Funding takes research on the energy transition to a new level

In the cleanroom laboratory in Göppingen, the team was able to show the visitors the funded projects.

Prof. Sandra Hartl and Prof. Mario Joost are pleased to welcome Judith Hohendorff from the Carl Zeiss Foundation.

As part of the event "CZS on Site" in Stuttgart, Minister for Science, Research, and Arts, Petra Olschowski (second from the right), as well as the Managing Director of the Carl Zeiss Foundation, Dr. Felix Streiter (far left), were able to exchange ideas with the funded professors, Prof. Christof Wolfmaier (Rector of Hochschule Esslingen) (far right), and Prof. Gabriele Gühring (Prorector for Research and Transfer) (second from the left).

As part of the event "CZS on Site," three newly appointed professors from Esslingen University of Applied Sciences demonstrated that they will play an important role in research on the energy transition.

To gain a direct impression of the funded projects, Esslingen University invited Judith Hohendorff and Jasmin Kerl from the Carl Zeiss Foundation to visit the cleanroom laboratory in Göppingen. There, the foundation's professor Prof. Mario Joost works with a team of doctoral students and postdocs on the hydrogen technology of the future by developing sustainable materials for use in fuel cells and electrolyzers. Master's students from the Hydrogen Economy and Technology Management program in Göppingen are also introduced to research in this forward-looking field here.

Prof. Sandra Hartl, who teaches in the Mechanical Engineering program in Esslingen, presented her research in the field of energy storage with iron, highlighting its potential as a widely available, easily transportable energy storage solution for a climate-neutral energy supply.

Prof. Hendrik Dubbe, who teaches in the Chemical Engineering program, developed lithium-free battery cells based on aluminum-sulfur in the LiFreBat project. The funding from CZS enabled the establishment of a laboratory for manufacturing battery cells. Among other achievements, this has already led to the acquisition of additional third-party funding projects.

As part of the "CZS on Site" event in Stuttgart, the Minister for Science, Research, and the Arts, Petra Olschowski, as well as the Managing Director of the Carl Zeiss Foundation, Dr. Felix Streiter, had the opportunity to exchange ideas with the funded professors, Prof. Christof Wolfmaier (President of Esslingen University of Applied Sciences), and Prof. Gabriele Gühring (Prorector for Research and Transfer).

About the Carl Zeiss Foundation

The Carl Zeiss Foundation aims to create space for scientific breakthroughs. As a partner of excellent science, it supports both basic research and application-oriented research and teaching in STEM fields (Mathematics, Computer Science, Natural Sciences, and Engineering). Founded in 1889 by the physicist and mathematician Ernst Abbe, the Carl Zeiss Foundation is one of the oldest and largest private science funding foundations in Germany. It is the sole owner of Carl Zeiss AG and SCHOTT AG. Its projects are financed from the dividend distributions of the two foundation companies.