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Lighthouse of research: Prof. Leonori revolutionizes molecule production!
Professor Daniele Leonori from RWTH Aachen University researches innovative photochemical approaches to producing molecules and receives numerous funding.
Lighthouse of research: Prof. Leonori revolutionizes molecule production!
On March 17, 2025, the research community in Europe will receive new funding with a total of 678 million euros. Germany has proven to be particularly outstanding, with 67 of the ERC Consolidator Grants awarded RWTH Aachen reported. This funding is provided by the EU Horizon Europe program and aims to support independent research teams and innovative scientific ideas.
Among the award winners is Professor Daniele Leonori from RWTH Aachen University, who holds a W3 professorship in the field of photochemistry. His research focuses on improving molecule production to more efficiently produce materials for medicines, textiles and smartphone displays. This approach has generated not only innovative implications for science but also valuable applications in industry.
Successful funding
Leonori was able to win two prestigious ERC grants: the ERC Consolidator Grant and the ERC Proof-of-Concept Grant. He has also acquired a total of nine Marie Curie scholarships worth 1.8 million euros and more than 1.5 million euros in funding from the German Research Foundation (DFG). These financial resources allow him to use light as a tool to specifically trigger chemical reactions, a technique that his research team is continually developing.
To maximize the practical benefits of his research, Leonori has also established numerous collaborations with industry. The results of his innovative work appear in leading scientific publications such as Nature and Science. In all his efforts, Leonori emphasizes the importance of diversity in the research team to encourage different perspectives and creative approaches.
Further funded projects in Germany
Another notable project is that of Professor Sören Pirk at the University of Kiel, which is developing digital twins of forest fires using artificial intelligence. This project will receive almost 2 million euros in funding over five years and is part of a larger effort to better predict the behavior of forest fires using computer-aided solutions and to optimize firefighting.
Also Dr. Dorothea Golze from the Technical University of Dresden receives significant funding from an ERC Starting Grant worth 1.49 million euros. Her project, “Accurate simulations of photochemical and photophysical processes at materials interfaces (PhotoMat),” is dedicated to research on photoinduced reactions at material interfaces and their dynamics. She wants to use advanced computer simulations to better understand the behavior at these interfaces, which could potentially have applications in photochemistry and quantum communication.
The ERC grants are not only a symbol of the excellent research taking place in Europe, but also create jobs for postdocs, doctoral students and other employees. In total, the newly awarded grants will create around 2,750 jobs. The ERC, founded in 2007, remains a key institution for promoting innovation and cutting-edge technology in Europe ( europa.eu, tu-dresden.de ).