2026-07-07 | The State of Saxony-Anhalt will provide approximately
€3.8 million to establish an
Information and Competence Center for Hemp with Educational Experience Trails (IKHE) in Mücheln (Geiseltal). According to the
project announcement, the funding is provided entirely through the
European Just Transition Fund (JTF) under the
New European Bauhaus initiative.State Secretary
Gert Zender presented the funding notice on July 7, 2026, to the project partners—the City of Mücheln,
Merseburg University of Applied Sciences, and the
German Hemp Academy (
Deutsche Hanf-Akademie e.V.).
Scheduled to run until 2028, the project aims to establish hemp as an ecological and economically viable alternative to fossil-based raw materials while strengthening regional value creation within the bioeconomy.
Working closely with the already established Hanffaser Geiseltal Cooperative (Hanffaser Geiseltal eG), the IKHE will serve as a center for knowledge transfer and applied research. A central component will be an experimental construction workshop where innovative hemp-based building materials will be developed and demonstrated through a dedicated test building.
The center will also include a self-build workshop offering both theoretical and practical training for professionals and the general public. In addition, several educational experience trails will showcase hemp’s wide range of applications, including construction, textiles, cosmetics, and food products. The initiative follows a participatory, bottom-up approach involving the local community throughout the project. Further information is available here.
