With his highly regarded research on sustainable battery storage systems, Professor Maximilian Fichtner, Director of the Helmholtz Institute in Ulm, has achieved several trailblazing breakthroughs – and he has contributed a great deal to the expansion and visibility of the strategic research field of energy conversion and storage at Ulm University. The chemist also succeeds in making these topics and activities visible to the public and communicating them in an understandable way. On Monday, 22 July, Fichtner received the Ulm Science Prize from Lord Mayor Martin Ansbacher for his work.
He has dedicated himself entirely to the research of new and more powerful batteries, setting international standards in the process: In recognition of his work, Professor Maximilian Fichtner has received the City of Ulm's Science Prize, which is endowed with 7,500 euros. The prize was presented by Lord Mayor Martin Ansbacher on Monday, 22 July, during the Schwörfeier at the Weinhof. "Professor Fichtner has achieved several trailblazing breakthroughs and advances in his research into electrochemical energy storage (batteries)," said Ansbacher, quoting from the award certificate.
At Ulm University, Fichtner is a professor of solid-state chemistry and also heads the Helmholtz Institute Ulm (HIU) for Electrochemical Energy Storage, which is run jointly by the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and Ulm University. His breakthroughs in this field include a new class of high-performance storage materials for lithium-ion batteries based on disordered sodium chloride structures. Above all, however, he has also established new research fields in the field of lithium-free storage and, together with his team, achieved important breakthroughs in the development of modern, high-performance batteries based on sustainable raw materials, for example by developing the first rechargeable magnesium-sulphur battery. "Working on new energy storage systems based on compatible raw materials is a particular motivation for my team and for me. In addition, it is particularly important in today's world to communicate with people, to inform them objectively and to bring them up to date," says Fichtner. "This also applies, in particular, to electromobility, which is surrounded by a great many myths." The chemist is also a champion of science communication: he is in demand throughout the German-speaking region as an expert who skilfully puts the latest news about alleged miracle batteries from China into context and explains complex topics of energy storage in a way that is also easily understood by a lay audience.
Maximilian Fichtner is a champion of science communication
In addition to his internationally recognised research activities, Fichtner has contributed a great deal to the expansion and visibility of energy conversion and storage, one of the strategic research fields of Ulm University. This includes in particular the establishment and expansion of activities at the Helmholtz Institute Ulm, the research platform CELEST and the excellence cluster POLiS. HIU has become the leading battery research institute in Germany and is one of the top addresses worldwide in the field of electrochemical energy storage. As its director, Fichtner recognised the advantages and opportunities that close cooperation offers at an early stage and further expanded this cooperation between KIT and Ulm University. "We are fortunate to have one of the largest ecosystems in international battery research here at the university – and one of the most respected scientists in this field," says University President Professor Michael Weber. "Maximilian Fichtner also has the gift of being able to communicate science in a clear and understandable way. We are very pleased that he is receiving the 2024 Science Prize."
The Science Prize for Ulm University of Applied Sciences, also worth 7,500 Euros, went to Professor Marianne von Schwerin. Her current research focuses on the use and further development of artificial intelligence methods in embedded systems, such as photovoltaic systems. She has initiated numerous cooperation projects with regional universities, developing new formats for the transfer of ideas, knowledge and technology.
Further information on Prof. Dr Maximilian Fichtner
The chemist Maximilian Fichtner, born in Heidelberg in 1961, came to Ulm University in 2013 as a professor of solid-state chemistry. Since 2015, he has been director of the Helmholtz Institute Ulm for Electrochemical Energy Storage. He also heads the Energy Storage Systems department at the Institute of Nanotechnology at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). Fichtner is the spokesperson for the only battery excellence cluster in Germany, POLiS (Post Lithium Energy Storage), and scientific director of the Center for Electrochemical Energy Storage Ulm-Karlsruhe (CELEST). He studied and completed his doctorate at the KIT.
About the City of Ulm Science Prize
Every other year, the City of Ulm awards the Science Prize, which is endowed with a total of 15,000 euros, for outstanding scientific achievements by individuals, research or working groups. Traditionally, it is awarded equally to researchers from Ulm University and Ulm University of Applied Sciences. The City Council of Ulm awards the Science Prize on the basis of a preliminary decision by a jury, in which the University, Ulm University of Applied Sciences and members of the City Council are represented.
Further information:
Prof. Dr. Maximilian Fichtner, Director of the Helmholtz Institute Ulm, Mail: m.fichtner(at)kit.edu
Text and media contact: Christine Liebhardt