Martin Keller elected new president of the Helmholtz Association

The Helmholtz Association has appointed internationally respected US-based scientist Martin Keller as its new president. Her has lived in the United States for nearly three decades, during which he has held various scientific leadership roles at prominent institutions. Since 2015, Keller has directed the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, Colorado. His term begins on 1.11. 2025.

On 30.10.2024, the Senate of the Helmholtz Association unanimously elected Martin Keller as the next president of the Helmholtz Association. By doing so, the Senate has endorsed the recommendation of the Assembly of Members from October 23, 2024, which was also unanimous. The current president, Otmar D. Wiestler, took office in 2015 and will step down next year after two terms, in accordance with the applicable bylaws.

“I would like to sincerely thank the Helmholtz Assembly of Members and the Helmholtz Senate for their great trust,” says Martin Keller. “Being offered this position is a tremendous honor and at the same time a significant challenge that I am eager to take on. In all my previous professional roles, my main focus has always been on making the largest possible contribution to society through research. The Helmholtz presidency is a unique opportunity to do so. With its 46,000 employees, outstanding infrastructure, and focus on key future topics, the Helmholtz Association is a global leader in the search for answers to the most important questions of our time.”

Short CV

Martin Keller has served as Director of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, Colorado, USA, and as President of the Alliance for Sustainable Energy – the company that operates NREL for the US Department of Energy – since 2015. NREL is broadly considered to be the leading research institute for renewable energy and energy efficiency in the United States. From 2006 to 2015, he held leading positions at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, most recently as Associate Laboratory Director for Energy and Environmental Sciences. Keller studied at the University of Regensburg, Germany, where he completed a PhD in microbiology. In 1996, he moved to the US to join the rising biotech company Diversa. Martin Keller is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and serves on the Supervisory Board and Scientific Advisory Council of the Forschungszentrum Jülich, as well as on numerous other scientific committees.

Source: Helmholtz

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