Our first ZMT Newsletter of the year is now available ponline. In a portrait, our scientific director Professor Raimund Bleischwitz tells us what has shaped him and how he would like to shape ZMT. Focussing on ZMT programme area PA 5 “Strategic Management and Development” we report on the German-Chinese research project on Hainan that includes capacity development and citizen science elements. Furthermore we shine a light on the co-design of research projects and how this concept is fostered and employed at ZMT.