On 17 March 2026, the fifth meeting of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Rostock Centre for Interdisciplinary Implant Research (ROCINI) took place at the University of Rostock. ROCINI is a key research institution at the University of Rostock; it promotes interdisciplinary collaboration in the field of implant research and serves as a platform for coordinated research projects.

The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Rostock, Professor Elizabeth Prommer, opened the event with a welcoming address in which she highlighted the strategic importance of ROCINI for interdisciplinary research at the University of Rostock.

The ROCINI spokesperson, Professor Christian Haubelt, then reported on current developments within ROCINI, including its integration into the university’s structure, the increase in membership numbers, the funding of transfer-oriented projects, and innovative research initiatives. ROCINI was founded to secure the long-term sustainability of the research excellence established by the Collaborative Research Centre 1270 “ELAINE – Electrically Active Implants”. In this context, Professor Sascha Spors, spokesperson for SFB 1270 ELAINE, presented the planned research work for the third funding period.

In addition, early-career researchers presented selected research findings from the fields of materials, tissue-material interaction, simulation and modelling, as well as smart sensors and actuators. A subsequent poster session provided an opportunity for technical discussions and one-to-one conversations with the participants.

The closed-door part of the afternoon session was devoted to in-depth discussions with the Rector, Professor Elizabeth Prommer, and the Vice-Rector, Professor Nicole Wrage-Mönnig, the entire ROCINI Executive Board and the Scientific Advisory Board regarding the further strategic development of ROCINI.

A big thank you goes to the members of the Scientific Advisory Board, Professor Robert Rieger (Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel), Professor Regine Willumeit-Römer (Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht / Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel), Professor Peter Wriggers (Leibniz University Hannover) and Professor Thomas M. Grupp (Aesculap AG / Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich), for their personal attendance at the meeting, the stimulating discussions and the valuable ideas and recommendations for the further development of ROCINI.

On 7 May 2025, the inaugural event of the central scientific institution ROCINI took place in the auditorium of the University of Rostock. Prof Dr Christian Haubelt, the new spokesperson for ROCINI, presented the institution's medium and long-term goals to around 50 invited guests. In addition, Prof Dr Ursula van Rienen, former spokesperson of ROCINI, outlined the origins and development of ROCINI in her presentation.

The path to the founding of ROCINI in 20219 led via the DFG Research Training Group 1505 ‘Analysis and Simulation of Electrical Interactions between Implants and Biosystems’ (welisa), which ran from 2008 to 2017, and the DFG Collaborative Research Centre 1270 ‘Electrically Active Implants’ (ELAINE), which has been in existence since 2017.

ROCINI was initially founded as a virtual centre in order to secure research excellence at the Rostock site in the long term and to strengthen the competitiveness of the University of Rostock and Rostock University Medical Centre. With the clear localisation as a central scientific institution within the structure of the University of Rostock, an important step was taken for the further development of ROCINI.

The broad spectrum of interdisciplinary implant research around ROCINI was presented by the heads of the four ROCINI sub-areas - ‘Smart Sensors & Actuators’, ‘Simulation & Modelling’, ‘Tissue Interaction’ and ‘Materials’ - in their talks.

A highlight of the event was the presentation by Prof Dr Thorsten Buzug, Managing Director of Fraunhofer IMTE and Head of the Institute for Medical Technology at the University of Lübeck, on innovative materials, in particular magnetic nanoparticles. These are used in imaging diagnostics, among other things.

During the event, Prof. van Rienen was bid farewell from the Executive Board by Prof. Rainer Bader, ROCINI's deputy spokesperson and long-time companion.