Upcoming Events.
greenCHEM x Paludi Challenge
Paludi Challenge
Unlocking the Potential of Paludiculture Biomass
© Justus de Cuveland / imageBROKER / mauritius images
Turn underutilized biomass into real-world applications.
Are you ready to turn sustainability challenges into real-world impact?
Join our Innovation Challenge to develop solutions that unlock the value of paludiculture feedstocks.
We are looking for innovative, application-oriented solutions. Your mission is to develop and validate pathways to convert paludiculture biomass and side streams into market-ready materials, chemicals, or processes. We invite researchers, students, and early-stage teams to participate. We aim to bring creative minds together to address a critical sustainability challenge.
Our Partners
The Greifswald Mire Centre (GMC) is an interdisciplinary hub connecting science, policy, and practice in peatland research. It promotes paludiculture as an innovative solution to reduce CO₂ emissions while enabling sustainable land use. The University of Greifswald is one of the leading research institutions in peatland science, including paludiculture. It develops science-based approaches for restoration and sustainable use of rewetted peatlands, integrating ecological insights with economic and policy-oriented solutions.
The Startup Labor Schwedt is an innovation hub connecting startups, industry, and research to scale sustainable industrial solutions. It supports the development and real-world application of climate-friendly technologies, driving the transition to a circular and climate-neutral industry.
This is where you come in.
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But what exactly is paludiculture—and why does it matter?
Paludiculture means using wet or rewetted peatlands for farming or forestry. This way, the peatland stays healthy and can continue to store CO₂, which is good for the climate.
It also creates new opportunities to make climate-friendly land use economically viable.
What is the problem right now?
Biomass from paludiculture currently has difficulty competing with other raw materials.
The main challenges are:
• There are only a few ways to process it on a large scale
• There is strong competition from existing materials
• The quality of the biomass is not always consistent
• There is low market demand and uncertain investmentWhat is the Paludi Challenge?
The Paludi Challenge is an initiative that looks for new ideas and solutions.
The goal is to make paludiculture biomass economically useful.
A key focus is to develop processes that turn biomass and/or its byproducts into sellable products, such as chemicals, materials, or industrial processes.
What kind of ideas are we looking for?
The challenge is open and flexible – there is no single fixed solution.
Possible ideas include:
• Development of materials, additives, or packaging
• Use of byproducts (e.g. lignin or hemicellulose)
• New processes or pre-treatment methods to improve usage
• Solutions for technical problems in processing
Wildcards are welcome. You do not need to have a solution already. An idea is enough to apply. You will receive guidance on how to tranform your idea further during the program.
What we offer
Training: Receive hands-on training in key areas such as Life Cycle Assessment, business modelling, and pitching.
Industry Collaboration: Join us on a tour of a real chemical facility, go behind the scenes, and connect with industry experts. Gain practical insights and develop solutions with real-world impact.
Rapid Idea Validation: Use the Challenge to understand and validate the potential of your ideas in a short cycle.
Infrastructure & Equipment: Develop, test, and prototype your ideas in laboratories and lab devices made available by greenCHEM.
Community: Expand your network and get in contact with a diverse ecosystem.
Further Support: Receive potential access to funding opportunities or validation/pilot projects.
Timeline
iStock by Getty Images
Phase 0 – Qualification
April 30— Challenge launch & start of the application phase
• May 30 — Application deadline
• First week of June — Selection and announcement of finalists
Phase 1 – Elaboration
• June 8 — Kick-off event, introduction to the challenge & matchmaking session
• June 18 — Workshop: Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
• June 23 — Workshop: Business Model Canvas (BMC)
• July 6 — Industry excursion*
• July 13 — Mentoring Session I
• July 20 — Pitching workshop
• July 30, 2026 — Phase 1 Pitch Day & selection of the two winning teams
Phase 2 – Lab Phase
• Beginning of August — Start of the lab phase*
• End of August — Mentoring Session II*
• End of September — End of the lab phase & Final Pitch Day*
* Dates to be confirmed.
Application Deadline: 30th of May, 2026
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Application Deadline: 30th of May, 2026 〰️
Our Workshop Trainers
We are excited to collaborate with an interdisciplinary group of workshop trainers supporting participants throughout the challenge.
Janna Kuhlmann
Workshop Lead in Life Cycle Analysis
Janna is enabling start-ups since over five years to develop and improve their ideas early in the process, based on life cycle assessment (LCA) data.
She has worked for consultancies in the field of cradle to cradle certification and regulatory chemistry. Since recently, she is assisting greenchem start-ups with their first steps in the EU chemicals regulation REACH.
Her background is in environmental chemistry and ecotoxicology, eager to work towards a non-toxic circular economy.
Elif Nisa Ersoy
Workshop Lead in Business Model Canvas
Nisa is a manufacturing and scale-up engineer with experience in bringing technologies from pilot to production.
She has worked in industrial environments including Tesla and global manufacturing companies, focusing on process development, production ramp-up, and operational scaling.
Today, she supports early-stage and research-based teams in translating technical ideas into realistic, scalable business models with a focus on feasibility, execution, and real-world constraints.
Jelle De Wit
Workshop Lead in Pitching & Communication
Jelle is a Berlin-based pitch and public speaking coach from Belgium.
He supports researchers in communicating their ideas with clarity, confidence, and impact—whether in presentations, pitches, or interdisciplinary settings.
His approach combines strong content with storytelling, body awareness, voice, and presence, drawing on his background in devised theatre and performance.
Q&A
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You want to put your ideas to the test and contribute to making the industry more sustainable
You want to expand your network and meet people from industry
You want to do something that matters with your green chemistry skills
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This challenge is designed for:
PhD students & postdocs
Master students
Early-stage teams (not incorporated)
Individuals or interdisciplinary teams
We aim to include people from all backgrounds to ensure an interdisciplinary challenge. You do not need any specific qualifications to participate.
Eligibility: Applicants must be based in or near Berlin and able to attend the program in person on the scheduled dates. Additionally, applicants must be affiliated with one of the partner universities within the BUA.
We can only provide lab access to individuals with prior laboratory experience. If you or your team do not meet this requirement, we will support you from the beginning by connecting you with interdisciplinary team members who have the necessary experience to enable lab work.
If you are alone and you do not have a team yet, do not worry! You can still aplly and we will match you with participants from interdisciplinary backgrounds on the first day of the challenge. -
To be considered, applicants must complete and submit the application form, including information about their background and a clear description of their idea, solution, or insights. Participants are also encouraged to support their submission with additional materials such as detailed concepts, videos, explanations, or references to relevant resources like peer-reviewed articles or patents. Submissions will be evaluated based on five key dimensions: market potential, technical feasibility, sustainability, innovation, and industrial relevance.
The program unfolds in two interconnected phases that guide teams from idea development to hands-on validation.In Phase 1 — Elaboration, an open call leads to the selection of 5–7 teams, who then focus on developing and refining their ideas. Throughout this phase, participants receive mentoring, take part in workshops, and gain support in validating their concepts. The phase culminates in a pitch to a jury, where the top two teams are selected to move forward into Phase 2.
Building on the outcomes of Phase 1, Phase 2 — Lab Work offers a more practical, experimentation-driven environment. The selected teams enter the lab to test and technically validate their approaches, continuously iterating with support from experts. The program concludes with a final pitch and award, showcasing the most promising solutions.
Please note: We typically recommend to form teams with not more than four team members in the beginning. In addition, we strongly advise including a scientific supervisor or professor who can provide guidance throughout the entire challenge.
All sessions in the first phase of the program will take place in person; online participation will not be available. -
You can find the Terms and Conditions here.
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All information about the IP conditions, you can find here.
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greenCHEM will provide access to lab space and cover the costs associated with that for teams that require it. However, if your team doesn’t need a dedicated lab from greenCHEM, you may work in your current lab. In that case, we can cover some of the costs associated with participating in the challenge, even if we’re not the ones providing the lab.
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At the application stage, you do not need a fully developed solution.
We are looking for:
A clear idea or concept
A strong hypothesis or approach
A convincing explanation of its potential
Selected teams will further develop their solution during the program. Should your team be selected for the second phase of the challenge, you will have the opportunity to work in the lab and further develop your solution.
And wildcard solutions are always welcome.
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Teams may focus on one (or combine) the following paths:
Path A — Product-first / Market pull
Investigate materials, additives, binders, coatings, composites, and packaging-related solutions based on paludi inputs that could enable future market applications.
Path B — Side-stream conversion ( “leftover streams” )
Secondary material streams can be repurposed for other products or processes. Develop approaches to upgrade side streams (e.g., hemicellulose- and lignin) into valuable chemical intermediates, materials, or precursors.Path C — Solve a bottleneck ( Fixing a technical process limitation)
Develop a concept for pre-treatment/ fractionation/ separation steps that enable better yields, purity or robustness for paludi utilization.
More Questions?
Join our Info Session on 19.05.26 at 2 PM. Ask your questions, gain deeper insights into the challenge, and get to know the team behind it.
If you can not make it to the Info session, Arni, our Open Innovation Manager, is happy to answer your questions.
From Insight to Impact: Framing Challenges for Sustainable Innovation (Part I & II)
From Insight to Impact
Framing Challenges for Sustainable Innovation
Turn sustainability priorities into collaboration-ready innovation challenges
A free two-part executive workshop for Teamleads, R&D, Sustainability and Innovation professionals in chemistry and related industries. In two compact 3-hour sessions, participants translate a real challenge from their company into a structured brief for internal action, Industry Pull, or external collaboration.
Part I: 3 September 2026, 10:00–13:00
Part II: 10 September 2026, 10:00–13:00
Language: English throughout the course. Your registration covers both workshop sessions. Registration is completed via the TU Berlin event portal.
For Teamleads
Bring a structured challenge brief back to your team — including problem framing, scope, success criteria and next-step options.
For Sustainability & ESG
Translate regulatory, circularity and sustainability priorities into concrete innovation topics that can be aligned internally and pursued systematically.
For Innovation & External Collaboration
Decide more clearly whether the next step is internal development, an Industry Pull challenge, startup collaboration, or a university/TTO pathway.
From internal problems to external solutions — frame the right challenges and collaborate effectively.
A hands-on, practice-oriented workshop for industry professionals who want to move from understanding sustainability and green chemistry to clearly framing actionable innovation challenges.
Across the chemical and downstream industries, sustainability goals and green chemistry insights are becoming increasingly concrete and relevant. Many organisations are therefore at a point where the next step is not more knowledge, but clearer structure: how to translate existing insights, ambitions, and ongoing initiatives into focused innovation challenges that can be pursued internally or together with external partners.
Led by an institutional strategy expert and entrepreneurship educator, the workshop combines short methodological and science-based inputs with hands-on group work and peer feedback. By the end of the day, each participant leaves with a concrete, well-framed challenge that can be taken forward within their organisation or explored further through collaboration.
The course also provides insight into how well-framed challenges can be further developed within the greenCHEM ecosystem, while keeping the main focus firmly on participants’ own takeaways and next steps.
Key Benefits
- Turn sustainability goals and green chemistry insights into concrete, actionable innovation challenges.
- Learn structured methods to analyse and frame complex technical, regulatory, market, or ESG-driven problems.
- Work in an interactive workshop format with immediate application, discussion, and feedback.
- Build a shared language between technical and non-technical roles for more effective collaboration.
- Reduce uncertainty in innovation initiatives by clarifying scope, expectations, and feasibility early on.
- Leave with a tangible result: a well-defined or semi-defined challenge relevant to your own role and organisation.
Meet the speaker: Dr. Catharina Werner
University Lecturer and Coordinator of the Digital Entrepreneurship Hub| Freie Universität Berlin
Dr. Catharina Werner teaches entrepreneurship across disciplines, with a focus on entrepreneurial thinking, business model design and practical innovation methods for complex organisational contexts. She played a key role in establishing entrepreneurship education at Freie Universität Berlin, developed several digital learning formats and currently coordinates the Digital Entrepreneurship Hub. Her research focuses on the strategic development and institutional conditions of entrepreneurship education.
Program
September 3, 2026: Part 1
10:00–10:15 | Welcome & Course Framing
10:15–10:45 | Actual Chemical Insights (Part 1)
11:00–12:00 | Problem Analysis & Challenge Framing Workshop
Interactive introduction to structured methods and simple criteria for identifying, analysing, and framing real-world problems as innovation challenges (technical, regulatory, market, ESG, organisational).
Short inputs and illustrative examples showing how technical and non-technical perspectives approach challenge framing (using internal best practices or adapted/simulated examples where needed).
Immediate application of frameworks to real or realistic cases from participants’ organisational contexts.
Guided group work and peer feedback in mixed teams to iteratively refine challenge articulation.
12:00–13:00 | Interactive Workshop I: Analysing Real Problems
Deepening problem analysis and clarifying assumptions.
Identifying drivers, constraints, and objectives.
Peer exchange across roles and backgrounds.
This session is explicitly designed as a hands-on workshop, not a lecture.
September 10, 2026: Part 2
10:00–10:15 | Welcome & Hook-Up Part 1
10:15–10:45 | Actual Chemical Insights (Part 2), Q&A
11:00–12:00 | Interactive Workshop II: Challenge Statement Development
Drafting structured, actionable challenge statements.
Defining scope, success criteria, and collaboration needs.
Iterative refinement with expert and peer feedback.
12:00–12:30 | Collaboration, Risk & Next Steps
Exploring options for internal and external collaboration.
Practical discussion of feasibility, risk, and evaluation criteria.
Short introduction to greenCHEM and its challenge-based formats as one possible pathway.
12:30–13:00 | Reflection & Takeaways
Presentation of drafted or semi-final challenge statements.
Reflection on learnings and individual next steps.
Course wrap-up and feedback.
Who should register?
This workshop is designed for cross-functional industry professionals who want to move from understanding sustainability and green chemistry to actively shaping innovation topics.
Ideal for:
R&D and technical managers
Sustainability & ESG professionals
Innovation and transformation leads
Product and process owners
Procurement and supplier innovation roles
Participants of Course A or B who want to move from understanding to action
Participants typically come from following sectors: manufacturing, chemistry, automotive, packaging, electronics, FMCG, and related sectors. Other sectors are also welcome.
Questions ?
Please contact our Further Education Manager: Irina Olivia Heinze (E-Mail)
Find more information on our Further Education Programme here.
Circularity Hackathon
Solve an industry challenge
Reimagine systems from a circularity perspective
Join us in this 3-day hackathon to form new ideas with interdisciplinary students, solve a real industrial challenge and gain new skills.
The Una Europa Student Project Incubator (SPI) is aimed at all students from Una Europa partner universities who want to improve their project-development and problem-solving skills. It offers a unique opportunity to network and collaborate with other students from all across Europe while creating and working on projects that address real-life chemistry-related challenges.
Sustainability and Green Chemistry are currently experiencing a period of reevaluation. In public and political discourse, a certain “vibe shift” can be observed, where priorities appear to be changing, and the urgency of sustainability is, at times, questioned or reframed. At the same time, global challenges such as climate change, resource scarcity, and environmental degradation remain pressing and unresolved.
The program may include online preparatory sessions ahead of the on-site phase in Berlin. During the on-site meetings, students will develop their ideas during three 90-minute workshop sessions. Teams will be supported throughout the process by mentors and will participate in guided sessions on ideation methods and tools, such as the Business Model Canvas, enabling them to structure their ideas and explore pathways towards implementation. The Hackathon will conclude with a final pitch session, where teams present their results to an international conference audience.
This edition of the Student Project Incubator is designed as a hackathon, bringing together students from diverse academic backgrounds to collaboratively address a sustainability challenge at the intersection of chemistry, society, and the economy.
Registrations for this event are full.
17th CIFamily Meeting
17th CIFamily Meeting
Inside Out: From Industrial Insight to Curiosity-Driven Innovation Ecosystems
Inside Out: From Industrial Insight to Curiosity-Driven Innovation Ecosystems.
The chemical industry is under unprecedented pressure to transform. Despite remarkable scientific expertise, significant investments, and a genuine commitment to sustainability, progress often falls short of the ambition. Why?
Drawing on years of observing the industry from the inside as a consultant and advisor, this keynote offers a different perspective: the challenge is not a lack of effort—it is the way innovation happens. Companies are designed to optimize, but the sustainability transition demands exploration. It requires questioning established assumptions, connecting disciplines and organizations, and creating space for ideas that don't fit within traditional boundaries.
This talk explores why breakthrough solutions are more likely to emerge from curiosity-driven innovation ecosystems than from any single organization alone. It argues that communities such as greenCHEM are far more than networks of start-ups, researchers, and industrial partners—they are environments where unexpected connections become new opportunities.
If the future of sustainable chemistry depends on expanding our collective imagination, then the most important innovation may not be a new technology, but a new way of discovering it.
Our Guest: Dr. Gerald Bode
Gerald Bode has more than 20 years of management consulting experience in the chemical and oil industries. After studying Chemical Engineering and Management (Wirtschaftsingenieurwesen) and earning a PhD from TU Berlin in collaboration with MIT and ETH Zurich, he developed a lasting passion for improving and accelerating research and development—an area that has become increasingly critical in addressing today's sustainability challenges.
As founder of cubeSphere, Gerald develops tools, methodologies, and knowledge frameworks that help organizations accelerate innovation and tackle complex transformation challenges. Alongside his consulting and advisory work, he serves as a mentor within the greenCHEM ecosystem and contributes to policy advisory boards and chemistry-related think tanks, helping to strengthen the conditions for start-ups and foster innovation-driven entrepreneurship.
His work sits at the intersection of industry, entrepreneurship, and innovation ecosystems, with a particular focus on accelerating the transition toward sustainable chemistry.
About the CIFamily
The community events called “CIFamily” aim to offer the scene of chemistry-specific founders a place for trusting exchange and learning from each other. “Learning from experts and alumni/ae, sharing and discussing your own experiences with other participants and supporting each other” is the common goal of the community. In order to achieve this, each event is dedicated to a topic selected by the founders, on which there are impulses, exchange and networking in a relaxed and open atmosphere.
How to become part of the CIFamily?
If you want to become part of the CIFamily and get invited to these amazing network events, please contact us.
Impressions from previous CIFamily Meetings:
Previous Speakers contained:
Niklas Laasch (Product, Venture & Go-to-Market Builder)
Arndt Pechstein (CEO, Future Now)
Fabian Habicht (CTO, Shit2Power)
Tina Rose (Founder, New Dawn Silicones)
Ines Schiller (CEO, Vyld)
Marek Checinski (CSO, Carbon One)
Simon Bungers (Founder, Labforward and Labfolder)
Romain Marcel (Co-Founder & Partner, Aneto partners)
John Warner (CEO & CTO, The Technology Greenhouse)
Sonja Jost (CEO, DUDECHEM)
Robert Harting (Discus thrower)
Claudio Flores (Mimotype Technologies)
Dominic Franck (Fairwindel)
Steffen Käwert (Berlin-Chemie Menarini)
Microcredential "Entrepreneurship in Green Chemistry" - BUA Certificate Program
Entrepreneurship in Green Chemistry
BUA Certificate Program / Mircocredential
What is it about?
The BUA Certificate Programme / Microcredential “Entrepreneurship in Green Chemistry” is perfect for Master's students in chemistry-related fields enrolled in Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin or Technische Universität Berlin who want to develop entrepreneurial skills and sustainability knowledge. This program helps you turn research into innovative business ideas. With a flexible course load (23-24 ECTS) over 2-4 semesters, you’ll gain expertise in management, innovation, and decision-making—all through hands-on learning.
Content & Goals
In the “Entrepreneurship in Green Chemistry” programm, you’ll explore key concepts of entrepreneurship and sustainability. The program covers everything from starting a business to advancing research or product development. You’ll learn to identify opportunities within chemistry and related fields, turning them into innovative solutions.
This hands-on experience will help you build skills in innovation management, resource allocation, and solving technical challenges. You'll also gain expertise in decision-making, legal frameworks, and teamwork, preparing you to create sustainable, impactful business models.
Who is it for?
The Certificate Program / Microcredential “Entrepreneurship in Green Chemistry” is offered to students who are enrolled in one of the following 8 master programmes at TU Berlin, as well as students at Freie Universität Berlin (FU) and Humboldt Universität (HU) who are enrolled in a chemistry-related Master programme.
M.Sc. Chemistry
M.Sc. Chemical Engineering
M.Sc. Environmental Science and Technology
M.Sc. Material Science and Engineering
M.Sc. Food Technology
M.Sc. Polymer Science
M.Sc. Biological Chemistry
M.Sc. Industrial Engineering and Management, chemistry-related majors
Why should you apply
If you are interested in driving sustainable chemistry through innovation and entrepreneurship, you are the right candidate for the Certificate Program / Microcredential. You will learn how to develop chemistry-related sustainable business ideas, you will network with other innovators and entrepreneurs in the field and you will potentially find new ideas and opportunities for your future career.
Course Structure
Chose from these mandatory and elective courses to get the ETCS you need to receive the certificate / microcredential.
The complete course list, you’ll find here.
FAQ
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Students can plan their study schedule individually and can start either in the summer term or in the winter term.
It is recommended to start with a mandatory core module:
Option A: Venture Campus - From idea to business plan (12 ECTS)
Option B: Treasure Hunting (12 ECTS)
Afterwards you can pick two Semi-Mandatory Modules from the list.
In any case, get enrolled in the Entrepreneurship in Green Chemistry course to keep updated. -
You have to be enrolled in a chemistry related master study program at one of the BUA universities.
The registration for the Certificate Program is open at any time and requires only your Certificate of Enrollment. Please send the document to hello@greenchem.berlin. Usually within a week or two you will be notified whether you were selected to participate in the program.
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The usual duration of the program is two to four semesters. The teaching programme and all examination procedures are structured so that students can complete the programme within the usual study duration.
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The Certificate Program “Entrepreneurship in Green Chemistry” comprises 23-24 ECTS, divided into:
(a) one mandatory module of 12 ECTS
(b) two semi-mandatory modules of each 5 or 6 ECTS from a list of semi-mandatory modules.
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Entrepreneurship Summer School:
Ask before the SS for more informationDesign Thinking for Smart Living & Health
Advanced Recycling Technologies 1
Physics and Chemistry of Sustainability - Renewable Energy (please register by sending an email to Mr. Hutzler)
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Since this BUA certificate gives you the possibility to take courses from either FU or TU, it is mandatory (!) for you to register as a BUA-Nebenhörer*in at the university that is not your home institute.
Registration for TU courses
Registration for FU courses
Registration for HU courses
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Yes, your credits can count towards your master program. Some modules can be registered as a semi-mandatory module in your master program, and some in your elective area. Please contact your local Exam Office for detailed information regarding your personal study regulations.
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Please send your transcript with your grades to the contact person of the Certificate Program. Each year the graduates of the Certificate Program will be celebrated in a graduation ceremony.
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You will receive an official BUA Certificate Program which is composed as Microcredential listing in detail the courses you have taken as part of the Certificate Program.
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You will have to reach 24 ECTS out of the list of offered courses. If you fail one course, you can substitute it with another course from the list.
It is always recommended to keep the Certificate Program contact person informed of your status and progress throughout the program. -
As a Certificate Program student you will be the first to know about interesting events and activities in the field of Green Chemistry and Entrepreneurship, such as the Chemistry Career Talks and Startup Safaris – and you will be guaranteed a place in these events. This will expose you to new ideas, organisations and people and will help you grow your network. It might also open doors to internships, master theses and student jobs.
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The Certificate proves that you have acquired knowledge and competencies in Entrepreneurship and Innovation in the field of chemistry. This can help you stand out from a pool of applicants for positions in research and industry and improve your chances of getting a desired job. Moreover, the competencies that you gain will help you apply entrepreneurial thinking and acting to your own venture or to any employed position in the future.
Who can I ask if I still have questions about the Certificate Program / Microcredential?
You can always reach out to us at hello@greenchem.berlin.
It might also be possible to put you in touch with current or former Certificate Program / Microcredential students to get the student perspective on the program.
Industry on Campus
Industry on Campus
Connecting research, industry and entrepreneurship to accelerate the transformation of the chemical industry.
The flagship event for open innovation in the chemical industry
Join us for the upcoming greenCHEM Industry Event "Industry on Campus", where business meets science to drive the green chemistry transformation.
Here’s what to expect:
Program
More information about the program will be announced soon.
Impressions from previous years:
16th CIFamily Meeting
16th CIFamily Meeting
Customer Discovery for Deep-Tech & Chemistry-Based Startups
How can you effectively engage with customers and pilot partners?
For deep-tech and chemistry-based startups, winning your first customers is less about pitching and more about building trust and evidence. In this 45-minute keynote, Niklas shares practical best practices for finding early adopters and turning first conversations into real pilot partnerships, grounded in Geoffrey Moore's "Crossing the Chasm" and hands-on go-to-market work with several startups. He covers how to reach out professionally, what you need to establish credibility and trust, the minimum you should have in place before approaching customers, and what to watch out for in early contracts and liability. He also looks at how to nurture the customer relationship after the first yes, how to define your stages and rules of engagement, and how AI can help you monitor your market and discover new pilot customers. Expect concrete examples from real startups whose go-to-market and first pilots Niklas helped secure.
Our Guest: Niklas Laasch
Niklas Laasch works at the intersection of AI, health tech, and biotech, combining a background in biochemistry with design thinking. He advises and mentors healthtech and deep-tech founders on customer discovery, go-to-market, and fundraising: recently helping teams like RevoBits (bioprinting), mujō (algae-based biomaterials), and OMTO (digital health) sharpen their positioning, reach their first customers, and build the go-to-market engine behind their first pilots. As a mentor with Nucleate, Vision Health Pioneers and greenCHEM, he brings hands-on experience in translating complex science into clear, customer-centric growth.
About the CIFamily
The community events called “CIFamily” aim to offer the scene of chemistry-specific founders a place for trusting exchange and learning from each other. “Learning from experts and alumni/ae, sharing and discussing your own experiences with other participants and supporting each other” is the common goal of the community. In order to achieve this, each event is dedicated to a topic selected by the founders, on which there are impulses, exchange and networking in a relaxed and open atmosphere.
How to become part of the CIFamily?
If you want to become part of the CIFamily and get invited to these amazing network events, please contact us.
Impressions from previous CIFamily Meetings:
Previous Speakers contained:
Arndt Pechstein (CEO, Future Now)
Fabian Habicht (CTO, Shit2Power)
Tina Rose (Founder, New Dawn Silicones)
Ines Schiller (CEO, Vyld)
Marek Checinski (CSO, Carbon One)
Simon Bungers (Founder, Labforward and Labfolder)
Romain Marcel (Co-Founder & Partner, Aneto partners)
John Warner (CEO & CTO, The Technology Greenhouse)
Sonja Jost (CEO, DUDECHEM)
Robert Harting (Discus thrower)
Claudio Flores (Mimotype Technologies)
Dominic Franck (Fairwindel)
Steffen Käwert (Berlin-Chemie Menarini)
Technology Forecasting
Driven by technology, insipired by sustainability
Lecture & Workshops & Mentoring
Join us for this two day workshop where Dr. Detlef Kratz, former President Group Research BASF SE shares his insights about Technology Forecasting in the chemical industry, and Key Performance Indicator (KPI) setting for steering your business and research.
This is a two day event with optional coaching sessions on Day 2.
Lecture: Chemistry in Industry - driven by Technology and inspired by Sustainability
Tuesday, 14.07.2026, 10:15 am - 12:00 pm
Freie Universität Berlin, Hörsaal A, Arnimallee 22, 14195 Berlin
Workshop 1: Technology Benchmarking – What to keep in mind to obtain objective results
Tuesday, 14.07.2026, 2 pm
Freie Universität Berlin, SupraFAB, Altensteinstr. 23a, Raum 119, 14195 Berlin
Workshop 2: Key Performance Indicators – How do they help to steer business and research?
Tuesday, 14.07.2026, 3 pm
Freie Universität Berlin, SupraFAB, Altensteinstr. 23a, Raum 119, 14195 Berlin
1:1 MENTORING SESSIONS for transfer and startup-teams (30 mins sessions)
Wednesday, 15.07.2026, 10 am - 4 pm
Freie Universität Berlin, SupraFAB, Altensteinstr. 23a, Raum 101, 14195 Berlin
Enabling Better Choices: Green Chemistry for Professionals - Part 2
Enabling Better Choices
Green Chemistry for Professionals
greenCHEM Further Education · Green Chemistry for Professionals
For professionals across sustainability, procurement, risk, and operations who want a clear, accessible introduction to green chemistry.
From core concepts to real-world cases — understand what matters and how to act on it.
A compact, practice-oriented course for industry professionals who make decisions involving materials, sustainability, procurement, risk, or innovation — without needing a chemistry background. This is the second part of the course:
Getting familiar with the principles of green chemistry and practice oriented session to understand its relevance in realworld cases (June 1, 10-12 am, online)
Getting into specific principles of green chemistry and deeper insights into realword cases and related processes (June 8, 10-12 am, online)
Across industries, green chemistry increasingly shapes regulation, procurement criteria, product development, customer expectations, and risk management. Yet many professionals outside of R&D or technical teams are rarely offered accessible training that explains the fundamentals behind these trends.
This compact online course gives non-chemists in industry a clear, non-technical introduction to green chemistry and its relevance for daily decision-making. Whether you work in operations, procurement, sustainability, product management, compliance, innovation, or engineering, this course helps you recognise where green chemistry affects your business — and how greener decisions can reduce risks and costs while supporting competitive advantage.
Through short expert input, industry-relevant cases, and interactive group exercises, participants build the vocabulary and confidence to assess greener options, ask better questions, and connect chemical concepts to real-world challenges. Each participant leaves with 1–2 concrete follow-up ideas or questions tailored to their own role and organisational context.
Key Benefits
- Understand essential green chemistry concepts in clear, non-technical language.
- Learn structured methods to analyse and frame complex technical, regulatory, market, or ESG-driven problems.
- Connect green chemistry to business performance in industrial settings.
- Ask sharper, more informed questions about materials, hazards, alternatives, or supplier claims.
- Collaborate more effectively with technical teams, R&D, suppliers, and sustainability functions.
- Identify where greener decisions could reduce risk or create value in your products, processes, or policies.
- Upskill quickly: a 2–3 hour online format designed for busy schedules across all industry sectors.
- Leave with actionable takeaways directly applicable to your organisation.
Program
10:00-10:15: Welcome & Reflection of the first session
10:15-10:45: Expert-Led Insight into real-world cases
A non-technical introduction to specific green chemistry concepts.
Industry examples: substances of concern, safer alternatives, circular materials, cleaner processes.
Simple visuals and structured explanations to build confidence and shared understanding.
10:45-11:30: Interactive Business & Case Exercises
Using short real-world cases from industry and startups.
Identify high-impact opportunities for greener materials or processes.
Compare conventional vs. greener alternatives using simple business-relevant criteria.
Role-play internal decision-making (procurement, sustainability, R&D, management). These exercises help participants ask the right questions and evaluate greener options realistically.
11:30-11:45: Discussion on excercises, Q&A
11:45-12:00: Reflection & Action Session
A structured discussion where participants reflect on insights and identify 1–2 concrete actions relevant to their company, products, or processes. Expert feedback reinforces transfer into daily practice.
Who should register?
This course is designed for industry professionals of all seniority levels who influence decisions related to sustainability, procurement, safety, risk, product development, or operations — with no chemistry background required.
Ideal for:
Sustainability & ESG roles, Procurement & supply chain professionals, Product managers & product development teams, Operations, engineering, and quality management, Regulatory affairs & compliance, Innovation managers and project leads
New employees needing a foundational introduction to green chemistry
Industrial firms without in-house R&D, looking to understand greener options more confidently
Participants come from industries such as manufacturing, automotive, electronics, FMCG, textiles, packaging, logistics, machinery, and beyond.
This course can be taken as a stand-alone offering; however, for the best learning outcomes, we recommend also attending the basic course that takes part before and buids the fundamental knowledge of green chemistry. More information can be found here. (June 1, 10-12 am).
Questions?
Contact our Futher Education Manager Irina
See also the information on our Further Education Program!
Enabling Better Choices: Green Chemistry for Professionals - Part 1
Enabling Better Choices
Green Chemistry for Professionals
greenCHEM Further Education · Green Chemistry for Professionals
For professionals across sustainability, procurement, risk, and operations who want a clear, accessible introduction to green chemistry.
From core concepts to real-world cases — understand what matters and how to act on it.
A compact, practice-oriented course for industry professionals who make decisions involving materials, sustainability, procurement, risk, or innovation — without needing a chemistry background. The course takes part in 2 sessions:
Getting familiar with the principles of green chemistry and practice oriented session to understand its relevance in realworld cases (June 1, 10-12 am, online)
Getting into specific principles of green chemistry and deeper insights into realword cases and related processes (June 8, 10-12 am, online)
Across industries, green chemistry increasingly shapes regulation, procurement criteria, product development, customer expectations, and risk management. Yet many professionals outside of R&D or technical teams are rarely offered accessible training that explains the fundamentals behind these trends.
This compact online course gives non-chemists in industry a clear, non-technical introduction to green chemistry and its relevance for daily decision-making. Whether you work in operations, procurement, sustainability, product management, compliance, innovation, or engineering, this course helps you recognise where green chemistry affects your business — and how greener decisions can reduce risks and costs while supporting competitive advantage.
Through short expert input, industry-relevant cases, and interactive group exercises, participants build the vocabulary and confidence to assess greener options, ask better questions, and connect chemical concepts to real-world challenges. Each participant leaves with 1–2 concrete follow-up ideas or questions tailored to their own role and organisational context.
Key Benefits
- Understand essential green chemistry concepts in clear, non-technical language.
- Learn structured methods to analyse and frame complex technical, regulatory, market, or ESG-driven problems.
- Connect green chemistry to business performance in industrial settings.
- Ask sharper, more informed questions about materials, hazards, alternatives, or supplier claims.
- Collaborate more effectively with technical teams, R&D, suppliers, and sustainability functions.
- Identify where greener decisions could reduce risk or create value in your products, processes, or policies.
- Upskill quickly: a 2–3 hour online format designed for busy schedules across all industry sectors.
- Leave with actionable takeaways directly applicable to your organisation.
Program
10:00-11:20: Expert-Led Foundations Session
A non-technical introduction to green chemistry and essential chemical concepts.
How chemistry links to regulation, product safety, supply-chain risk, and competitiveness.
Simple visuals and structured explanations to build confidence and shared understanding.
11:20-11:50: Interactive Perspective Exchange
Share and discuss perspectives about real-world cases and challenges in green chemistry.
Identify high-impact opportunities for greener materials or processes.
Compare conventional vs. greener alternatives using simple business-relevant criteria.
reflect on insights and identify 1–2 concrete actions relevant to your company, products, or processes. Expert feedback reinforces transfer into daily practice.
11:50-12:00: Wrap-Up Session
Short insight into next course session.
Who should register?
This course is designed for industry professionals of all seniority levels who influence decisions related to sustainability, procurement, safety, risk, product development, or operations — with no chemistry background required.
Ideal for:
Sustainability & ESG roles, Procurement & supply chain professionals, Product managers & product development teams, Operations, engineering, and quality management, Regulatory affairs & compliance nnovation managers and project leads
New employees needing a foundational introduction to green chemistry
Industrial firms without in-house R&D, looking to understand greener options more confidently
Participants come from industries such as manufacturing, automotive, electronics, FMCG, textiles, packaging, logistics, machinery, and beyond.
This basic course can be taken as a stand-alone offering; however, for the best learning outcomes, we recommend also attending the second part of course that follows. The advanced course builds directly on the fundamentals covered here and will take place on June 8. More information can be found here.
Questions?
Contact our Futher Education Manager Irina
See also the information on our Further Education Program!
From Lab to Market Challenge - SEMIFINAL
From Lab to Market Challenge
North Semifinals
Join the Semifinals North Region of the From Lab to Market Challenge 2026 (FLTMC) on 20.05.2026 from 14:00 to 18:00 at EINS, TU Berlin.
The FLTMC is an annual competition where researchers take their projects beyond the lab and develop them into business concepts with guidance, training, and feedback from experienced experts.
At the North Region Semifinals, selected teams from across the region will take the stage to pitch their innovations and compete for a spot in the FLTMC national finals.
What to expect
High-energy pitches from emerging startups
Insights and feedback from experts
Opportunities to connect with key players from science and the startup ecosystem
A dynamic atmosphere full of ambition and innovation
See how scientific projects develop into startup pitches, get inspiration for your own ideas, and support your favourite team.
The event is open to all.
Registration is free, but tickets are limited.
The event will be in English
Preliminary Agenda
14:00 Welcome
14:15 Idea Pitches (5×5 min)
14:50 Keynote
15:00 Idea Pitches (6×5 min)
15:40 Cake & network
16:15 Road to the finals LIVE call
16:30 Award ceremony & next steps
16:45 Networking
Partners
Circular Chemistry in Action: From Idea to Implementation
Circular Chemistry in Action: From Idea to Implementation
How circular innovations move from idea to implementation – and why chemistry matters along the way
A compact interactive session for IFAT Munich 2026 participants, presented in cooperation with DGAW.
How circular innovations move from idea to implementation – and why chemistry matters along the way
A compact, interactive session for participants of IFAT Munich 2026 on turning circular economy ideas into practical solutions – and why a basic chemistry lens (“thinking in molecules”) can improve those decisions. Learn where innovations emerge, what blocks implementation, and how collaboration can accelerate progress. Through short practice-based cases, participants will explore challenges and work towards identifying realistic next steps and partners for their own contexts. The session is part of IFAT Munich 2026, the world’s leading trade fair for environmental technologies, and is presented in cooperation with DGAW, the German Association for Waste Management and Circular Economy.
Program
09:15 | Arrival, Networking & Coffee
09:30–10:30 | Mini lecture and workshop
Welcome & Introduction
Circular Challenges and Chemistry’s Role
From Innovation to Application
Pathways to Implementation
Interactive Case Discussion
Closing Discussion
11:00–onwards | DGAW Brunch @DGAW Stand
Participants will receive additional information and a pre-readings before the workshop. Exact location of the workshop in the Messe will be shared after registration.
Who should register?
This session is intended for people attending IFAT Munich 2026 who work in or around waste management, recycling, environmental technologies, chemistry, municipalities, startups, consulting, research, and related fields. This is especially relevant for participants who want to better understand the role of collaboration, innovation pathways, and chemistry-informed decision-making in circular economy contexts.
For Enquiries
Irina Olivia Heinze (greenCHEM Further Education Manager, irina.olivia.heinze@hu-berlin.de)
Sylvia Lehmann (lehmann@dgaw.de)
Dr. Lukas Gast (DGAW AK Young Professionals, gast@dgaw.de)
See also the information on our Further Education Program!
SCHLACKE
An exhibition about residues, resources, and the role of chemistry in a circular economy.
The artist collective TRANSFORMA approaches this material through a documentary–science-fiction perspective, juxtaposing the archaic with the technological.
WHAT IS SLAG?
Slag is not an endpoint, but a starting point. It forms during the incineration of municipal waste and consists of a complex mixture of mineral materials. Organic components are lost as gas—what remains is a chemically stable material that is far from insignificant.
In Berlin, hundreds of thousands of tons of waste are thermally treated each year. While the volume is drastically reduced, the materials do not disappear—they are transformed. Metals are recovered, mineral fractions can be used in construction, and other substances remain bound and require long-term management.
At its core is the question of how chemistry can enable a circular economy. Instead of treating materials as waste, their composition and properties are reconsidered. What is slag made of? What potential does it hold? And where are its limits?
The materials and projects presented in the exhibition show how residues can become resources—and how chemical innovation contributes to closing material cycles.
WHAT'S IN SLAG
WHAT'S IN SLAG
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44.0% SILICIUM (SIO2)
Main component of sand, and glass. Is quartz when crystalline.
17.0% QUICKLIME (CAO)
Produced through heating of CaCo3 containing substances, e.g. shell, limestone rock. ~300 million tons per year produced for industry.
11.9% IRON(III) OXIDE (FE2O3)
'Rust’. Used in steel production or in welding arcs (thermite reaction).
8.4% ALUMINA (AL2O3)
When crystalline with trace impurities, you get ruby or Sapphires. Applications in catalysis, abrasives, electrical insulation.
3.9% SODIUM OXIDE (NA2O)
Used in glass manufacturing.
2.1% MAGNESIA (MGO)
Highly refractive (low electrical cond. / very high thermal cond.) fireproofing material.
1.6% SULFUR TRIOXIDE (SO3)
Has gaseous and solid forms. Forms sulfuric acid in contact with water.
1.3% TITANIA (TIO2)
This is E171, used as white colorant in foods. Also used in sun screen. Estimated use in 2/3 of all coloured pigments globally.
1.3% POTASSIUM OXIDE (K2O)
1.2% PHOSPOROUS PENTOXIDE (P2O5)
Strong dessicant (removes moisture).
0.4% COPPER(II) OXIDE (CUO)
Significant component of mined copper ore. Uses in pigments and as precursor to other Cu materials.
0.4% ZINC OXIDE (ZNO)
Popular industrial additive from rubber to cosmetics. Can be eaten as source of zinc.
0.3% MANGANESE OXIDE (MN2O3)
0.3% BARIUM OXIDE (BAO)
0.1% LEAD MONOXIDE (PBO)
Used in glass manufacturing.
0.1% HAFNIUM OXIDE (HFO2)
Used in electrical equipment. Has a melting point of ~2500 ºC.
0.1% CHROMIUM(III) OXIDE (CR2O3)
Used as green pigment in industry.
0.1% NICKEL OXIDE (NIO)
<0.1% ZIRCONIA (ZRO2)
Certain crystal forms are diamond simulators. Used where very hard, stable ceramics are needed. E.g. insulation, abrasives, enamels.
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Chemistry is a powerful tool to realize sustainability and circularity. It is the science of reorganizing matter (materials and molecules) on an atomic scale.
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When municipal waste, the contents of the black bin, is burned at ~800 ºC, for ~1 hr. What’s left behind is 'Schlacke'.
Municipal waste is burnt because of its abundance (~0.5 Tons produced per capita, EU 2023).
The alternative waste landfilling releases methane (CH4) a potent greenhouse gas, while waste incineration, reduces CH4 emissions, lessens waste volume and generates energy. However, it is not profitable and it releases huge CO2 emissions, and generates waste.
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At BSR Ruhleben 580,000 tons of waste are processed annually, generating ~5% of Berlin’s household electricity. 1 ton of waste generates 2.5 tons of high pressure steam.
CIRCULAR INNOVATIONS
CIRCULAR INNOVATIONS
Kalz
Mineral construction materials from residues
Kalz develops processes to convert mineral waste streams, such as incineration slag, into new construction materials. These processes rely on mineral reactions that stabilize and transform inorganic components into usable building products.
Slag, typically considered a residual material, contains oxides of silicon, calcium, aluminum, and iron. Through controlled processing, these compounds can be re-integrated into cementitious systems, reducing the need for energy-intensive primary materials such as clinker.
In some approaches, mineral phases can also interact with CO₂, enabling long-term carbon binding within solid materials.
mujō
Algae-based packaging films made from alginate, natural plasticizer & mineral or organic fillers
mujo develops bio-based, compostable materials derived from seaweed as alternatives to fossil-based plastics used in short-life applications such as packaging.
The material is produced from algae, which grows rapidly without requiring freshwater, fertilizers, or agricultural land. Unlike conventional plastics, mujo films are designed to break down under natural conditions, reducing long-term environmental persistence and avoiding microplastic formation.
From a chemical perspective, these materials are based on biopolymers such as alginates, which form flexible, transparent films with tuneable properties.
CIYANO
Bio-based functional materials
CIYANO develops bio-based functional materials and chemical building blocks using advanced chemical processes. Their work focuses on transforming renewable feedstocks into materials that can perform in industrial and commercial applications.
The pellets and formulations shown in the exhibition represent intermediate material states—not final products, but adaptable compounds that can be further processed into packaging or other functional materials.
CIYANO enables the production of materials with specific mechanical, thermal, or barrier properties, while reducing reliance on fossil-based inputs.
VISIT US
UNI_VERSUM
TUB Exhibition space
Straße des 17. Juni, 135
10623 Berlin
THIS EXHIBITION IS CURRENTLY CLOSED DUE TO BUILDING MAINTENANCE EFFORTS. NEW DATES TO BE PUBLISHED.
OPENING HOURS (Paused)
Mon-Fri
12:00M - 3:00PM
CREDITS
This project was created in collaboration with greenCHEM, Hybrid Plattform, Stabsstelle Science & Society of TU Berlin, and with the kind support of Berliner Stadtreinigung.
Treasure Hunting Winter School
Become a treasure hunter
Unlock the power of chemistry patents!
Treasure Hunting Winter School
From Patent to Product: Winter School with Real Impact
Together with TU Berlin’s Entrepreneurship & Innovation Management Department, we’re hosting a one-of-a-kind Winter School on Chemistry Patents & Innovation – a hands-on seminar for students and researchers.
Over five days, you’ll work in interdisciplinary teams (5–6 people) to explore a curated pool of real patents. Your mission? Turn cutting-edge research into real-world business ideas.
What to expect:
Work with patents selected for their high potential for application from Technische Universität Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität.
Meet the inventors and gain insights directly from them
Collaborate with peers from diverse academic backgrounds
Develop and pitch a chemistry-driven business concept
Who can apply?
Every interested PhD candidate or Post-Doc affiliated to universities and universities of applied sciences.
Master students regardless of your study background, age, gender, or anything else! (for Master students, this is a non-curricular course offering and you can receive a "Leistungsschein"/ performance certificate for 6 ECTS points)
Before the Course, you will spend some time preparing yourself. If your registration was successful, you will get access to the online platform of TU Berlin (ISIS) to select the patent that you want to work on during the course, start doing some basic research about the technology and watch some introduction videos. This preparation is necessary for the course. You will also get materials to research the patent and understand the technology behind. You will be provided with several online lectures covering important business topics such as market research, market sizing, business modelling, impact assessment, etc.
During the Course, you will form interdisciplinary teams to work on your selected patent/ technology. Through an exciting mix of workshops and feedback sessions with experts, you'll develop profitable market ideas on how to valorize your selected patent. Those market ideas can result in a start-up business model, a plan to sell or license the patent, a research grant proposal or free license/ open-source recommendation. You will be supported throughout the whole process.
After the Course. If you discover real potential and want to turn it into a startup or research project, we’ll help you take the next step.
While patent rights aren't transferred during the course, universities are open to supporting promising teams—through collaborations with inventors, access to research groups, and clear pathways toward licensing or spin-off.
Application is open now until 18.03.26!
Partner
Treasure Hunting is in cooperation with the Department of Entrepreneurship & Innovation Management of Technische Universität Berlin, Santander and Stiftung innovation in der Hochschullehre.
From Insight to Impact: Framing Challenges for Sustainable Innovation
From Insight to Impact
Framing Challenges for Sustainable Innovation
greenCHEM Further Education · Challenge Definition & External Collaboration
For cross-functional industry professionals ready to turn sustainability and green chemistry into concrete innovation topics.
From internal problems to external solutions — frame the right challenges and collaborate effectively.
A hands-on, practice-oriented workshop for industry professionals who want to move from understanding sustainability and green chemistry to clearly framing actionable innovation challenges.
Across the chemical and downstream industries, sustainability goals and green chemistry insights are becoming increasingly concrete and relevant. Many organisations are therefore at a point where the next step is not more knowledge, but clearer structure: how to translate existing insights, ambitions, and ongoing initiatives into focused innovation challenges that can be pursued internally or together with external partners.
Led by an institutional strategy expert and entrepreneurship educator, the workshop combines short methodological and science-based inputs with hands-on group work and peer feedback. By the end of the day, each participant leaves with a concrete, well-framed challenge that can be taken forward within their organisation or explored further through collaboration.
The course also provides insight into how well-framed challenges can be further developed within the greenCHEM ecosystem, while keeping the main focus firmly on participants’ own takeaways and next steps.
Key Benefits
- Turn sustainability goals and green chemistry insights into concrete, actionable innovation challenges.
- Learn structured methods to analyse and frame complex technical, regulatory, market, or ESG-driven problems.
- Work in an interactive workshop format with immediate application, discussion, and feedback.
- Build a shared language between technical and non-technical roles for more effective collaboration.
- Reduce uncertainty in innovation initiatives by clarifying scope, expectations, and feasibility early on.
- Leave with a tangible result: a well-defined or semi-defined challenge relevant to your own role and organisation.
Program
09:30–09:45 | Welcome & Course Framing
Objectives of the day and expected outcomes.
Positioning of the course within the Further Education Series.
From insight to impact: why challenge framing matters.
09:45–11:00 | Problem Analysis & Challenge Framing Workshop
Interactive introduction to structured methods and simple criteria for identifying, analysing, and framing real-world problems as innovation challenges (technical, regulatory, market, ESG, organisational).
Short inputs and illustrative examples showing how technical and non-technical perspectives approach challenge framing (using internal best practices or adapted/simulated examples where needed).
Immediate application of frameworks to real or realistic cases from participants’ organisational contexts.
Guided group work and peer feedback in mixed teams to iteratively refine challenge articulation.
11:00–12:00 | Interactive Workshop I: Analysing Real Problems
Deepening problem analysis and clarifying assumptions.
Identifying drivers, constraints, and objectives.
Peer exchange across roles and backgrounds.
This session is explicitly designed as a hands-on workshop, not a lecture.
12:00–12:45 | Lunch Break
12:45–14:00 | Interactive Workshop II: Challenge Statement Development
Drafting structured, actionable challenge statements.
Defining scope, success criteria, and collaboration needs.
Iterative refinement with expert and peer feedback.
14:00–15:00 | Collaboration, Risk & Next Steps
Exploring options for internal and external collaboration.
Practical discussion of feasibility, risk, and evaluation criteria.
Short introduction to greenCHEM and its challenge-based formats as one possible pathway.
15:00–15:30 | Reflection & Takeaways
Presentation of drafted or semi-final challenge statements.
Reflection on learnings and individual next steps.
Course wrap-up and feedback.
15:30–16:00 | Networking & Refreshments
Who should register?
This workshop is designed for cross-functional industry professionals who want to move from understanding sustainability and green chemistry to actively shaping innovation topics.
Ideal for:
R&D and technical managers
Sustainability & ESG professionals
Innovation and transformation leads
Product and process owners
Procurement and supplier innovation roles
Participants of Course A or B who want to move from understanding to action
Participants typically come from following sectors: manufacturing, chemistry, automotive, packaging, electronics, FMCG, and related sectors. Other sectors are also welcome.
This course can be taken as a stand-alone offering; however, it is especially recommended for participants who have completed one of the basic courses (“Scale-Up in Chemistry - From Flask to Factory” or “Enabling Better Choices”) . The Basic Course for Non-Chemists - Enabling Better Choices, is taking place on March 9, provides an excellent foundation and will help participants gain even more value from this course. More information can be found here.
Enabling Better Choices: Green Chemistry for Professionals
Enabling Better Choices
Green Chemistry for Professionals
greenCHEM Further Education · Green Chemistry for Professionals
For professionals across sustainability, procurement, risk, and operations who want a clear, accessible introduction to green chemistry.
From core concepts to real-world cases — understand what matters and how to act on it.
A compact, practice-oriented course for industry professionals who make decisions involving materials, sustainability, procurement, risk, or innovation — without needing a chemistry background.
Across industries, green chemistry increasingly shapes regulation, procurement criteria, product development, customer expectations, and risk management. Yet many professionals outside of R&D or technical teams are rarely offered accessible training that explains the fundamentals behind these trends.
This compact online course gives non-chemists in industry a clear, non-technical introduction to green chemistry and its relevance for daily decision-making. Whether you work in operations, procurement, sustainability, product management, compliance, innovation, or engineering, this course helps you recognise where green chemistry affects your business — and how greener decisions can reduce risks and costs while supporting competitive advantage.
Through short expert input, industry-relevant cases, and interactive group exercises, participants build the vocabulary and confidence to assess greener options, ask better questions, and connect chemical concepts to real-world challenges. Each participant leaves with 1–2 concrete follow-up ideas or questions tailored to their own role and organisational context.
Key Benefits
- Understand essential green chemistry concepts in clear, non-technical language.
- Learn structured methods to analyse and frame complex technical, regulatory, market, or ESG-driven problems.
- Connect green chemistry to business performance in industrial settings.
- Ask sharper, more informed questions about materials, hazards, alternatives, or supplier claims.
- Collaborate more effectively with technical teams, R&D, suppliers, and sustainability functions.
- Identify where greener decisions could reduce risk or create value in your products, processes, or policies.
- Upskill quickly: a 2–3 hour online format designed for busy schedules across all industry sectors.
- Leave with actionable takeaways directly applicable to your organisation.
Program
09:00-10:30: Expert-Led Foundations Session
A non-technical introduction to green chemistry and essential chemical concepts.
How chemistry links to regulation, product safety, supply-chain risk, and competitiveness.
Industry examples: substances of concern, safer alternatives, circular materials, cleaner processes.
Simple visuals and structured explanations to build confidence and shared understanding.
10:30-11:25: Interactive Business & Case Exercises
Using short real-world cases from industry and startups.
Identify high-impact opportunities for greener materials or processes.
Compare conventional vs. greener alternatives using simple business-relevant criteria.
Role-play internal decision-making (procurement, sustainability, R&D, management). These exercises help participants ask the right questions and evaluate greener options realistically.
11:25-11:45: Presentation to the group
11:45-12:00: Reflection & Action Session
A structured discussion where participants reflect on insights and identify 1–2 concrete actions relevant to their company, products, or processes. Expert feedback reinforces transfer into daily practice.
Who should register?
This course is designed for industry professionals of all seniority levels who influence decisions related to sustainability, procurement, safety, risk, product development, or operations — with no chemistry background required.
Ideal for:
Sustainability & ESG roles
Procurement & supply chain professionals
Product managers & product development teams
Operations, engineering, and quality management
Regulatory affairs & compliance
Innovation managers and project leads
New employees needing a foundational introduction to green chemistry
Industrial firms without in-house R&D, looking to understand greener options more confidently
Participants come from industries such as manufacturing, automotive, electronics, FMCG, textiles, packaging, logistics, machinery, and beyond.
This basic course can be taken as a stand-alone offering; however, for the best learning outcomes, we recommend also attending the advanced course that follows. The advanced course builds directly on the fundamentals covered here and will take place on 19.3. More information can be found here.
Questions?
Contact our Futher Education Manager Irina
innovate! call | Info Session Transfer & Patent Offices #2
Info Session innovate! call
for Transfer & Patent Offices
World-wide universities and research institutions pay a lot of money to hold patents that would benefit the planet if transferred into application but that don’t pursued. We want to help this amazing IP to unfold real impact.
Are you working in a Technology Transfer Office, a Patent Office or similar from a university or research institut, this info session is for you! Here we explain how we can help you in your mission and bring technologies in chemistry in application.
What we’ll cover
Overview of the Chemistry Transfer Program and the current call
Program structure and timeline
Eligibility criteria and application requirements
Step-by-step guide to the application process
Key benefits of participating in the program
Open Q&A session – ask all your questions directly
Who should participate
This is the info session for Transfer & Patent Offices. If you support tchnology transfer in your organization or oversee the patent portfolio, this info session is for you!
Registration
This info session will be held online via MS Teams:
Please register here:
See you soon
Join us and turn your chemistry into impact!
innovate! call | Info Session Transfer & Patent Offices #1
Info Session innovate! call
for Transfer & Patent Offices
World-wide universities and research institutions pay a lot of money to hold patents that would benefit the planet if transferred into application but that don’t pursued. We want to help this amazing IP to unfold real impact.
Are you working in a Technology Transfer Office, a Patent Office or similar from a university or research institut, this info session is for you! Here we explain how we can help you in your mission and bring technologies in chemistry in application.
What we’ll cover
Overview of the Chemistry Transfer Program and the current call
Program structure and timeline
Eligibility criteria and application requirements
Step-by-step guide to the application process
Key benefits of participating in the program
Open Q&A session – ask all your questions directly
Who should participate
This is the info session for Transfer & Patent Offices. If you support tchnology transfer in your organization or oversee the patent portfolio, this info session is for you!
Registration
This info session will be held online via MS Teams:
Please register here:
See you soon
Join us and turn your chemistry into impact!
innovate! call | Info Session Track A #2 (hybrid)
Info Session innovate! call
Entrepreneurs without Patent
Are you working on innovative ideas in chemistry and ready to take the next step toward technology transfer, real-world application, or even founding a startup? Then this Info Session for the innovate! call is for you!
Join us to get a clear, hands-on overview of the program and learn how to successfully apply. We’ll walk you through what to expect and how we support you along the way—so you can focus on turning your ideas into impact.
What we’ll cover
Overview of the Chemistry Transfer Program and the current call
Program structure and timeline
Eligibility criteria and application requirements
Step-by-step guide to the application process
Key benefits of participating in the program
Support with relocation, including visa entry and accommodation in Berlin
Open Q&A session – ask all your questions directly
Who should participate
This is the info session for Track A - Entrepreneurs without Patent. In Track A we fund people who want to bring innovation in the chemical industry but don’t hold a chemistry patent.
The innovate! call offers three distinct tracks. Each track is tailored to different profiles. Be sure to check out to find out which track fits you best here.
Please note that each track has its own dedicated info sessions. You can find an overview of the other info sessions here.
Registration
This info session will be held in a hybrid format:
In-person: Fasanenstraße 85, 10623 Berlin, Germany
Online: MS Teams
Independent on whether you want to join in-person or online, please register here:
See you soon
Whether you’re just exploring your options or already preparing your application, this session will give you valuable insights and practical guidance.
Join us and turn your chemistry into impact!
innovate! call | Info Session Track B #2 (online)
Info Session innovate! call
Patent Holders
Are you working on innovative ideas in chemistry and ready to take the next step toward technology transfer, real-world application, or even founding a startup? Then this Info Session for the innovate! call is for you!
Join us to get a clear, hands-on overview of the program and learn how to successfully apply. We’ll walk you through what to expect and how we support you along the way—so you can focus on turning your ideas into impact.
What we’ll cover
Key benefits of participating in the program
Overview of the Chemistry Transfer Program and the current call
Program structure and timeline
Eligibility criteria and application requirements
Step-by-step guide to the application process
Open Q&A session – ask all your questions directly
Who should participate
This is the info session for Track B - Patent Holders. In Track B we fund people who hold chemistry patents and want to see them becoming real-life application, without persuing the entrepreneurial way themselves.
The innovate! call offers three distinct tracks. Each track is tailored to different profiles. Be sure to check out to find out which track fits you best here.
Please note that each track has its own dedicated info sessions. You can find an overview of the other info sessions here.
Registration
This info session will be held online via MS Teams:
Please register here:
See you soon
Whether you’re just exploring your options or already preparing your application, this session will give you valuable insights and practical guidance.
Join us and turn your chemistry into impact!
Open Office Hours innovate! call
Open Office Hours innovate! call
Specific questions to the innovate! call? Let’s talk!
You have specific questions to the innovate! call? We are happy to help!
We are hosting virtual Open Office Hours where you can join (online) and ask any questions related to the innovate call. This includes specific questions about the application process, eligibility requirements, or your individual situation.
No registration is required. Simply join the meeting during the scheduled times and we will be happy to support you.
Dates: February 23, 2026 to March 12, 2026
Tuesdays: 9:00 AM CET
Wednesdays: 5:00 PM CET
Meeting room: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/35079840418812?p=zejwXzr3wzlv0K5ede
We look forward to connecting with you and answering your questions.
innovate! call | Info Session Track A #1 (online)
Info Session innovate! call
Entrepreneurs without Patent
Are you working on innovative ideas in chemistry and ready to take the next step toward technology transfer, real-world application, or even founding a startup? Then this Info Session for the innovate! call is for you!
Join us to get a clear, hands-on overview of the program and learn how to successfully apply. We’ll walk you through what to expect and how we support you along the way—so you can focus on turning your ideas into impact.
What we’ll cover
Overview of the Chemistry Transfer Program and the current call
Program structure and timeline
Eligibility criteria and application requirements
Step-by-step guide to the application process
Key benefits of participating in the program
Support with relocation, including visa entry and accommodation in Berlin
Open Q&A session – ask all your questions directly
Who should participate
This is the info session for Track A - Entrepreneurs without Patent. In Track A we fund people who want to bring innovation in the chemical industry but don’t hold a chemistry patent.
The innovate! call offers three distinct tracks. Each track is tailored to different profiles. Be sure to check out to find out which track fits you best here.
Please note that each track has its own dedicated info sessions. You can find an overview of the other info sessions here.
Registration
This info session will be held in a hybrid format:
In-person: Fasanenstraße 85, 10623 Berlin, Germany
Online: MS Teams
Independent on whether you want to join in-person or online, please register here:
See you soon
Whether you’re just exploring your options or already preparing your application, this session will give you valuable insights and practical guidance.
Join us and turn your chemistry into impact!
innovate! call | Info Session Track B #1 (hybrid)
Info Session innovate! call
Patent Holders
Are you working on innovative ideas in chemistry and ready to take the next step toward technology transfer, real-world application, or even founding a startup? Then this Info Session for the innovate! call is for you!
Join us to get a clear, hands-on overview of the program and learn how to successfully apply. We’ll walk you through what to expect and how we support you along the way—so you can focus on turning your ideas into impact.
What we’ll cover
Key benefits of participating in the program
Overview of the Chemistry Transfer Program and the current call
Program structure and timeline
Eligibility criteria and application requirements
Step-by-step guide to the application process
Open Q&A session – ask all your questions directly
Who should participate
This is the info session for Track B - Patent Holders. In Track B we fund people who hold chemistry patents and want to see them becoming real-life application, without persuing the entrepreneurial way themselves.
The innovate! call offers three distinct tracks. Each track is tailored to different profiles. Be sure to check out to find out which track fits you best here.
Please note that each track has its own dedicated info sessions. You can find an overview of the other info sessions here.
Registration
This info session will be held in a hybrid format:
In-person: Fasanenstraße 85, 10623 Berlin, Germany
Online: MS Teams
Independent on whether you want to join in-person or online, please register here:
See you soon
Whether you’re just exploring your options or already preparing your application, this session will give you valuable insights and practical guidance.
Join us and turn your chemistry into impact!
innovate! call | Info Session Track C #2 (hybrid)
Info Session innovate! call
Entrepreneurs with Patent
Are you working on innovative ideas in chemistry and ready to take the next step toward technology transfer, real-world application, or even founding a startup? Then this Info Session for the innovate! call is for you!
Join us to get a clear, hands-on overview of the program and learn how to successfully apply. We’ll walk you through what to expect and how we support you along the way—so you can focus on turning your ideas into impact.
What we’ll cover
Overview of the Chemistry Transfer Program and the current call
Program structure and timeline
Eligibility criteria and application requirements
Step-by-step guide to the application process
Key benefits of participating in the program
Support with relocation, including visa entry and accommodation in Berlin
Open Q&A session – ask all your questions directly
Who should participate
This is the info session for Track C - Entrepreneurs with Patent. In Track C we fund people who hold chemistry patents and want to bring their innovation in to a real-life application.
The innovate! call offers three distinct tracks. Each track is tailored to different profiles. Be sure to check out to find out which track fits you best here.
Please note that each track has its own dedicated info sessions. You can find an overview of the other info sessions here.
Registration
This info session will be held in a hybrid format:
In-person: Fasanenstraße 85, 10623 Berlin, Germany
Online: MS Teams
Independent on whether you want to join in-person or online, please register here:
See you soon
Whether you’re just exploring your options or already preparing your application, this session will give you valuable insights and practical guidance.
Join us and turn your chemistry into impact!
innovate! call | Info Session Track C #1 (online)
Info Session innovate! call
Entrepreneurs with Patent
Are you working on innovative ideas in chemistry and ready to take the next step toward technology transfer, real-world application, or even founding a startup? Then this Info Session for the innovate! call is for you!
Join us to get a clear, hands-on overview of the program and learn how to successfully apply. We’ll walk you through what to expect and how we support you along the way—so you can focus on turning your ideas into impact.
What we’ll cover
Overview of the Chemistry Transfer Program and the current call
Program structure and timeline
Eligibility criteria and application requirements
Step-by-step guide to the application process
Key benefits of participating in the program
Support with relocation, including visa entry and accommodation in Berlin
Open Q&A session – ask all your questions directly
Who should participate
This is the info session for Track C - Entrepreneurs with Patent. In Track C we fund people who hold chemistry patents and want to bring their innovation in to a real-life application.
The innovate! call offers three distinct tracks. Each track is tailored to different profiles. Be sure to check out to find out which track fits you best here.
Please note that each track has its own dedicated info sessions. You can find an overview of the other info sessions here.
Registration
This info session will be held online via MS Teams.
Please register:
See you soon
Whether you’re just exploring your options or already preparing your application, this session will give you valuable insights and practical guidance.
Join us and turn your chemistry into impact!
Startup Hopping
Startup Hopping
A journey around the green chemistry startup ecosystem in Berlin
About
Berlin has a nascent and exciting startup ecosystem in green chemistry. From carbon negative products, to nano-materials and circular businesses, green chemistry has risen as the answer to climate technology and sustainable living from the core.
Every semester, we bring Bachelor, Master and PhD students from FUB, TUB and HUB closer to the market-reality of working at science-based startups. Attendees will have the chance to:
Learn from the chemistry-related startups
Experience the startups‘ day-to-day work in their labs & offices
Get to know about support programmes in Berlin to advance their own startup ideas
Participating Startups
LiqChlor: Rethinking water desinfection.
B4 PharmaTech: User-friendly solutions for cell-free protein synthesis
Aquapur: Novel adsorbent materials for trace substances from pharmaceutical production in process and wastewater
mujo: Circular Materials from Seaweed - Let’s ensure that packaging of today does not become the waste of tomorrow.
Requirements
To attend this event, students need to register via the form below. A maximum capacity of 20 students per tour is allowed.
Impressions from previous times:
Chemistry Career Talks #4
In this event we bring together a diverse panel of professionals who have taken different paths in the field of chemistry. This event isn’t just about the struggles of entrepreneurship—it’s about the challenges and lessons learned across various roles in green chemistry.
Industry on Campus
Industry on Campus
@Transfer Week 2025
The flagship event for open innovation in the chemical industry
Join us for the upcoming greenCHEM Industry Event "Industry on Campus" as part of Transfer Week 2025—where business meets science to drive the green chemistry transformation!
Here’s what to expect:
Program
In the morning we offer a further education course for SME’s about the topic Scale-Up in Chemistry - From Flask to Factory at the same location. Industry representives are invited to register for this opportunity aswell.
Who should register?
Industry on campus focusses on bringing Phds and Post-docs in contact with the industry. We especially invite SMEs and Startups to join.
Impressions from previous years:
greenCHEM x CHARLE Open Innovation Challenge
Open Innovation Challenge
Industry meets green chemistry innovations
Applications to this challenge are now closed. Stay tuned for upcoming challenges in the next weeks!
Tackle a real challenge from industry
In our Open Innovation Challenge, greenCHEM invites researchers and startups to submit novel, green chemistry solutions to a real-world industry problem. Selected teams receive mentorship from the industry partner and specialists within our ecosystem, as well as access to laboratories and equipment to further develop their technologies for two to six months. After this elaboration phase, teams pitch their ideas to a jury. The winning team receives prize money and may enter a partnership with the industry partner to continue developing their solution.
Our Partner: CHARLE
The Open Innovation Challenge features CHARLE premium haberdashery, a Berlin-based company that has been developing high-quality, circular narrow fabrics for a wide range of applications. Specialized in elastic and non-elastic bands made from natural rubber, organic cotton, linen, and TencelTM, the company pursues environmentally friendly, resource-saving, and socially responsible production methods throughout the entire value chain. With a spirit of innovation and a clear focus on sustainability, the company works to create textile solutions that will also benefit future generations.
The Challenge
CHARLE is looking for a non-fossil-based, biodegradable elastomer that behaves like rubber with raw material sourced in Europe. In other words, they seek a sustainable, biogenic alternative to natural rubber to reduce its upstream CO₂ emissions caused by long-distance logistics and to prevent future supply chain disruptions by being source in the European continent.
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1. What we are looking for at the end of the challenge
We want elastomers based on non-fossil raw materials, able to be sourced in Europe, with the following characteristics:
Potential for biodegradability
Potential for high elasticity
Potential for extrudability
Nice to have:
Very good resilience
High tear resistance
Excellent chemical resistance
High tensile strength
Durability
Thermal stability
2. Possible approaches
Use of food or natural textile waste (natural fibres) or a combination thereof
Plant-based alternatives with low carbon footprint
3. Approaches not of interest
Waste or materials of fossil origin
Alternatives based on Russian dandelion (due to high carbon footprint and land use)
Plant-based alternatives with high carbon footprint
Rewards
Prize: Compete to win a 2.000€ cash prize
Collaboration with Industry: Develop a solution with instant market fit, potentially leading to quicker implementation by CHARLE
Industry Insights: Visit CHARLE’s facilities and receive guidance from mentors with real world experience
Rapid Idea Validation: Use the Challenge to understand and validate the potential of your ideas in a short cycle
Infrastructure & Equipment: Develop, test, and prototype your ideas in laboratories and lab devices made available by greenCHEM
Community: Expand your network and increase the visibility for you and your idea
Timeline
26.11.2025 – Challenge presentation at Industry on Campus
23.01.2026 – Deadline for applications
30.01.2026 – Selection of teams
09.02.2026 – Challenge kick-off and datasheet handover
09.02-03.05.2026 – Elaboration phase*
May 2026 – Pitch Day & Award*
* Dates to be confirmed.
Q&A
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You want to put your ideas to the test and contribute to making the industry more sustainable
You want to expand your network and meet people from industry
You want to do something that matters with your green chemistry skills
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The Challenge is open to researchers and non-incorporated startups motivated to solve material challenges from the industry and able to come to Berlin for certain checkpoints, particularly the Kick-off and the Finale.
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You can find the Terms and Conditions here.
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All information about the IP conditions, you can find here.
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greenCHEM will provide access to lab space and cover the costs associated with that for teams that require it. However, if your team doesn’t need a dedicated lab from greenCHEM, you may work in your current lab. In that case, we can cover some of the costs associated with participating in the challenge, even if we’re not the ones providing the lab.
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No, at the moment of application your solution doesn’t need to have reached any of the established criteria. You only have to explain why is it that your team is confident that your idea could potentially reach the stated material characteristics. Should your team be selected to the second phase of the challenge (the Elaboration Phase), you will have the opportunity to work in the lab and further develop your solution.
The criteria play a bigger role at the end of the challenge. Then they are going to be used to evaluate the solutions presented and help the jury pick a winner. However, even at this point, there will not be hard targets that need to be reached.
And wildcard solutions are always welcome.
More Questions?
Arni, our Open Innovation Manager, is happy to answer your questions.
“Green rubber band ball” by Whoisjohngalt is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
Scale-Up in Chemistry - From Flask to Factory
Scale-Up in Chemistry
From Flask to Factory: an executve education course
Learn about scale-up for growth, market success, and risk reduction
Scaling up a chemical process can make or break innovation. This compact executive course will talk about actionable strategies for scaling up chemical processes in an industrial context, showcasing how green chemistry can help businesses to stay ahead: reducing costs, minimising risks, and accelerating time-to-market.
Hear directly from a successful startup and leading experts how integrating scaling up with green chemistry concepts can support SMEs with sustainable competitive advantages and stronger business performance. Throughout the morning, several rounds of moderated discussions will invite all participants to share their perspectives, address challenges, and ask questions freely in an open and collaborative atmosphere. This interactive format takes into account your key pain points and real-world experiences so that they are heard and incorporated into the rounds — hopefully leveraging the knowledge and connections needed to accelerate sustainable business growth.
Key Industry Benefits
Boost business performance: process innovation drives sustainable competitive advantage, securing your market position.
De-risk and accelerate scale-up: strategies to lower risks throughout the development pipeline.
Access cutting-edge facilities: see how modern scale-up labs support rapid, flexible, and resource-efficient commercialisation.
Network for growth: exchange with peers, service providers, and technology partners in moderated and open discussion sessions.
Program
10:00 – 10:10 | Welcome & Introduction
10:10 – 10:45 | State-of-the-Art Scale-Up Technologies
Professor Rainer Haag
Best practices, pitfalls, and innovations for green scale-up.
10:45 – 11:25 | Mastering the Scale-Up Process
Professor Kai Licha
Planning campaigns, optimising infrastructure, and balancing sustainability with market needs.
11:25 – 12:00 | From Idea to Reality
Dr. Rhea Machado
Porelio’s Journey: Turning Proof of Concept into Pilot Production.
12:00 – 12:20 | Lab Tour: See the Tools in Action Experience the equipment and pilot systems driving modern, sustainable chemical innovation.
12:20 – 12:30 | Closing Remarks
12:30 – 13:30 | Business Lunch Connect with all participants and presenters to discuss collaboration and strategies for implementing industry-leading green chemistry!
In the evening Industry on Campus will take place at the same location. Don’t miss the chance to register for that aswell!
Who should register?
Chemists, R&D Managers, and Technical Directors from SMEs in the chemical sector - all who are interested in scaling-up your production.
greenCHEM Kickstart @ CIFamily Meeting
greenCHEM kickSTART @ 14th CIFamily Meeting
Unleashing innovative green chemistry ideas
with Wiley
What is it about?
greenCHEM kickSTART is all about turning great ideas into impact. We called on students and researchers to bring forward their chemistry-related projects that could shape the technologies, processes and products of tomorrow. From all submissions, the finalist teams were selected — each with the potential to make a real difference for industry, society and the environment.
After an intensive bootcamp on pitching and presentation skills hosted by Wiley, the finalists will take the stage for the kickSTART Final. At this special edition, the kickSTART finalists will present their projects not only to a jury of experts, but also to the CIFamily network — the vibrant community of chemistry entrepreneurs, alumni and peers who embody collaboration and innovation.
Together, the audience and the jury will decide who takes home the Jury Prize and the Audience Prize.
Finalists
Catalumina: Light-powered photocatalytic reactor that generates hydrogen peroxide directly from water and air
COFion: PFAS-free materials for purification and separation.
Inpacto: Anti-caking beads for mechanochemistry
LignoVolt: Bio-based solid electrolyte made from lignocellulosic waste
AgriSil: Sustainable Silica Flame-Retardant Fillers for Biopolymers
Waste2Watt: High-performance, bio-based anode materials
Speaker
Dr. Ing. Fabian Habicht, Co-Founder & CTO at Shit2Power
Fabian, Co-founder and CTO of Shit2Power GmbH, is a proven expert in process engineering and renewable energy. With a doctorate in combustion technology and extensive expertise in fluid mechanics and thermodynamics, he is responsible for the development of our innovative technology. His focus is on implementing scalable solutions for wastewater treatment plants across the EU. In doing so, he combines technical know-how with strategic vision to ensure both compliance with regulatory requirements and the economic efficiency of the systems.
Titel: Evolving focus — balancing exploration and execution in deep tech
Description:
On their journey from research to marketable product, he has seen how focus is constantly being redefined in a deep tech startup: between curiosity about new technological possibilities and the need to concentrate resources on the essentials. He will share what he has learned in the process — how clear prioritization, targeted partnerships, and data-driven decisions can drive progress without losing openness to new approaches.
About the CIFamily
The community events called “CIFamily” aim to offer the scene of chemistry-specific founders a place for trusting exchange and learning from each other. “Learning from experts and alumni/ae, sharing and discussing your own experiences with other participants and supporting each other” is the common goal of the community. In order to achieve this, each event is dedicated to a topic selected by the founders, on which there are impulses, exchange and networking in a relaxed and open atmosphere.
Important Dates & Venues
Pitch Training Session: 4th November 2025, Wiley Berlin, Rotherstr. 21, 10245 Berlin
Pitch Final: 20th November 2025, Wiley Berlin, Rotherstr. 21, 10245 Berlin
These events are by invite only.
Impressions from last year:
FAQ
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You can apply as an individual or as a team. We recommend the latter because projects/ideas supported by a team benefit from the more diverse skill set. Team members do not all need to be chemists!
You can apply individually and, if selected, bring in team members later, as long is it is before the pitch-training workshop takes place. -
Whether IP is issued, pending, or still in the process. We do not want any specific details about the underlying details, data, lab work, or material/molecule compositions. During your application and the format you will not be asked to share any such information. Of course, if you are uncertain, you can reach out to us, or the patent officers of your institute.
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There will be 5 finalist projects.
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It is defined pretty well by the 12 principles, found here
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English.
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Yes, the same format ran last year under the name ‘PitchCourse & Discourse‘.
Partnered with
Tech to Impact Workshop (Green Chemistry)
Tech to Impact Workshop (Green Chemistry)
Turn your research into real-world impact.
About the Workshop
Turn your research into real-world impact. Join the From Tech to Impact workshop and learn how to identify value opportunities from your scientific or technical research, assess its market and societal potential, and begin shaping it into a viable innovation.
This interactive workshop introduces key principles of innovation, entrepreneurship, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Through a mix of hands-on activities and expert insights, you'll explore:
Innovation & SDG Overview – Understand the link between innovation, entrepreneurship, and global challenges.
Trend Ideation Game – Explore what the world really needs and where your research can make a difference.
Problem–Solution Fit – Translate your research into real-world solutions and define its potential benefits.
Target Groups & Value Opportunities – Identify relevant markets and target audiences for your ideas.
Market Research & Validation – Learn how to assess market potential, evaluate the competitive landscape, and analyze macro-environmental factors.
Whether you're just beginning to think about commercialization or want to deepen your understanding of impact-driven innovation, this workshop will help you take the next step.
Who should attend
PhD candidates, PostDocs and researchers from chemistry & related disciplines.
This is why you should attend
Learn what is technology transfer and how to transfer your research into a useful market application.
Be inspired by the impact potential of your scientific findings.
Get insights about your next steps to turn your research into a marketable product.
Topic / Agenda:
Introduction to innovation, entrepreneurship & SDG
Ideation Trend Game: What does the world needs?
create a problem-solution-fit / How can a marketable benefit be derived from your research?
define your potential value opportunites and target group / Which target groups and markets are relevant?
Learn about market research: market potential / sizing, competivite landscape and macroenvironmental factors / How can your project be validated and successfully implemented?
Entrepreneurship Summit
Join us at the Entrepreneurship Summit 2025 for our panel discussion with the topic:
Sustainable materials of tomorrow – entrepreneurs shaping change
How can we achieve the transition to a sustainable economy for all materials?
What role do innovative, science-based start-ups play, and who is driving this transformation forward? In this panel discussion, we bring together founders and driving forces from the world of green chemistry with industrial engineers, business talents, and future shapers.
The focus is on transforming the chemical industry – a sector that, more than almost any other, consumes vast amounts of resources and energy and has a significant (both positive and negative) impact on human and planetary health. But the path toward truly resource-efficient and circular solutions requires more than just good ideas: it needs scientific technologies (deep tech), business expertise, scalable business models, and pioneers who bring science and entrepreneurship together.
Our panel guests work hard on new, sustainable materials through their start-ups – will share insights into their personal entrepreneurial journeys, their science-based innovations, and the challenges of entering the market. They will show how ecological impact and economic success can go hand in hand – and why now is the time to take action.
Who should attend?
Anyone who finds the sustainable potential of technological breakthroughs exciting and wants not just to witness, but to actively shape and steer the transformation of industry into entrepreneurial channels. Be inspired to take an active role in science-based start-ups – as a co-founder, business developer, investor, or strategic supporter.
Our panelists:
Annekathrin Grüneberg, Co-Founder mujo lab OHG
Annekathrin specializes in developing sustainable packaging solutions based on brown algae. Since 2018, she has been working on creating compostable, flexible packaging films that offer a future-proof alternative to plastic. Her start-up mujō has received multiple awards, including as a winner of the “What Design Can Do – Make it Circular Challenge” and as one of Germany’s Cultural and Creative Pilots. The research project “Seaweedpack” is currently funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) under the KMU-innovativ: Bioeconomy program.
In addition to her work as an entrepreneur, she is an experienced Design Thinking coach, guiding companies through innovation processes. With her many years of experience in STEM education and her involvement with the WeQ Institute, she brings a deep understanding of creative learning methods and future-oriented skills.
Hoang Anh Nguyen, Chief Growth Officer ecoLocked GmbH
Hoang is spearheading the company's mission to transform buildings into carbon sinks . His strategic vision aims to expand ecoLocked's market reach and forge vital partnerships. ecoLocked mission is developing and producing biochar-based carbon negative building materials to reduce the CO2 footprint of the built environment.
Beyond his role at ecoLocked, Hoang is actively involved in driving sustainability within the construction sector. He serves as a spokesperson for Sustainability Innovations & Startups at the solid UNIT e.V. network and is a board member of the Bundesverband Digitales Bauwesen (BDBau). Previously, from 2021-2023, he chaired the Urban Development Committee in Berlin-Mitte, gaining deep insights into bureaucratic processes and public engagement for major projects.
Dr. Rhea Machado, CEO Porelio GmbH
Rhea is a founder, mother, and chemical engineer by conviction. Ever since she was six years old, she wanted to be an inventor – today, she is CEO of the Berlin-based start-up Porelio, which develops high-performance adsorbent materials to remove PFAS (“forever chemicals”). She earned her doctorate at BasCat – a joint lab of BASF and TU Berlin – and has since combined scientific depth with entrepreneurial execution.
As the mother of a two-year-old daughter, she knows what’s at stake if we fail to remove pollutants from our environment. With Porelio, her mission is not just to scale a product, but to take responsibility – for water that stays clean.
Moderated by
Dr. Katrin Streffer, Business Manager greenCHEM
Katrin has founded several companies in the field of sustainable chemistry and has been working as a senior manager in the chemical industry for 20 years. She is currently part of the greenCHEM consortium as a business manager. She studied chemistry at the Technical University of Berlin, earned her doctorate in analytical biochemistry at the University of Potsdam, is the author of numerous publications, is married, and is the mother of two children.
greenCHEM Hackathon
greenCHEM Hackathon
Ideation meets Innovation in Green Chemistry
Tackle a real challenge from industry
The 2025 greenCHEM Hackathon features NEEW Ventures, the venture builder of EEW - Energy from Waste, Germany’s leading waste incineration company. They are creating a world of endless resources by transforming waste into value through startups, AI-powered waste innovation, and cross-sector collaboration to advance circular solutions.
NEEW Ventures
NEEW Ventures is the venture builder of EEW Energy from Waste, Germany’s leading waste incineration company. Their mission is to create a world of endless resources. They work towards this through the power of business, technology, and community: by building and supporting startups that turn waste into value, by accelerating innovation in waste incineration through AI, and by connecting experts across sectors to drive forward new circular solutions.
What to expect:
Industry
Help industry partners solve their most pressing sustainability challenges
Interdisciplinary team
Brainstorm and shape ideas with other students and researcher from multiple backgrounds
Mentorship
Get guidance from mentors with real world experience
Pitch training
Learn pitching techniques to have a big impact on your audience
Prizes
Compete to win a cash prize up to 3000€ and the possibility to continue cooperating with our partners
Prototype
Use digital tools and creative methods to prototype and model your concepts
Challenges
A – Turning captured CO₂ into climate solutions
The climate crisis isn’t just about reducing emissions — it’s also about capturing the CO₂ we still produce and finding smart ways to use it. NEEW Ventures' parent company, EEW – Energy from Waste, generates electricity and heat from waste and is currently testing CO₂ capture at one of its incineration plants. But there’s a problem: capturing CO₂ costs energy and money.
Your challenge: Imagine new, practical, and scalable ways to make use of this captured CO₂ so it benefits the climate and the economy. Your ideas could help close the carbon cycle and make waste-to-energy plants even more sustainable.
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1. What we are looking for:
We want solutions that:
Make captured CO₂ useful in a way that offsets or reduces the cost and energy used to capture it
Fit the waste-to-energy context — either on-site at the plant or in the surrounding region
Are scalable and realistic, with potential for circular use of carbon
2. Possible directions - starting points:
You can take the challenge in many directions, for example:
a. Turning CO₂ into products (CCU)
Building materials – e.g., turning CO₂ into stone-like materials (mineralization)
Carbon-based products – such as fuels, plastics, or other materials
Industrial applications – where CO₂ from renewables replaces fossil carbon
b. Creating services
Carbon credits – systems that reward CO₂ reuse and storage
Quality checks & certification – ensuring CO₂-based products meet standards
Data & analytics – tracking and reporting CO₂ usage
c. Storage solutions (CCS)
Safe and efficient ways to store CO₂ for future use
d. Other ideas
On-site reuse – for plant processes like pH control, or creating heat or cooling
Local partnerships – using CO₂ in nearby greenhouses, the food & beverage industry, or for producing synthetic fuels (e-fuels)
Low-energy processing – making CO₂ easier to transport or use (e.g., separating it with membranes or distilling it to remove impurities)
Small-scale testing – simulation models or modular systems to trial new CO₂ uses without needing huge investment
3. Approaches not of interest:
Uses that require extremely pure CO₂ (waste-to-energy CO₂ isn’t ultra-pure)
Ideas with no clear pathways for reaching the market
Solutions that need huge amounts of energy but give very little CO₂ benefit
Concepts where EEW would have to become the sole producer of CO₂ products — EEW should be a supplier or partner, not the only seller
4. Why this matters - sustainability impact:
EEW produces 5 million tonnes of CO₂ every year — about half of it from renewable (biogenic) sources. If we find smart ways to use that CO₂, we can:Replace fossil carbon with recovered CO₂
Create “closed cycles” where CO₂ is reused again and again
Make inroads towards net negative emissions by using the renewable CO₂ fraction and other techniques
Open new opportunities in local economies and carbon markets
Your idea could be part of the solution — whether it’s a product, a service, a technology, or a creative collaboration. Chemists and engineers can develop CO₂ conversion and storage technologies, while environmental scientists assess impacts. Data experts can model systems, and business or policy students can shape market and regulatory pathways. Designers and communicators can make solutions clear and appealing. Together, these perspectives can turn captured CO₂ into a driver of climate action.
B – Giving Fly Ash a second life
When waste is burned in an incinerator, not everything disappears. One byproduct is fly ash (MSWIFA) — a fine powder that contains concentrated pollutants from the burned waste. It’s tricky to handle and usually ends up as hazardous landfill.
But here’s the twist: fly ash can also contain valuable metals and minerals. If we could safely recover and reuse these materials, fly ash could change from an expensive disposal problem into a valuable resource.
Your challenge: Find safe, scalable, and creative ways to turn fly ash into something useful — whether that means extracting valuable elements, making new products, or finding safe reuse options that reduce environmental harm.
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1. What we are looking for:
We want ideas that:
Recover value from fly ash — metals, minerals, or functional materials
Reduce waste and toxicity so less fly ash ends up in hazardous landfills
Can fit into existing waste-to-energy processes without major disruptions
Consider market demand, regulations, and safety so the idea could be applied in the real world
2. Possible directions - starting points:
You can take the challenge in many directions, for example:
a. Extracting value
Metal recovery – getting zinc, copper, or rare earth elements out using chemical (hydrometallurgy), biological (bioleaching), or electrical (electrochemical) methods
Sorting & concentrating – separating valuable parts of fly ash with magnets, sieves, or density-based techniques
Scanning & analysis – using AI or spectrometry to spot batches with high-value content
b. Turning into products
Construction materials – using fly ash in bricks, tiles, or concrete as a lower-carbon alternative to cement (geopolymerisation)
Blended binders – mixing fly ash with other industrial waste to make new building materials
Catalysts or filters – treating fly ash so it can be used in chemical processes or environmental cleanup
c. Making it safer
Safe encapsulation – locking heavy metals into stable glass or ceramic so they can’t leach into the environment
Better storage – improved landfill or containment methods to cut pollution risks
3. Approaches not of interest:
Anything that skips incineration entirely (the focus is after waste is burned)
Solutions that do not demonstrate economic viability
4. Why this matters - sustainability impact:
Finding new uses for fly ash could:Cut landfill waste and lower disposal costs
Reduce mining by recovering metals and minerals from existing waste streams
Lower CO₂ emissions by replacing carbon-heavy cement with fly ash-based materials
Protect the environment by preventing toxic substances from leaching into soil and water
Your solution could help turn a pollution problem into a sustainable resource — advancing both waste-to-energy innovation and circular economy goals.
Fly ash valorisation needs diverse skills. Chemists and engineers can recover materials or create safe, new products. Environmental scientists can evaluate health and sustainability benefits. Business and policy students can explore markets and regulations, while designers and IT specialists can improve tracking and reuse systems. Interdisciplinary teams can turn a hazardous byproduct into a valuable resource.
C – Recycling/reusing glass-fibre reinforced plastics (GFK) from wind turbines
Wind turbines are great for generating green energy — but what happens when they reach the end of their life? Most parts of a turbine can be recycled easily… except for the blades. These blades are made of glass-fibre reinforced plastic (GFK) — a strong, lightweight material that’s tough to break down and not biodegradable.
In the coming decade, up to 500,000 tonnes of old blades will be retired. Right now, most end up stored or landfilled — a costly and wasteful solution.
Your challenge: Find creative, sustainable, and economically viable ways to recycle, reuse, or repurpose GFK turbine blades so they become a valuable resource rather than a waste problem.
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1. What we are looking for:
We want ideas that:
· Turn decommissioned wind blades into value — new products, materials, or services
· Show how to move from “just storing” old blades to actually processing them profitably
· Consider environmental, technical, and business impacts so the solution is scalable
2. Possible directions - starting points:
You can take the challenge in many directions, for example:
a. Reuse / Repurposing / Upcycling
Transform blades into furniture, benches, playgrounds, or outdoor installations
Cut and shape blades into modular architectural elements for buildings or bridges
Create local reuse networks with cities or industries to give blades a second life nearby
Build digital platforms to match retired blades with upcyclers or designers
Explore product-as-a-service concepts — e.g., leasing upcycled structures made from GFK
b. Mechanical recycling
Shred or grind blades into materials for cement, asphalt, or other composites
Mix processed GFK into low-carbon binders for construction
c. Chemical Recycling
Break down resins and recover glass fibres using chemical processes (e.g., pyrolysis, solvolysis)
Improve incineration processes to handle GFK without the current downsides (residues, breakdowns, flue gas cleaning issues)
3. Approaches not of interest:
· Landfilling or “just store it” approaches
· Solutions with no clear environmental benefit
· Purely theoretical ideas with no potential for real-world testing
5. Why this matters - sustainability impact:
Finding new uses for wind turbine blades can:Prevent massive volumes of non-biodegradable waste from going to landfill
Replace virgin materials like cement, steel, or plastics with recycled GFK
Help decarbonize construction and manufacturing by using waste as feedstock
Create local economic opportunities in recycling and upcycling industries
The challenge is both technical and creative — whether you’re into engineering, chemistry, business, design, or sustainability, there’s a way to contribute. Chemists, engineers, and material scientists can develop mechanical or chemical recycling methods. Designers and architects can reimagine blades as functional products, while business and policy students create viable business models. Environmental experts can track sustainability gains. By combining skills, teams can give turbine blades a profitable second life.
Timeline
Q&A
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You want to try out innovation and see what it feels like
You want to meet people from different backgrounds who care about impact
You want to gain new skills—from systems thinking to storytelling
You want to do something that matters, even if you’re not sure where to start
You’re curious about sustainability, green tech, or entrepreneurship—but haven’t had a chance to explore it yet
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Bachelor’s and Master’s students from any discipline (chemistry, engineering, design, business, art, tech—you name it)
Early-stage researchers with an open mind and a collaborative spirit
No startup idea required. No specific background needed. Just your energy, your brain, and your interest in building something meaningful.
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You can find the Terms and Conditions here.
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All information about the IP conditions, you can find here.
More Questions?
Our Innovation Manager Bruno, is happy to answer your questions.
All ideas are gold!
If you have a green chemistry innovation idea but it doesn’t match with the offered challenges you can apply to kickSTART our idea innovation competition and start your entrepreneurial journey.