Wissenschaftspreis 2026

CataLight PI Birgit Esser has been awarded the Wissenschaftspreis 2026 of the city of Ulm. The prize, endowed with 7,500 euros, was presented to her by the Lord Mayor of Ulm during one of the city's most significant traditional ceremonial events, the Schwörfeier, on 20th July 2026.

In CataLight, Birgit leads subproject A06 together with Sabine Richert, which focuses on noble metal-free and coupled light-driven catalysis. At its core is the design of TADF-based photosensitizers as a noble metal alternative and redox-active soft matter matrices for the coupling of oxidative and reductive half-reactions. This expertise in the targeted molecular design of organic compounds with controlled redox properties is a consistent element of the research on sustainable battery materials now recognised with this award.

Birgit was honoured for her research on organic battery electrode materials and her commitment to science communication. The citation reads: “Her research combines scientific originality with high societal relevance.” Birgit sums it up: “Our common goal is to find sustainable solutions that make sense both economically and ecologically” – a claim reflected not only in her own research but across CataLight.

In addition to her work in CataLight, Birgit is the Ulm spokesperson of the POLiS Cluster of Excellence, which entered its second funding period in 2025. As founding director of the CELEST Green Energy Lab, she is driving the establishment of a reference laboratory for electrochemical energy storage beyond lithium. In 2023, she was awarded an ERC Consolidator Grant of two million euros.

Michael Weber, President of Ulm University, praised her: “We are proud that one of the most renowned scientists in this demanding field conducts research at Ulm University.”

Congratulations from the whole CataLight team!