Overview
Pioneering the future of sustainable chemistry.
ASCEND is an innovation project driving the transition to sustainable chemical processes in support of global net-zero emissions by 2050. It addresses hard-to-abate industries like steel, cement, and chemicals by combining renewable feedstocks with green hydrogen. To overcome challenges such as high costs and infrastructure gaps, ASCEND explores alternative energy carriers based on renewable carbon.
At its core, the project advances catalyst development through digital catalysis, integrating AI, simulations, and self-driving labs and high-performance thin-film catalysts. These technologies enable faster discovery, improved efficiency, and reduced material use.
Research approach and methodology
A closed-loop framework for discovery, validation, and scale-up.
ASCEND is designed to fast-track the development of sustainable chemical processes and create robust, scalable solutions for renewable value chains. Its approach combines cutting-edge technologies, data-driven methods, and scalable material innovations.
This methodological setup enables the consortium to compare catalyst systems under consistent conditions, reduce experimental redundancy, and systematically identify the most relevant parameters for performance, stability, and process integration.
Digital Catalysis: AI-Driven Innovation
AI-driven design, simulations, and self-driving labs accelerate catalyst discovery and optimize performance through data-driven experimentation.
Thin-Film Catalyst Technology: Efficient & Scalable
Nanometer-scale catalysts with 3D structures maximize efficiency, reduce material use, and are scalable for industrial applications.
Focused Target Applications
Focused on electrochemical hydrogen production, electrochemical CO₂ valorization, and thermal CO₂ valorization to enable sustainable fuels and chemicals.
Scalable and Application-Oriented Solutions
Develops drop-in technologies for existing infrastructure, targeting upstream processes to maximize impact across industrial value chains.
Work packages
Six interconnected Work Packages structure the scientific program.
WP 01
Digital Catalysis
AI-driven methods and automated laboratories are used to accelerate the discovery, screening, and optimization of catalyst materials, enabling faster and more efficient development processes.
WP 02
Green Hydrogen Production
Advanced thin-layer materials are developed to improve the stability and performance of hydrogen production technologies, particularly in anion exchange membrane electrolyzers.
WP 03
Electrochemical CO₂ Valorization
Electrochemical processes are developed to convert captured CO₂ into valuable products such as carbon monoxide and methanol, supporting emission reduction and resource efficiency.
WP 04
Self-Driving Lab for Thermal CO₂ Valorization
Self-driving laboratories powered by machine learning enable the rapid discovery of new catalysts and processes for converting CO₂ into fuels like ethanol and methanol.
WP 05
Impact Assessment
Environmental and economic analyses are conducted to evaluate the sustainability, scalability, and industrial applicability of the developed technologies.
WP 06
Coordination & Maximization of Impact
Efficient project management, communication, and outreach activities ensure collaboration among partners and maximize the visibility and impact of the project.
Expected results and impact
Generating scientific insights that drive long-term, climate-neutral production systems.
Accelerated
Technology Development
AI-driven methods, digital catalysis, and self-driving labs will speed up the development of sustainable energy carriers and carbon-based chemicals, supporting CO₂ capture and long-term sector decarbonization.
Extensive
Knowledge and Technology Transfer
Collaboration between academia and industry will accelerate commercialization, with scalable thin-film catalysts translating lab results to industrial applications and reinforcing Berlin as a catalysis hub.
EU
Green and Economic Benefits
Life cycle and techno-economic assessments ensure sustainable, viable solutions, supporting immediate industrial use and medium-term roll-out of new technologies to reduce GHG emissions.
Collaboration
Our partners
Publications
Recent scientific outputs from ASCEND
April 2026
Publications coming soon...
June 2026
Publications coming soon...
August 2026
Publications coming soon...
December 2026
Publications coming soon...
Team overview
Interdisciplinary leadership and research teams drive the project forward.
The ASCEND consortium brings together a balanced and highly specialized consortium of academic and industrial partners to accelerate innovation in catalysis. The consortium leverages close geographic proximity in the Berlin area and ensures tight integration of research and industry, enabling rapid translation of thin-film catalysis technologies from the lab to industrial applications.
Project leadership
WP 01 Digital Catalysis
WP 02 Green Hydrogen Production
WP 03 Electrochemical CO₂ Valorization
WP 04 Self-Driving Lab for Thermal CO₂ Valorization
WP 05 Impact Assessment
WP 06 Coordination & Maximization of Impact
Steering committee
Dr. Michelle Browne (HZB)
Head of "Electrocatalysis: Synthesis to Device" Helmholtz Young Investigator Group
Prof. Dr. Karsten Reuter (FHI)
Managing Director and Director of the Theory Department
Dr. Christoph Scheurer (FHI)
Head of "Understanding of Functional Solid-Solid Interfaces at the Atomistic Level"
Prof. Dr. Rutger Schlatmann (HZB)
Head of Solar Energy Division
Dr. Elfriede Simon (Siemens Energy)
Head of "CO₂ Electrolyser Development"
Dr. Lisa Suntrup (HZB)
Scientific Officer for Sustainable Chemistry and Materials
Dr. Raoul Naumann d´Alnoncourt (BasCat – UniCat BASF JointLab)
Head of "Catalyst Development and Sustainable Value Chains"
Career opportunities
Join the next phase of digital chemistry research.
ASCEND regularly expands its interdisciplinary team across chemistry, machine learning, automation, and project operations. Have a look below to find out more about our job openings!
Berlin, HZB
PhD Student (f/m/d) in Developing Thin Film Catalysts for Electrochemical Water Splitting Using Digital Catalysis and High Throughput Screening
The Electrocatalysis: Synthesis to Devices group at Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) seeks to hire two doctoral researchers to develop efficient, stable catalyst layers for water splitting, combining transition metals with MXenes for OER and HER, and studying their performance using in situ/operando techniques and device-scale upscaling.
Full-time · Berlin
Postdoctoral Researcher
Updates on Career Opportunities coming soon…