Chemical Invention Factory

Draft: sehw, Visioning: THIRD

A Place Where Ideas Become Solutions, and Solutions Change the World

The Chemical Invention Factory - John Warner Center for Start-ups in Green Chemistry – is being created at Technische Universität Berlin. It will be a home for pioneers, a place where students, researchers, and entrepreneurs can take bold ideas in Green Chemistry and transform them into real-world applications that make a difference.

A Mission Beyond the Laboratory

The Chemical Invention Factory is more than just infrastructure — it is a movement. Its mission is to accelerate the transformation of chemistry into a discipline that not only powers industries, but also respects planetary boundaries. By focusing on the principles of sustainability, circularity, and carbon neutrality, it creates the bridge between cutting-edge science and entrepreneurial drive.

Why the Chemical Invention Factory Stands Out

What makes the Chemical Invention Factoryunique is its scale and vision. With space for more than 12 teams and 39 chemical fume hoods dedicated to transfer projects, it offers unmatched capacity in Germany for early-stage transfer projects in chemistry. This ensures that innovators don’t just get a desk and a bench, but a world-class environment where their ideas can grow, mature, and scale.

And they will not be alone. The Chemical Invention Factory emerged from the excellence cluster UniSysCat and is firmly embedded in the greenCHEM ecosystem, a vibrant network that unites science, start-ups, and industry to push Green Chemistry forward. Here, every team becomes part of a community of like-minded people committed to rethinking what chemistry can do for people and the planet.

Concept: Open, Collaborative, Secure

The Chemical Invention Factory is designed as an inspiring environment for innovation. The ground floor will be an open, welcoming space for dialogue — where students, researchers, founders, mentors, and partners meet face to face, where chance encounters spark collaborations, and where community thrives.

The upper floors provide secure laboratories and offices where transfer teams can focus, advance their projects, and protect their intellectual property. This careful balance — openness below, protection above — creates a setting where creativity is encouraged, ideas are safeguarded, and innovation can move swiftly from concept to application.

The entire design fosters an atmosphere of equality and inspiration. Teams meet at eye level, learn from each other, and find encouragement in a shared mission. The Chemical Invention Factory is not just a building, but a catalyst for breakthroughs.