We are excellent in battery research!
Îçҹ̽»¨ achieved an important success in the competition for excellence with the POLiS (Post Lithium Storage) cluster of excellence, which was approved in 2018 and extended in 2025. In this network, our scientists are researching innovative battery concepts beyond lithium – a key contribution to the energy transition and sustainable mobility.
Like its predecessor, the "Excellence Initiative", the "Excellence Strategy" is a financial support programme of the federal and state governments to strengthen world-class research in Germany. Their common goal is to strengthen Germany's position as a centre of science and research and its international competitiveness. The Excellence Strategy is divided into two funding lines: the "Clusters of Excellence" and the "Universities of Excellence".
The POLiS (Post Lithium Storage) network is the flagship of the Green Energy Campus at Îçҹ̽»¨. Scientists from Îçҹ̽»¨, the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and the University of Giessen are conducting joint research into innovative battery materials and storage technologies in Germany's only cluster of excellence for battery research. The cluster of excellence was approved for the first time in 2018 and was endowed with 47 million euros for seven years. In 2025, the funding was extended for a further seven years.
In the second funding phase (2026-2032), the successful POLiS consortium will be further expanded: In addition to Îçҹ̽»¨ and the , the is now also an applicant university, enriching the project with its proven expertise in interfacial analysis. Further cooperation partners are the and the .
In the first funding phase, everything revolved around the development of individual battery components. The focus was on the search for suitable materials for electrodes and electrolytes as well as the analysis of fundamental processes at the interfaces. POLiS II is now taking a big step forward and is dedicated to the realization of full cells and the interactions between the battery components along the entire cell.
What makes POLiS so unique worldwide: The battery cluster investigates a wide range of different shuttle ions and materials, both organic and inorganic, substances from solid-state chemistry and liquids. Sustainability is particularly important to the researchers. Sustainability screening, life cycle analysis and the identification of "game stoppers" such as the limited availability of raw materials are therefore also on the battery cluster's agenda. Electrochemical energy storage is a fundamental pillar of sustainable energy technology. As a key technology, it makes a decisive contribution to the success of the energy transition.
The funding of POLiS II is a clear signal: Ulm is and will remain the centre of German battery research, which is also among the best internationally.
Prof. Michael Weber
President
The International Graduate School in Molecular Medicine Ulm (IGradU) was funded by the DFG in 2007 as part of the Excellence Initiative as one of only 45 graduate schools in Germany. Since its foundation in 2005, it has developed into an internationally visible institution with six interdisciplinary Research Training Groups and numerous doctoral projects.
Even after DFG funding ends in 2019, IGradU will continue to be supported by the state of Baden-Württemberg, Îçҹ̽»¨ and the Medical Faculty – an example of the sustainable impact of the Excellence Initiative. The competition has been continued as the Excellence Strategy since 2016.
Îçҹ̽»¨ stands for internationally visible and recognized cutting-edge research. A selection of outstanding research projects can be found on the website of the Center for Research Strategy and Support (Res.UL) of Îçҹ̽»¨.
As a young research university, Îçҹ̽»¨ is concerned with the global challenges of today and tomorrow. We focus on four forward-looking profile areas: Green Energy, Quantum Science and Technology, Life Long Health, From Data to Knowledge.