Project overview

The aim of the project is to develop an adsorption heat storage system that can store regenerative heat and provide temperatures above 100 °C, as required in the commercial and service sectors, for example.

Among other things, chitin is the main component of the exoskeleton of spiders. Research is being conducted into chitin-based materials that can be chemically modified to make them fireproof, mold-resistant, robust and - unlike synthetic polymers - compostable.

The project aims to convert CO2 into valuable chemicals, such as raw materials for the chemical industry. To this end, an electro-biotechnological 200% reactor is being developed. In this reactor, a co-culture of two microorganisms will initially convert CO2 into methane and then into chemical products.

Prof. Dr. Hendrik Dubbe, Professor of Application and Process Engineering of Surface Coating at Esslingen University of Applied Sciences, is testing the application potential of a lithium-free, sustainable battery for use in e-cars in the LiFreBat project.

Research is being carried out into the potential of the calcifying properties of algae for various industrial applications, for example for the development of multiplying concrete or the development of calcium-containing minerals as alternative coatings for solar cells.

The endowed professorship researches the efficient coordination of energy supply and consumption in non-centrally controllable systems. Examples of applications can be found both in wholesale and in small-scale energy markets or in grid management.

Prof. Dr. Roukaya Issaoui has held the professorship for Resource Efficiency and Sustainable Raw Materials Supply at Pforzheim University since March 1, 2025. She aims to strengthen political and entrepreneurial action with regard to resource efficiency.

The aim of the endowed professorship is to research and develop products and processes with a particular focus on resource availability and efficiency. Topics relating to digitalization and artificial intelligence will support the development of the professorship's profile.

The endowed professorship at the Institute for Sustainable Energy Technology and Mobility is concerned with the development of sustainable production processes for membranes for water electrolysis and fuel cell systems.

In the CZS Young Investigator Group, Dr. Kevin Maik Jablonka researches polymers at the interface between materials science and data science. Since 2023, he has been group leader at the Helmholtz Institute for Polymers in Energy Applications.