Projects
This page lists the projects in which the CMT is currently involved, in alphabetical order. Beyond that, the center is involved in the preparation and planning of numerous future projects.
ACalNet 2.0
In the frame of the ACalNet 2.0 program, selected doctoral candidates from medical, technical or natural science subjects are given the opportunity to do research at partner universities in California. The funds for the travel allowances come from the International Office. The CMT coordinates the program with financial support from the profile area ECPE.
Bio4MatPro
The Bio4MatPro competence center will deal with the application of biologically inspired principles, the use of bio-based materials as well as with the development of the necessary processes and machines for mass production, thus promoting the structural change in the Rhenish Revier into a model region for the bioeconomy. Bio4MatPro will be lead by Prof. Ulrich Schwaneberg, the consortium has a broad base with 18 partners from science and industry in the region.
The CMT is centrally involved in the application process and will be integrated into the office of the competence center to be set up. Bio4MatPro has now received the third star in the SofortprogrammPLUS.
BioSC
The Bioeconomy Science Center, for short BioSC, promotes research on food and feed, on the chemical use of biomass, on the energetic use of biomass, as well as on bio-based materials. The newly developed methods are confirmed while the economic and ecological implications are taken into account – in parallel to the ongoing research. The Science Center is a first answer to the challenge of a future knowledge-based bioeconomy.
The NRW strategy project BioSC is funded by the NRW state government. Several financial instruments have been installed to promote research on the above topics between partners and disciplines. Partners in BioSC are RWTH Aachen University, HHU Düsseldorf, University of Bonn and Forschungszentrum Jülich.
The CMT serves as the central communication office at the RWTH between the participating departments and administrative units as well as the project sponsor. The cumulated calls for funds and proofs of usage are issued here. The administration of this complex project is centralized at CMT.
Carbon2Chem®
Carbon2Chem® is a large-scale joint project funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. The project involves partners from the chemical, energy and steel industries from all over Germany who are creating a completely new collaboration between the most important national industries.
The aim of the project is the utilization of emissions from steel production as raw materials for the chemical industry. For this purpose, surplus energy from renewable sources shall be used. This can make a significant contribution to climate protection and the energy transition. The second phase of Carbon2Chem®, starting from Juni 1st, 2020, will validate the developed processes for large-scale implementation and thus lay the foundation for a low-emission steel production.
The CMT is responsible for the administrative support of a sub-project of Carbon2Chem®.
KOALA
There are still enormous barriers to developing innovative ideas and technologies further after the so-called proof-of-concept and to transferring them from a functioning laboratory scale to market maturity. The goal of Project KOALA is to a) effectively reduce the barriers in the pre-startup phase in the field of Green Chemistry, b) strengthen the startup mentality in scientific institutions and c) achieve a visible and lively networking of the startup landscape in NRW. Together with the QuinCAT incubator, KOALA will make research results usable for society and contribute to making the future of the chemical industry more sustainable.
Under the leadership of Professor Walter Leitner (MPI-CEC) and Professor Regina Palkovits (RWTH), KOALA is funded by the Ministry of Culture and Science (MKW) of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia with 1.3 million euros over the next four years as part of the "Cooperation Platforms 2022" program.
The KOALA project was applied for with the participation of the CMT and the Aachen part of the project is coordinated at the CMT.
METAFOR
The BMBF-funded project METAFOR develops an elegant and economical hybrid approach for the electrochemical CO2 reduction to C1 compounds and the subsequent microbial conversion to important bulk chemicals.The methylotrophic yeast Ogataea polymorpha is developed into a platform organism for the conversion of the C1 compounds methanol and formate into valuable products. METAFOR combines the microbial process with an upstream chemical CO2 reduction to formate. The METAFOR strategy directly contributes to solving prominent challenges in C1-based product synthesis and makes a strong contribution to establishing a sustainable bioeconomy and reducing the dependency on chemical production of fossil resources.
Partners at RWTH Aachen University are Professor Lars M. Blank, Professor Walter Leitner and Professor Jochen Büchs. METAFOR started on February 1, 2020.
The CMT was strongly involved in preparing and submitting the second stage application. Furthermore, our center supports coordination and meeting organization.
QuinCAT
North Rhine-Westphalia is a country with a leading international research community and a world-class chemical industry. Even in the important chemical industry, the path from the idea to the product is still long and difficult, also due to the lack of space for start-up projects. The European Union has identified these obstacles as a core problem, as well: in the European Union, the Technology Readiness Level, short TRL, describes the path of an idea to a product on the market. The transition from TRL 4 to 7 is seen as a bottleneck. It is called the Valley of Death.
The purpose of the QuinCAT concept is to overcome this valley by bridging the gap between university and industry through a business start-up and incubation space designed for chemical researchers with a desire to set up a business. The construction project QuinCAT will create state-of-the-art laboratory and office space in order to bring scientific knowledge, concepts and projects in the field of Green Chemistry to market maturity.
The EFRE project QuinCAT is located at the CMT.
SusChemSys 2.0
SusChemSys 2.0 is an interdisciplinary network between chemistry and process engineering for doctoral students from various universities and research institutions in NRW. The program enables overarching activities such as joint meetings, industry excursions and soft skill workshops. In particular, networking - with doctoral students from other disciplines and institutions as well as professors and industry representatives - enriches the education of doctoral candidates.
SusChemSys 2.0 is coordinated by the CMT.