New HZB magazine "Lichtblick" has been published
In the new issue, we introduce our new commercial managing director. We also show how important exchange is to us: science thrives on fruitful exchange with others. But dialogue with the public is also very important to us. Art can also create enriching access to science and build bridges. All these topics are covered in the new issue of Lichtblick.
Click here for the online edition
Topics at a glance
A portrait of our Administrative director
The new Administrative Director, Saskia Vormfelde, took up her work in September – and brings more than just a knack for balance sheets to the table. You can read about what she has done so far and why she is looking forward to working at HZB in the cover story. > Portrait on the internet
What remains of the Helmholtz reviews in May?
Many colleagues were busy preparing for the programme-oriented research (PoF) reviews in the first half of 2025. In an interview, the two coordinators, Olaf Schwarzkopf and Tobias Sontheimer, talk about how the presentation was received by the reviewers. > Interview to read
The neuron accelerator brings art and research together
A place that invites brainstorming: artist Peter Sandhaus' neuron accelerator is designed to strengthen exchange and stimulate new ideas. The artwork has recently been installed in front of the entrance to the BESSY II building. > More about the artwork
Further topics
Good advice in the service of science: Sebastian Fiechter is a long-standing ombudsperson for good scientific practice and talks about the problems that can arise.
Why we are becoming more public: Dialogue and exchange on an equal footing help to build trust in science. That's why we approach people at many festivals.
The internationality of our employees: How international are we really?
- Electrocatalysts: New model for charge separation at the solid-liquid interfaceHydrogen is at the heart of the transition to carbon neutrality, as both an energy carrier and a reagent for green chemistry. However, large-scale production of hydrogen via electrolysis, as well as the production of many other chemical products, requires significantly cheaper and more efficient catalysts. A precise understanding of the electrochemical processes that take place at the interface between the solid catalyst and the liquid medium is highly useful for developing better electrocatalysts. In the journal Nature Communications, an European team has now presented a powerful model that determines charge separation at the interface, the formation of the electric double layer and local electric potential variations, and the resulting influence on the catalytic activity.
- AI-driven Catalyst Discovery: €30 million funding for German consortiumSix partners from research and industry, including Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB), the Fritz-Haber-Institute of the Max Planck Society (FHI), BASF, Dunia Innovations, Siemens Energy, and the Technical University Berlin are launching a joint project to accelerate the catalyst discovery. The German Federal Ministry for Science, Technology and Space (BMFTR) is providing €30 million in funding for ASCEND (Accelerated Solutions for Catalysis using Emerging Nanotechnology and Digital Innovation). The research initiative targets the defossilisation of energy-intensive industries while safeguarding industrial competitiveness, with a focus on the chemical sector. The five-year project will start on 1st April 2026.
- Kick-off for a new data and AI centre in BerlinBy establishing a new data and AI centre in Berlin, the Zuse Institute Berlin (ZIB) and the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) are laying the foundations for a scalable and sovereign data infrastructure in the capital. The project strengthens the scientific capabilities of Berlin’s research community whilst making an important contribution to research security, resilience and technological independence.