Five Berlin-based research institutions join forces in data-driven materials research
At the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding. © Natalia Slepenko, Humboldt Universität
Research data is regarded as key to materials research in the age of artificial intelligence (AI). Five Berlin-based research institutions have now signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish long-term collaboration in the fields of research data, data infrastructures and AI.
The partners in this collaboration include the NFDI consortium FAIRmat, based at Humboldt University of Berlin; the Helmholtz Centre Berlin (HZB); the Leibniz Institute for Crystal Growth (IKZ); the Paul Drude Institute for Solid-State Electronics (PDI); and the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM). Together, they are laying the foundations for cross-institutional collaboration, thereby strengthening Berlin’s position as a centre of scientific excellence.
With this MoU, the five partners are laying the foundations for a joint research data space. The aim is to make research data accessible across institutions, to develop common standards for data and metadata, and to advance the use of artificial intelligence methods in materials research.
Bernd Rech, Scientific Director of HZB, emphasises the importance of the collaboration: “The future of materials research is data-driven. High-quality research data and metadata form the basis for artificial intelligence and for self-driving laboratories - fully automated research laboratories that combine robotics and artificial intelligence (AI). Through this collaboration, we are creating an important prerequisite for jointly driving this development forward and further establishing Berlin as a leading centre for digital materials research.”
The FAIRmat-HZB Symposium on “The Digital Future of Materials Science” on 20 July 2026 provided the ceremonial setting for the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding. Among the guests was the internationally renowned scientist Giorgio Rossi (University of Milan/NFFA), who, in his opening address, emphasised the importance of shared research infrastructures for data-driven science. Claudia Draxl, spokesperson for FAIRmat, then demonstrated how the NOMAD platform is preparing materials research for new data-driven paradigms.
Finally, a panel discussion on the topic of “Driving the Cultural Change” addressed the question of what changes are necessary to enable research data and AI to realise their full potential for science.
- Nanosilver as an electrocatalyst for CO₂ reductionVia electrolysis, CO2 can be reduced to CO, a raw material for further chemical products such as fuels. Within the GreenQuest Project, an internation team led by HZB chemist Prashanth Menezes has now systematically investigated catalyst layers made of silver nanoparticles, varying both the size of the particles and their density. The best yield was achieved with nanoparticles with diameters of around 10 nm, which were loosely distributed. Furthermore, they demonstrated how the economic efficiency of the electrochemical cell can be enhanced by integrating an additional chemical reaction at the anode, enabling the simultaneous production of a valuable formic acid, hydrogen, and CO in one device.
- Spin waves inside a nano-oscillator imaged for the first timeFor the first time, researchers have directly imaged the magnetisation dynamics inside a spin Hall nano-oscillator — a nanoscale device that converts direct current into tunable microwave signals and is a promising building block for energy-efficient wireless communication and brain-inspired computing. A Swedish–German team led by the University of Gothenburg and Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) achieved this using time-resolved scanning transmission X-ray microscopy at the MAXYMUS instrument at BESSY II. The results, now published in Advanced Materials, reveal spin-wave features that had escaped previous, indirect measurement techniques.
- Joint power instead of duplicate structures:Berlin’s research community is further advancing its research excellence by establishing a high-performance, cross-institutional infrastructure for data and AI. With a joint agreement signed on 18 September 2026, the Berlin University Alliance (BUA), the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) and the Zuse Institute Berlin (ZIB) are paving the way for a joint data science and AI centre in Berlin-Dahlem and Adlershof.