Following the successful symposia in 2018 and 2020, this year's international symposium is also sponsored by the DFG Priority Program SPP1980 and the DFG Research Unit FOR2284. The symposium will take place on October 11 and 12 and is free of charge.

The Innovation and Technology Center for Hydrogen (ITZ H2) with its four locations nationwide is feasible. This was the result of the review by the Federal Ministry of Digital Affairs and Transport (BMDV). The Center for Fuel Cell Technology (ZBT) of the UDE is coordinating the establishment in Duisburg, in which companies and research institutions from all over North Rhine-Westphalia are participating. Once the federal funding guidelines are in place, the sites hope to receive approval before the end of the year.

With music, greetings from the director and a lecture by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Natalie Stranghöner, awards were once again received live on stage at the University of Duisburg-Essen during the Dies academicus. Among them were also three CENIDE researchers.

Almost all everyday objects come into contact with at least one catalyst during their production in order to make their production cheaper, more environmentally friendly or even possible in the first place. The goal of the SFB/TRR 247 "Heterogeneous Oxidation Catalysis in the Liquid Phase" is to develop inexpensive, highly active and selective catalysts at the atomic level. Following its successful first funding phase from the DFG, it is being extended for a further four years and funded with 12.3 million euros.

In 1999, the first international conference on magnetic and superconducting materials (MSM) took place – now it is going into the 12th round. From August 28 to September 02, research groups from all over the world will meet, this time in Duisburg. The program is intended to strengthen scientific relations between regional and international research groups. Registration is open until the 1st of August.

With his festive opening lecture on May 13, Dr.-Ing. Christof Asbach, Head of Department at IUTA, now holds the title of Honorary Professor. He was awarded the title by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dieter Schramm, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Duisburg-Essen (UDE). Asbach is president of the Society for Aerosol Research and an internationally recognized expert in this field.

Materials science and medicine at the UDE can further expand their research. The German Research Foundation (DFG) is funding two new research training groups with a total of around 14 million euros for the next five years. The research subjects are the properties and production of two-dimensional materials and the effectiveness of radiation treatment for cancer.

How can the exchange between scientists from CENIDE, ZMB, medical faculty and ELH be strengthened in the topics of materials science, biology, and medicine? The UDE seminar series is intended to inspire with short presentations on already successful collaborations and to initiate new collaborations with short rounds of introductions of people who are currently looking for cooperation partners or points of contact.

From materials in science fiction, research and the circular economy – the WE-Heraeus seminar "Materials and Energy – New Directions for the ‘Energiewende’" aims to stimulate new ways of thinking and research in the field of energy and materials research. Therefore, five sessions with speakers from Germany, Denmark and Canada, including CENIDE member Prof. Rossitza Pentcheva, will take place at the Physikzentrum Bad Honnef from October 23 to 27. Deadline for registration is August 28.

Milestone decision for basic research at the University of Duisburg-Essen (UDE): The Science Council has classified the planned ACTIVE SITES research building as worthy of funding. The project will thus be realised - subject to the final decision of the Joint Science Conference (GWK). The federal government and the state of North Rhine-Westphalia will each bear half of the costs for construction and equipment, which amount to 69 million Euros. With ACTIVE SITES, the UDE will have a centre of international acclaim at which so-called active sites will be researched.

Climate change does not go without science. Whether "green" energy, sustainable mobility or the social rethinking – the UDE offers a lot of expertise in the field. After the successful start last year, the climate initiative UDE4Future will therefore also offer a lecture series in the summer semester 2022 – under the motto: "The Ruhr Area 2030 – Structural Change in Times of Climate Change". It will start on April 28.

A study visit abroad is a special experience. One that Maike Thiele, a doctoral student in the chemistry group of CENIDE member Prof. Jochen Niemeyer, is now able to enjoy with a scholarship from the Heinrich Hertz Foundation. For three months she will work in the group of Prof. Ivo Leito at Tartu University in Estonia for a research project on asymmetric organocatalysis.

Chemistry or physics? Dr. Christopher Stein had a hard time deciding which subject to study. Today, the theorist combines both: As a returnee to NRW, the future professor in the Faculty of Physics studies interface and surface phenomena and proves to his students how exciting fundamental research can be.

Wind farms, photovoltaic systems and tidal power plants supply electricity sustainably – but not consistently. The central, as yet unsolved problem is therefore how to store energy that is not currently needed. One promising option is Carnot batteries, which store energy in the form of heat. The German Research Foundation (DFG) is now establishing a new Priority Program (SPP) under the leadership of the UDE: The team is taking a unique approach: starting with market needs, it will design optimal batteries and then determine step by step down to the molecular level how they can be realized.

Boosting reaction kinetics to improve storage and conversion of renewable energy: One of the most researched is the oxygen reduction reaction, which is the bottleneck for the development of fuel cell technology. In a new paper, CENIDE member Dr. Viktor Čolić discusses recent progress in research and existing challenges in the electrochemical evaluation of alloy materials – as catalysts for the reaction.

Starting in August, the NRW state government is funding five outstanding research networks with more than 81 million euros to strengthen them in the long term. The topics are future-oriented brain research, artificial intelligence, information technology, cancer treatment and particle physics. The UDE is involved in two of the funded networks: terahertz.NRW and CANTAR will receive up to 19.4 million euros over the next four years to further develop their ideas.