October 7, 2025
Quantum & Space Day on October 7, 2025 (3:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.)
Ulm’s quantum year “quant.ulm.2025,” under the patronage of Mayor Martin Ansbacher, culminates in the “Ulm Quantum Festival” from October 6 to 12. The event at the Stadthaus (city hall) offers a broad program focusing on the current state of research into microparticles. An art exhibition and a concert approaching quantum physics from a different perspective round out the program.
Admission to both events is free – only tickets are required for the concert on Saturday.
HIU researchers will also be participating: The DLR research group led by Prof. Dr. Birger Horstmann will also be participating on the Ulm Quantum & Space Day on October 7. The research group aims to raise awareness among the public about the important role quantum processes play in batteries.
Information at a glance:
The DLR Quantum & Space Day will take place as part of the Quantum Week/Quantum Festival at the Ulm City Hall. The event is open to the public from 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. It will feature lectures as well as hands-on experiments and discussions with scientists from the Institute of Quantum Technologies. This will provide a family-friendly and diverse program focused on quantum physics and space.
https://www.ulm.de/leben-in-ulm/digitale-stadt/q25_programm
https://event.dlr.de/event/dlr-quantum-space-day/
August 24, 2025
HighMag – High-energy, low-cost and scalable generation 5 magnesium-based batteries for mobility applications and beyond –
“HighMag” is funded though the EU’s HORIZON-CL5-2024-D2-02- call and has been granted 5 million euro to comprehensively advance all aspects of the development of rechargeable magnesium batteries. The “HighMag” consortium is coordinated by the “Austrian Institute for Technology” (AIT) and consists of 13 Partners from academia and industry from EU- and non-EU countries (Austria, Finland, France, Germany & Poland, Israel, UK, and Switzerland).
As part of the project, HIU’s research group “Solid-State Chemistry” led by Prof. Maximilian Fichtner has taken on the task to develop improved electrolytes for rechargeable magnesium batteries (DOI: 10.1002/chem.202402754).
One of our goals is to improve the performance of the established electrolyte that contains a highly fluorinated organic magnesium salt (DOI: 10.1021/acsenergylett.8b01061, DOI: 10.1039/C7TA02237A, DOI: 10.1016/j.ensm.2021.11.012) through inorganic additives (DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c07648) and alternative (co-) solvents.
The farther reaching objective is to develop an electrolyte free of fluorinated hydrocarbons. The use of such compounds, also known as PFAS[a] (Per- and PolyFluoroAlkyl-Substances), in consumer goods and materials is increasingly regarded as problematic due to the extremely long persistence of these compounds in the environment and the toxicity of their degradation products. More environmentally benign materials that provide a similar performance are therefore highly sought after.
Further information:
To stay up to date on the progress of HighMag check here: https://highmag-project.eu/
[a] https://echa.europa.eu/hot-topics/perfluoroalkyl-chemicals-pfas
July 29-30, 2025
On July 29 and 30, 2025, the Helmholtz Institute Ulm (HIU) hosted its “Biennial Meeting 20252 at the N27 building of Ulm University, bringing together around 130 scientists and researchers in the field of battery materials science. This vibrant two-day event served as an inspiring platform for exchanging ideas, sharing progress, and strengthening collaborations within the growing HIU research community.
The scientific program was thoughtfully structured into six thematic blocks, each covering a key area of current interest in battery research. These included: (1) Characterisation and Modelling, (2) Lithium‐Based Batteries, (3) Beyond Lithium, (4) Mechanisms, Interfaces and Interphases, (5) Solid‐State Batteries, and (6) Sustainable Materials and Processes. Each session featured insightful presentations and lively discussions that reflected the latest developments and challenges in battery technology.
Download: Program „HIU Biennial Meeting 2025“
Photos of the event: HIU-Klausur 2025
A particular highlight was the poster session, where over 30 PhD students and young scientists showcased their research. Their posters sparked in-depth conversations and demonstrated the high quality and diversity of work being carried out by the next generation of battery experts. It was heartening to see such active engagement and enthusiasm from young researchers, who are vital to the future of sustainable energy storage.
In addition to the formal sessions, the meeting provided ample opportunities for informal exchange, networking, and exploring new ideas across disciplinary boundaries. We warmly thank everyone who contributed to making the HIU Biennial Meeting 2025 such a success. From the keynote speakers and session chairs to the poster presenters and attendees—your participation, curiosity, and energy made this event truly special.
May 23rd, 2025
Battery research funded for another seven years
Celebrations in Ulm, Karlsruhe and Giessen: The joint battery research network POLiS (Post Lithium Storage) has prevailed in the competition and remains a cluster of excellence. POLiS scientists have been conducting research into innovative battery materials and storage technologies since 2018. This has earned them an international reputation: POLiS is the flagship of the Green Energy Campus at Ulm University. In the upcoming funding period from 2026 to 2032, the researchers will focus on the realisation of full cells and the interactions between the battery components along the entire cell.
“We are delighted that our POLiS battery research cluster is being funded for another seven years. The extension is a huge success,” say the cluster managers Professor Birgit Esser, Professor Helmut Ehrenberg and Professor Jürgen Janek. In the “Post Lithium Storage” cluster of excellence at Ulm University, KIT and the University of Giessen, which was approved initially in 2018, scientists from Chemistry, Physics, Materials Science and Engineering are researching pioneering solutions for electrochemical energy storage (EES). The aim is to develop lithium-free batteries that are safe, powerful and sustainable.
With the Excellence Strategy, the federal and state governments are promoting world-class research at universities so that they can compete internationally. 98 applications for clusters of excellence at German universities made it to the final selection of the Excellence Commission and 70 have now been selected for funding. The German Research Foundation (DFG) announced the successful clusters on Thursday, 22 May.
The President of Ulm University, Professor Michael Weber, is extremely happy about the success in the highly competitive competition: “POLiS II is a clear signal: Ulm is and will remain the centre of German battery research, and is also internationally recognised. Together with our partners, we will continue to expand this position and our highly specialised research in the coming years: from the fundamental understanding of electrochemical processes to the application-oriented development of sustainable battery systems.”
In the first funding phase, everything centred on the development of individual battery components. The focus was on the search for suitable materials for electrodes and electrolytes as well as analysing fundamental processes at the interfaces. POLiS II is now taking a major step forward and is dedicated to the realisation of full cells and the interactions between the battery components along the entire cell. “Our approach to this is unique: we want to follow the ion on its path through the battery cell,” says Professor Birgit Esser, designated cluster spokesperson at Ulm University.
What makes POLiS so unique worldwide: The battery cluster is investigating a wide range of different shuttle ions and materials, both organic and inorganic, substances from solid-state chemistry and liquids. Sustainability is particularly important to the researchers. “Our common goal is to find future-proof solutions that make both economic and ecological sense,” says Esser. Sustainability screening, life cycle analyses and the identification of “game stoppers” such as the limited availability of raw materials are therefore also on the battery cluster’s agenda. Electrochemical energy storage is an elementary cornerstone of sustainable energy technology. As a key technology, it makes a decisive contribution to the success of the energy transition.
“The approval of POLiS II is the result of the exceptional track record of a unique infrastructure with world-leading expertise of the involved scientists. The extension of the successful cluster of excellence will have a lasting impact on the German battery landscape,” Esser, Ehrenberg and Janek are convinced.
In addition to POLiS II, Ulm University had applied for another cluster of excellence, which was not selected for funding by the Excellence Commission: The “Chem4Quant” network had applied with a project to develop atomically precise material structures for quantum technologies.
About the partners in POLiS II
The applicant universities for the cluster of excellence application for POLiS II are Ulm University, the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and Justus Liebig University Giessen, which is a new applicant university. It reinforces the consortium with its expertise in interface analysis. Further cooperation partners are the Centre for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research Baden-Württemberg (ZSW) and the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB).
About the Excellence Strategy of the German federal and state governments
The Excellence Strategy is a permanent financial support programme of the German federal and state governments. Its central aim is to promote the research excellence of German universities in internationally competitive areas, to reinforce them institutionally and to further develop the German higher education system. To this end, the Excellence Strategy comprises two separate but interlinked funding lines. The panel of experts and the Excellence Commission for the Excellence Strategy decide on draft proposals and applications.
The “clusters of excellence” funding line supports internationally competitive research areas at German universities on a project basis. The clusters of excellence applied for by universities form alliances of outstanding scientists who work together in a specific field of research. Approved clusters of excellence are funded with 3 to 10 million euros per year. The financial support programme is administered by the DFG.
Text and media contact: Andrea Weber-Tuckermann, Christine Liebhardt
January 29th, 2025
In 2025, the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), one of the oldest technical universities in Germany, will celebrate its anniversary: 200 years since the Karlsruhe Polytechnic School was founded. Under the motto “We are shaping the future. Research | Teaching | Transfer”, KIT is inviting the media to several full-day information trips in 2025.
It starts on February 19, 2025 from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. with the topic “Alternative drives and mobility of the future“. In order to find the best solutions for safe and sustainable passenger and freight transport, many different concepts must work together seamlessly. The press trip presents the latest research on the topics of batteries, hydrogen and synthetic fuels. It also shows new types of drive systems and addresses the complex issues of multi-layered transport planning.
The media are invited to this visit at KIT. Please register by e-mail to presse@kit.edu by February 15, 2025.
KIT experts provide information about their research in short, easy-to-understand presentations, discussion formats, and laboratory tours. They provide background knowledge and precisely classify the topics that are of particular interest to citizens, the media, science, business, and politics. Please also note February 20, 2025: On the occasion of the 200th anniversary of KIT and its predecessor institutions, the KIT anniversary ceremony will take place on this day at 6:00 p.m. You will receive a separate media invitation to the ceremony at the beginning of February. (bst)
Press trip “Alternative drives and mobility of the future”
Date/Time:Wednesday, February 19, 2025, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Venue:The meeting point is the registration at the KIT North Campus, Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen. (Bus transfer to various stations on the North, South and East Campuses).
Press trips in the anniversary year 2025
During a total of five press trips, KIT offers insights into ongoing research and background knowledge on major socially relevant topics.
The dates at a glance:
Further Information about the press trips in the KIT press corner: https://www.200jahre.kit.edu/
Contact for this media invitation
Brigitte Stahl-Busse
Press Officer
Tel.: +49 721 608-41180
E-Mail: Brigitte.Stahl-Busse@kit.edu
November 11, 2024
Three KIT researchers are among the “most cited scientists worldwide” this year. Including two battery researchers. In addition to Prof. Jürgen Janek, the former HIU director Prof. Stefano Passerini is once more counted among the most influential researchers. Passerini has been considered one of the most important scientists in the world since 2015.
Having one’s own work mentioned in other publications is immensely important for scientists of all disciplines. The frequency of citation is an important indicator of influence and reputation within the scientific community. This year – in addition to Passerini – two other KIT scientists are among the “Highly Cited Researchers”, a ranking list maintained by the “Web of Science Group”. It names the scientists whose publications have been cited most frequently. For the current list, the authors evaluated publications from 2014 to 2024. A publication is only considered “Highly Cited” if it is among the top 1% of total citations in its field and year of publication.
This year’s “Highly Cited Researchers” at KIT include:
Passerini has been a professor at the Helmholtz Institute Ulm since January 2014. He was Director of the Institute from 2019 to 2021. He has been working on the development of materials and systems for electrochemical energy storage for 35 years. His research focuses on the fundamental understanding and development of materials for lithium batteries, such as ionic liquids, polymer electrolytes and electrode materials.
Further information
https://www.kit.edu/kit/202411-highly-cited-researchers-aus-dem-kit.php
12. November 2024
The members of Helmholtz Institute Ulm (HIU) would like to commemorate the death of Professor Bruno Scrosati, who worked as a visiting professor in HIU between 2014 and 2016. He was giving a series of inspiring lectures, highly committed to giving advice to young PhD students and future scientists. His valuable lessons of how to build up a career in battery science remain in great memory.
Bruno Scrosati helped in shaping HIU from its foundation in several ways, among which contributing to the publication of the most cited manuscript from HIU and introducing a former PhD student, Stefano Passerini, to become professor and director of the Helmholtz Institute Ulm (presently retired). We would like to refer to his heartedly obituary published on Journal of Power Sources website.
Obituary: Bruno Scrosati (1937-2024)*
Bruno Scrosati, born in Ortisei (St. Ulrich in Gröden), Italy, in 1937, passed away on November 5, 2024 in his house in Rome, Italy.
Bruno Scrosati was a true pioneer in the field of electrochemical energy storage, publishing the first report dealing with the “rocking-chair” battery technology, later renamed lithium-ion batteries (M. Lazzari, B. Scrosati, J. Electrochem. Soc. 1980, 127, 773 – 774.). In 1982, Prof. Scrosati co-organised the first International Meeting on Lithium Batteries (IMLB) in Rome, which has since become the most relevant meeting on lithium batteries.
Bruno Scrosati is the recipient of The Research Award from the Battery Division and the De Nora Award, both awarded by the Electrochemical Society. The XVI edition of the Italgas Science and Environment Prize, and the title of Doctor in Science “honoris causa” from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, Chalmers University in Sweden and University of Ulm in Germany, are some of the awards Bruno Scrosati has received.
To all who had the privilege of knowing and working with Bruno Scrosati, he was an authentic leader and mentor, always demonstrating a genuine passion for science. Inspired by his enthusiasm, he helped forge two generations of scientists worldwide.
Source: Text by Prof. Stefano Passerini in Journal of Power Sources.
October 10th, 2024
In the ENTISE research project, KIT/HIU supports industry in entering the sodium-ion era
Sodium-ion batteries are considered a more sustainable alternative to lithium-based storage. Sodium is not only inexpensive and abundant, but is also easy to recycle. The challenge, however, is to convert the new technology into industrially usable and scalable cells.
Beim Projekt ENTISE arbeiten Unternehmen & Hochschulen gemeinsam an dem Ziel einer europ. Fertigung von Natrium-Ionen-Batterien. Das #KIT ist mit mehreren Instituten beteiligt, als Initiator und Koordinator fungiert der deutsche Batteriehersteller VARTA.https://t.co/hGusE9UbSE pic.twitter.com/Qjl9lUstWF
— KIT Karlsruhe (@KITKarlsruhe) October 23, 2024
This is where the “ENTISE” project (Development of Sodium-Ion Technology for Industrially Scalable Energy Storage) comes in, in which companies and universities work together towards the goal of European production of sodium-ion batteries. The Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) is involved with the Helmholtz Institute Ulm, among others, and the German battery manufacturer VARTA acts as initiator and coordinator.
First round cells to prove themselves in electric cars
“So far, sodium-ion storage has not yet arrived in the European battery industry,” says Maximilian Fichtner from the Institute of Nanotechnology (INT) of KIT and Director of the Helmholtz Institute Ulm, a research facility operated jointly by KIT, the University of Ulm and other partners, where research is also being carried out for ENTISE. “On the one hand, this is because the material concepts are not yet fully developed. We have therefore decided to further optimize the storage capacity and cycle stability. On the other hand, we want to produce enough material to manufacture resilient laboratory samples and even prototypes in round cell design in order to prepare for industrial production.”
Using a small series of round cells, the researchers then want to demonstrate the practical suitability of the future battery in electric vehicles and stationary storage systems under realistic conditions.
The consortium consists of 13 companies and universities and is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research with around 7.5 million euros.
(KIT mhe, 10.10.2024)
Further information:
https://www.varta-ag.com/de/ueber-varta/news-presse/details/entise-forschungsprojekt-zur-entwicklung-umweltfreundlicher-kostenguenstiger-natrium-ionen-batterien-erfolgreich-gestartet
https://www.kit.edu/kit/202410-natrium-ionen-batterien-fuer-europa.php
In the seminar of the Helmholtz Institute Ulm (HIU), outstanding international battery researchers share their scientific findings and technological inventions with Ulm scientists and students. The seminar takes place every Tuesday at 2:00 p.m. during the lecture period in room 230 at the HIU.
02.10.2024
Dr. Wan-Yu Tsai
Université de Lille – IEMN, Avenue Henri Poincaré, 59652 Villeneuve d’Ascq, France
15.10.2024
Carlos Catala Rubio and Jan Krug
Einstein Motorsport Ulm
About HIU Seminars
In the seminar of the Helmholtz Institute Ulm (HIU), outstanding international battery researchers share their scientific findings and technological inventions with Ulm scientists and students.
The seminars take place every Tuesday at 2:00 p.m. during lecture time. The aim of the HIU is to develop future-proof electrochemical energy storage systems of the next and next generation – that is, storage systems that store more energy and are more powerful, lighter, more durable, safer and more cost-effective than conventional systems.
September 23rd, 2024
The 5th “International Symposium on Magnesium Batteries” (MagBatt V) took place from September 18 to 20, 2024 in Ulm, Germany. Once again we were able to welcome some of the best battery researchers on the topic of multivalent batteries.
Day2 of #MagBatt Conference: Again, today was all about ?Mg, ?Ca, ?Zn and ?Al plus innovative electrolyte ideas. Great talks! @KITKarlsruhe @ClusterPolis @uni_ulm @CELEST_18 pic.twitter.com/gEVLV6cpvR
— Helmholtz Institute Ulm ? (@HelmholtzUlm) September 19, 2024
The conference program included papers on magnesium, calcium, zinc and aluminum batteries and aimed to present and discuss the current progress in the field of post-lithium batteries. Multivalent batteries based on magnesium, calcium, zinc and aluminum offer an interesting alternative in terms of the amount of energy that can be delivered, safety, manufacturing and disposal costs and limited environmental impact.
?? Did you know #MagBatt Conference is growing every time? This year we are welcoming scientists from China, Japan, USA, UK, Slovenia, Norway, Sweden, Israel, Spain, and many more. Great to have you here in Germany! @KITKarlsruhe @uni_ulm @DLR_de @CELEST_18 pic.twitter.com/EltT1IFq8k
— Helmholtz Institute Ulm ? (@HelmholtzUlm) September 18, 2024
Nearly 100 battery experts, including speakers from China, Germany, Israel, Japan, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the USA, met in Ulm for three days to discuss current trends and developments in post-lithium batteries.
Can‘t wait to check out all these great posters for #MagBatt!! 2️⃣8️⃣ very promising insights into #multivalent #battery ??materials from all over the world. Thank you to all the contributors! Let’s have a chat next coffee break ☕️ @KITKarlsruhe @MaxFichtner pic.twitter.com/1Rx9djCZ18
— Helmholtz Institute Ulm ? (@HelmholtzUlm) September 18, 2024
The International Symposium on Magnesium Batteries (MagBatt) has attracted researchers from all over the world since its inception in 2016. This year’s program included a total of 37 lectures and one poster session.
Weiterführende Information
https://www.postlithiumstorage.org/de/news-events/detailseite/magbatt-v