Green Light for e-conversion 2.0
The Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) announced the renewal of funding for the Cluster of Excellence e-conversion, ensuring its continuation for another seven years starting January 1, 2026. The Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society is proud to be part of this distinguished and interdisciplinary research network, which drives cutting-edge energy science and fosters vital cross-disciplinary collaboration to tackle the pressing challenges of the global energy transition.
The DFG-funded Cluster of Excellence e-conversion is a collaborative initiative led by the Technical University of Munich and Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, with key contributions from the Deutsches Museum and the Max Planck Society, including the Fritz Haber Institute. Unlike conventional programs that target individual technologies, e-conversion adopts a comprehensive and mechanism-oriented approach, focusing on the intricate processes at materials interfaces that are critical to energy conversion and aims at redefining the boundaries of energy research. These include phenomena underpinning photovoltaics, electrocatalysis, and battery performance.
“This renewed support from the DFG underscores the importance of our scientific vision and the exceptional work of our interdisciplinary team,” said Prof. Reuter, Director of the Theory Department at the Fritz Haber Institute and member of the executive board of the e-conversion Cluster. “As the global energy transition accelerates, transformative solutions rooted in a deep understanding of fundamental processes are essential. With this continued funding, we are uniquely positioned to investigate how energy and excitations behave at the smallest scales—insights crucial for designing the next generation of highly efficient and sustainable energy technologies.”
Through pioneering research in nanoscience and mechanistic energy conversion, the Cluster develops precisely engineered model systems that provide new insights into interfacial energy processes. By resolving and controlling processes from femtoseconds to macroscopic scales, and observing matter down to atomic resolution, e-conversion is addressing key bottlenecks in current energy technologies such as recombination losses and high overpotentials.
With the launch of e-conversion 2.0, the Cluster aims to expand its research into new materials and interface architectures, transition exploratory science toward scalable applications, and accelerate the development of green technologies. Serving as a vibrant innovation hub, the Cluster fosters startups and interdisciplinary collaborations that drive the energy transition forward.
