Research Center CTC - Center for Transformation of Chemistry

© CTC

The Center for Transformation of Chemistry (CTC) will be the new research center in the Central German mining region. At today's press conference, Federal Minister of Education and Research Bettina Stark-Watzinger, Saxony's Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer and his counterpart from Saxony-Anhalt Dr. Reiner Haseloff presented the result of a multi-stage selection process in the program "Knowledge Creates Perspectives for the Region!".

With a transdisciplinary approach and in close cooperation between science, industry and society, the new research center CTC will develop innovative and application-oriented solutions to transform chemistry into a sustainable circular economy. Why does chemistry need to be transformed? The chemical industry represents one of the most important industrial sectors in Germany and is at the beginning of many value chains. Chemistry is in 97 percent of all products and it is impossible to imagine our everyday lives without it. The current crises and bottlenecks show how sensitively the existing system reacts to uncertainties in the supply chains and to price increases.

Chemist and initiator of the CTC Peter H. Seeberger has set himself the task of transforming the German chemical industry: "In order to secure the supply and functioning of the entire economy in Germany as a business location, it is urgently necessary to rethink starting materials, processes and products and to establish the hitherto linear chemical industry, which produces large quantities of carbon dioxide as well as toxic waste and wastewater, as a resilient circular economy in the long term," says Peter H. Seeberger, director at the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, explaining the goals of the future CTC. He adds, "Cost-effective and sustainable production processes mainly from renewable raw materials or recycled materials in compliance with the highest occupational safety and environmental standards and drastically shortened transport routes must be ensured."

Prof. Jan J. Weigand, Professor of Inorganic Molecular Chemistry at TU Dresden, was closely involved in the development of the CTC as a member of the Expert:innen pool and will contribute his research expertise to the establishment of the large-scale research center in the coming years as a member of the core team. Weigand's focus is on the development of innovative synthesis and recycling concepts in the field of inorganic molecular and materials chemistry. In addition to novel electrochemical processes, a particular focus here is on the recovery of critical resources such as phosphorus, rare earths or lithium, for example by extraction from waste and residual materials (battery material, FCC catalysts) as well as (catalytic) methods for the synthesis of basic chemicals.

In addition, TU Dresden will contribute its expertise in the field of circular economy, process control engineering, supply chains and Interdisciplinary Digital Sciences to the development of the CTC.

More information regarding the research center:
CTC: https://ctc-concept.com

More information regarding the BMBF program "Knowledge Creates Perspectives for the Region!"
https://www.bmbf.de/bmbf/de/forschung/das-wissenschaftssystem/wissen-schafft-perspektiven-fuer-die-region_/wissen-schafft-perspektiven-fuer-die-region_.html

Contact person at TU Dresden:

Center for the Transformation of Chemistry (CTC)
Prof. Jan J. Weigand
Chair of Inorganic Molecular Chemistry
Tel.: +49 351 463-42800