EC2/BIG-NSE derives great benefit from the Cluster of Excellence UniSysCat's close cooperation with industry partners.
At an institutional level, UniCat entered into a partnership with BASF in 2011, which resulted in the creation of the UniCat-BASF joint lab BasCat. This collaboration intensified when UniSysCat took over in 2019. A new building was constructed, offering about 1000 m2 of lab and office space; four lab were opened: Catalysis Lab, Reactor Analysis Lab, Synthesis Lab, and ALD; The research is performed in three research groups: Catalysis and Reactor Analysis, Catalysis and Modeling, and Synthesis and Surface Modification of Catalysts. More than 20 scientists work at BasCat, including 7 postdocs and 13 PhDs, as well as MSc and BSc students and scientific assistants. Several of our PhD students have had the opportunity to write their PhD at one of the BasCat labs, or in close cooperation with BasCat. Some of them were even funded by BasCat. Dr. Frank Rosowski is one of the members of our Recruitment Committee. Occasionally, when one of our candidate's research fits that conducted at BasCat, he can decide to offer her or him one of the BasCat PhD scholarships or positions. Thanks to BasCat, and the close cooperation between BASF and our cluster/center/school, some of our students have received an invitation to the annual BASF Summer School, which is a good opportunity to attract the attention of BASF recruiters. Some of these students eventually receive a job offer from BASF: So far, at least six BIG-NSE alumni work or have worked for BASF or a BASF-supported institution (like CaRla, the joint lab of BASF and University of Heidelberg). For details, see the alumni list.
However, our cooperation with industry does not end at BASF. At the research group level, many professors cooperate with a company from the industrial sector. Occasionally, when representatives of these companies come to visit their UniSysCat partner, some of our students are invited to present their work. Many of our students also establish contact with companies while working on their PhD and then receive a job offer from them when they finish.
As a result, approximately one third of our alumni now have a job as a researcher or senior researcher in the industry, in Germany or abroad. Their employers include Novartis/CH, Genentech/Roche, Atotech Berlin, PCK Schwedt, Sandoz/CH, Air Liquide/Frankfurt, BASF/Ludwigshafen, Shell/Amsterdam, Bosch/Berlin, Evonik/Frankfurt, Biopetrolia/ Gothenburg, Sweden, Boehringer Ingelheim/Lörrach, BASF/New-York, Continental AG/Hannover, hte/Heidelberg, Clariant AG/Brückmuhl), KAO Germany GmbH, Total/Brussels, and BASF Shanghai. A few of these alumni work for SMEs, like DSR Ingenieurgesellschaft mbH /Berlin, Orafol/Oranenburg, PV Crystalox Solar Silicon in Bitterfeld, Dr. Türck Ingenieurbüro, Berlin, etc.. See our alumni list for the full list of industry partners.
Last but not least, UniSysCat founded Inkulab and CIF in order to encourage students to continue developing their research ideas and possibly bring them to the industry market. Read here for more about this opportunity.