The DFG-funded Research Training Group (RTG) 2721 is a consortium at Leipzig University, the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf / Research Site Leipzig (HZDR/RSL) and the Leibniz Institute for Surface Engineering (IOM). It spans the fields of analytical, inorganic, organic, physical, and theoretical chemistry, chemical technology and physics. The RTG’s central goal is training tomorrow’s workforce in emerging technologies that exploit the unique properties of the hydrogen isotopes, 1,2,3H, in order to contribute to revolutionising drug design strategies, converting radioactive waste into precious materials, and, in the long run, a CO2-emission-free energy supply for the planet.