Suche
Mein Konto
Catalysis genius: Berlin professor receives renowned science prize!
Prof. Dr. Helmut Schwarz from TU Berlin receives the BBVA Frontiers Award 2025 for significant advances in catalysis research.
Catalysis genius: Berlin professor receives renowned science prize!
On April 16, 2025, Prof. Dr. Helmut Schwarz, Emeritus of the Technical University of Berlin, with the renowned 17th BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award awarded in basic sciences. Schwarz receives this honor together with Prof. Dr. Avelino Corma from the Universitat Politècnica de València-CSIC in Spain and Prof. Dr. John F. Hartwig from the University of California, Berkeley in the USA. The award is endowed with 400,000 euros and is presented by the BBVA Group.
The prize committee, chaired by the Nobel Prize winner Prof. Dr. Theodor Hänsch, praises the three scientists' outstanding progress in the field of catalysis. These advances have the potential to significantly control and accelerate chemical reactions. A central goal of this research is to improve efficiency in industrial production and significantly reduce energy consumption.
Unorthodox methods and innovative approaches
In his research, Helmut Schwarz emphasizes the need for unorthodox methods in basic research. Through a combination of experiments and computer-aided tools, he achieves a high level of detail in the analysis of chemical reactions. One example of his work is research on methane, a major greenhouse gas. He is investigating ways to selectively break the carbon-hydrogen bond in order to develop more environmentally friendly processes.
In addition, mass spectrometers are used to isolate individual atoms and observe their behavior. Schwarz's discoveries revolutionized major industrial processes, including the production of compounds from hydrogen, carbon and nitrogen. This led to the optimization of a process that avoids soot formation through modifications to the catalyst.
An award in the context of global challenges
The BBVA Foundation, which established the Frontiers of Knowledge Award, also presented prizes in various categories as part of the ninth edition of the awards. Particularly noteworthy is the award in the development aid category, which goes to Pedro Alonso and Peter Myler. These two scientists were honored for their critical role in the fight against infectious diseases in developing countries. Francisco González, Chairman of the BBVA Group, emphasized that such awards are crucial to make knowledge visible and to avoid social inequalities that arise when large parts of society are excluded from knowledge.
In the biomedicine category, Emmanuelle Charpentier, Jennifer Doudna and Francisco Martínez Mojica were recognized for the development of CRISPR/Cas 9 techniques that enable precise and cost-effective genome modification. The awards ceremony will take place on June 19 in Bilbao, Spain, and will be attended by prominent personalities, including Spain's Secretary of State for Research, Development and Innovation, Carmen Vela, and Emilio Lora-Tamayo, President of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC).
TEC Berlin is described as a hotspot for catalysis research and is anchored in the UniSysCat Cluster of Excellence. Schwarz's work not only contributes to academic knowledge, but also has practical applications in industry that are important for future advances in chemical production.