The kick-off event for ASCEND took place in Berlin on June 11. The research project aims to accelerate the development of new catalysts and thereby lay the groundwork for climate-neutral chemical production
The kick-off event took place on June 11 in Berlin in the presence of Federal Research Minister Dorothee Bär and Max Planck Society President Patrick Cramer.
© Kevin Fuchs / ASCEND
In a nutshell:
- The ASCEND (Accelerated Solutions for Catalysis using Emerging Nanotechnology and Digital Innovation) research project marks the launch of a one-of-a-kind initiative to develop sustainable catalysts.
- The consortium includes six partners from academia and industry: the Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society (FHI), the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB), BASF, Siemens Energy, Dunia Innovations, and the Technical University of Berlin/BasCat.
- The Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space (BMFTR) is supporting the project with 30 million euros over a period of five years.
Key technology for sustainable chemistry
Catalysts play a central role in the production of chemicals, plastics, fertilizers, and fuels. According to estimates, they are involved in around 85 percent of all industrial chemical processes. Their performance significantly determines energy consumption, resource efficiency, and CO₂ emissions in production. This is precisely where ASCEND comes in: By developing novel catalysts, the project aims to make sustainable synthetic fuels and climate-friendly basic chemicals available as direct substitutes for fossil raw materials. In this way, the project makes an important contribution to the defossilization of the chemical industry and other energy-intensive sectors.
During the ceremonial event at the Helmholtz Center Berlin, Federal Research Minister Dorothee Bär highlighted the significance of ASCEND within the German research landscape: "As part of the High-Tech Agenda for Germany, we are specifically funding technologies that are essential for industrial transformation, a future-proof energy supply, and climate protection. The ASCEND project is an excellent example of this. The combination of AI-supported research and testing in an industrial environment strengthens Germany's position as a leading innovation hub."
AI accelerates the path to climate-friendly materials
At the heart of the project is the integration of artificial intelligence, automation, and modern materials research. With the help of so-called Self-Driving Labs (SDLs), experiments can be automatically planned, conducted, and evaluated. AI systems analyze the collected data in real time, create digital twins of the materials under investigation, and continuously optimize the next development steps. This data-driven approach makes it possible to explore much larger material spaces than with traditional methods. Potential catalyst candidates can thus be identified, tested, and further developed significantly faster.
For Max Planck Society President Patrick Cramer, AI is the central driver of scientific discoveries: "Artificial intelligence is increasingly shaping research at the Max Planck Society and enables us to explore scientific questions with a depth and speed that were previously unimaginable. Initiatives like ASCEND demonstrate how AI, in conjunction with experimental science, can open up new avenues: from understanding fundamental processes to developing scalable solutions for industry. It is important that AI does not replace human creativity, but rather enhances it and enables researchers to generate transformative knowledge for society."
Thanks to shorter development cycles, high-performance catalysts could become available more quickly in the future for the production of green hydrogen, sustainable fuels, and climate-friendly chemicals. This is considered a crucial prerequisite for overcoming the dependence on oil and coal in the long term and for sustainably securing Germany's competitiveness as an industrial location.
