.

MINT competitions in focus

Overall, the “Junior.ING” competition shows how important it is to promote MINT subjects (mathematics, computer science, natural sciences, technology) for the young generation. In addition to the Junior.ING competition, there are numerous other competitions that also motivate students. Participants in “Jugend forscht” can present their projects at regional, state and federal levels and take part in competitions such as the national competition, where the national winners can win up to 3,000 euros. This form of competition not only promotes creative thinking, but also practical skills, as highlighted on berlin.de.

Anna Richter's success stands not only for her individual achievements, but also for the strong support and commitment to MINT subjects in Germany. Their enthusiasm for engineering careers is a prime example of the fact that young people are prepared to deal with future-oriented topics and to actively work on designing solutions for the challenges of the future.