Dr. Hans Kleemann from the Institute of Applied Physics and the Dresden Integrated Center for Applied Physics and Photonic Materials (DC-IAPP) at TUD Dresden University of Technology has been awarded the Joachim Herz Prize 2025 for his research approach involving bio-based, recyclable circuit boards. His nature-inspired work links high-tech with sustainability and has the potential to significantly contribute to the development of circular electronics. With €500,000 in funding, the Joachim Herz Prize is one of the most highly endowed science awards in Germany. The prize will be awarded on September 30 in Hamburg.

Each year, around 62 million tons of electronic waste are generated worldwide – and about 60 percent of it consists of printed circuit boards. These are found in almost every electronic device, from smartphones to computers, and serve to connect the electronic components inside. Conventional circuit boards pose two major problems: they are made from non-renewable raw materials and are difficult to recycle. In the research project “UnbeLEAFable”, Dr. Hans Kleemann and his team at TU Dresden are pursuing an alternative solution. Using bio-based materials and inspired by the structure of natural leaf skeletons, they are developing sustainable circuit boards for circular electronics.

The innovation of this research lies in using nature’s synthesis capabilities as a model to help solve a man-made problem. The delicate vascular structure of leaves is used as a natural framework and filled with bio-based plastics. This results in a novel material for sustainable circuit boards that could replace conventional components. If successful, the project could make a major contribution to a fossil-free future: manufacturing would require less energy and no fossil resources, and the resulting circuit boards would be biodegradable, allowing the remaining components to be reused. The Joachim Herz Prize enables Kleemann to further advance his research and develop a prototype that could then be transferred to industrial application.

“I am extremely pleased to receive the Joachim Herz Prize 2025. The Joachim Herz Foundation is not only recognizing the innovative and interdisciplinary character of my research activities, but also highlighting their transformative potential. The funded project now gives us the opportunity to not only develop recyclable circuit boards made from natural leaves, but also to explore new material- and process-specific aspects toward a complete circular economy. I look forward to exciting years of research and development – and I hope the bio-based material concepts we have developed can make a real contribution to the green transformation of our economy,” states Dr. Hans Kleemann.

At the Institute of Applied Physics and the Integrated Center for Applied Physics and Photonic Materials at Technische Universität Dresden, he leads the “Organic Devices and Systems” group. Together with his team, he investigates how electronic systems can be designed sustainably. His work ranges from fundamental physical and materials science questions to process engineering, system integration, and methods for neuromorphic computing. In April 2025, preliminary work for his “UnbeLEAFable” project was recognized with an EXIST start-up grant from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi).

The Joachim Herz Prize

The Joachim Herz Foundation awards the Joachim Herz Prize to outstanding researchers whose interdisciplinary approaches offer new impulses for a sustainable future. With €500,000 in funding, it is one of the most highly endowed research prizes in Germany. It supports early-career researchers who wish to deepen their scientific work or transfer their findings into practical application. As part of the funding, the prize also includes the organization of a multi-day conference, planned and held jointly by the prizewinners and the Joachim Herz Foundation. The Joachim Herz Prize is awarded annually, alternating between the natural sciences and the economic sciences.

Contact:

Dr. Hans Kleemann
Institute of Applied Physics (IAP)
Integrated Center for Applied Physics und Photonic Materials (IAPP)
TU Dresden
Tel.: +49 351 463-43379
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