Chemistry for the energy and raw materials transition

Raw materials shape our lives. While their availability has long been taken for granted, the raw materials crisis of 2010/11 brought the issue to the attention of the general public. Rare earths suddenly became synonymous with raw material scarcity, and the issue of securing Europe's raw material base is more pressing than ever.

Growing awareness of the situation in producing countries shows that an intact supply of raw materials alone is not enough. Conflict metals and questionable extraction methods suddenly cast electromobility in a completely new light. As a result, efforts to curb climate change have gained momentum through "Fridays for the Future" and the justified interest of future generations in an intact earth.

At the Institute of Chemical Technology we are developing solutions today for tomorrow's problems. The topics of raw materials, mining and recycling are more pressing than ever, with new, future-oriented approaches to supplying an ever-growing world population. We are at the forefront of the development of future-oriented raw material extraction processes and are one of the world's leading institutions in the field of raw material chemistry. Two successful spin-offs demonstrate that these technologies are also economically viable. We therefore see ourselves not only as mediating between materials chemistry and engineering, but also as bridging the gap between academia and industry.

our team