Chemical Invention Factory
John Warner Center for Startups in Green Chemistry
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.
Draft: sehw, Visioning: THIRD
Honoring a Pioneer: Prof. Dr. John C. Warner
The Chemical Invention factory proudly carries the name of Prof. John C. Warner, the father of the 12 Principles of Green Chemistry. He is Honorary Professor at TU Berlin, sits on the advisory board of greenCHEM and has been a passionate supporter of the initiative.
His career is a testament to the spirit of the Chemical Invention Factory: countless patents, numerous awards, and the founding of multiple companies dedicated to bringing sustainable chemistry into practice. More than a scientist, he is a visionary driven by the belief that chemistry must reinvent itself — and quickly — to meet humanity’s need for innovation. Naming the Chemical Invention Factory after him sends a clear message: this is a place for pioneers with purpose.
Timeline
2024
Contruction of Chemical Invention Factory get approved
2025
Groundbreaking ceremony
2026
Topping-out ceremony
2027
Opening ceremony of the building
2027
Opening for transfer teams
Meet the Team
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Martin Rahmel
Director
© Gerald Schmidt
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Dr. Petra Ryl
Cluster Manager at Science & Startups
© Ferhat Topal
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Biljana Nikolovska
Laboratory Manager
© Christian Kielmann
Meet the Management Board
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Prof. Dr. Matthias Driess
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Prof. Dr. Arne Thomas
© Christian Kielmann
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Prof. Dr. Søren Salomo
©Gerald Schmidt
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Florian Frank
© Helen Nikolai
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Dr. Lars Merkel
© Christian Kielmann
FAQs
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The Charlottenburg campus of TU Berlin offers the perfect setting for the CIF. Located in the heart of an international, start-up-friendly city like Berlin, it provides immediate access to global talent, investors, and industry partners.
But it is also the scientific environment that makes the site so special. TU Berlin has been a driving force in Green Chemistry for years, producing cutting-edge research that can directly feed into transfer projects at the CIF. The new incubator is the latest milestone in a university strategy that looks far into the future: recognizing that knowledge transfer is not just a task, but one of the central responsibilities of universities and society itself.
By placing the CIF at the core of its campus, TU Berlin underlines its belief that science must not stay in the lab — it must move into the world and create tangible impact.
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Of the total investment of 20.6 million euros, 7 million euros is being provided by SIWANA III, the Berlin Senate’s program for financing the sustainable growth of the city, with TU Berlin contributing the remaining 13.6 million euros.
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The Chemical Invention Factory is being built by TU Berlin. Mr. Matthias Oloew (matthias.oloew[at]tu-berlin.de) is available to you as contact person for the construction department at TU Berlin. The construction work is being carried out by the general contractor Goldbeck.
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In order to become one of the teams promoted and supported by the CIF, it is essential to want to bring a material innovation with significant, sustainable potential for the planet and society to market. The innovation may be based on the technical manufacturing process, represent a sustainable alternative to fossil raw materials used to date, or make another important contribution to a successful circular economy for materials. The innovation should be brought to market by a team, from the initial idea phase through an experimental proof of concept to the first steps of scaling up to a specific market application. The team should not yet have been founded a legal entity at this point.
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To become one of the first teams in the CIF, you can start researching sustainable material innovation today and learn about technology transfer in general. We already offer a comprehensive portfolio of workshops, trainings and events where you can learn important entrepreneurial skills, meet relevant stakeholders and peers.
You can also apply for a public funding program (VIP+, EXIST Research Transfer, or similar) or secure one of the coveted innovate! grants awarded by greenCHEM to early-stage technology transfer and start-up projects. This will secure you a place in INKULAB, our laboratory container - the precursor model of the CIF.
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Until the opening of theCIF, we offer the INKULAB as laboratory container for chemical experiments to enable researchers to transfer their research results to an application of sustainable materials. In addition, we already offer a comprehensive portfolio of workshops, trainings and events where you can learn important entrepreneurial skills, get to know relevant stakeholders and peers.
Contact us.
Do you have questions regarding the Chemical Invention Factory? Let us know!