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Delegation visit to South America: Directors of Materials and Coastal Research intend to expand cooperation

Since several years, the Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht (HZG) has maintained good relations with universities and companies in South America. Therefore, the HZG-Directors Prof. Norbert Huber and Professor Hans von Storch accompanied the Hamburg representatives during the official visit of Hamburg´s governing mayor Olaf Scholz from April 15th to 19th.

Since several years, the Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht (HZG) has maintained good relations with universities and companies in South America. Therefore, the HZG-Directors Prof. Norbert Huber and Professor Hans von Storch accompanied the Hamburg representatives during the official visit of Hamburg´s governing mayor Olaf Scholz from April 15th to 19th.

HZG Institute Directors Norbert Huber and Hans von Storch, Mayor Olaf Scholz, Head of the State Office Stefan Herms

Delegation Visit in South america: HZG-Directors Norbert Huber and Hans von Storch, Mayor Olaf Scholz, director of the State Office Stefan Herms (left to right)

Over the past decade, there has already been cooperation between the Geesthacht Institute for Materials Research and the Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer. The HZG department "Solid state joining processes" will continue to study the technology of friction stir welding together with the aircraft manufacturer Embraer. The common objective is to reduce the weight of the aircraft utilising the innovative joining technologies developed in Geesthacht.

Upon arrival in São Paulo a part of the delegation, headed by Prof. Norbert Huber, the Director of the Institute of Materials Research, visited the Embraer headquarters near the eleven million metropolis. "Our scientific cooperation with Brazil is very successful," explains the materials researcher Huber. “To expand the cooperation in the field of aerospace research was one meaning of this delegation's journey to south America.”

Two days later, on April 18th, the delegation was received by President José Mujica in Uruguay's capital Montevideo. When visiting the Faculty of Sciences (Facultad de Ciencias) of the University of the Republic of Uruguay, the director of the Institute of Coastal Research, Prof. Hans von Storch, held a lecture on the management of coastal zones. "We want to induce cooperation with governmental and scientific units in Uruguay." said the coastal researcher Hans von Storch.

“We are planning to introduce an exchange of doctoral students for instance. In addition, in 2014 or 2015 a winter school in Uruguay will bring together German and Uruguayan scientists in order to make a comparative study of the Rio de la Plata and the Baltic Sea."

The presence of both institute directors from Geesthacht once again underlined the importance of the Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht for business and science in Hamburg.