Expert talks, startup pitches, poster sessions, and open discussions: The E-Connect event created an inspiring atmosphere for all participants and shows that strong partnerships drive the energy transition. (Photo: V. Hiendl/e-conversion)

What does it take for a scientific idea to evolve into a market-ready technology? How do successful startups operate, and what makes industry partnerships effective? These and other questions were explored during Industry Day “E-Connect”, organized by e-conversion on 27 March 2025, at the Galileo Conference Center on the Garching Research Campus. Around 90 participants from research and industry, the startup community, and the tech transfer ecosystem came together at the event, impressively demonstrating how application-driven fundamental research at universities and entrepreneurial thinking in industry can go hand in hand. Through expert talks, startup pitches, poster sessions, and open discussions, it became clear that this kind of platform is needed to make the energy transition successful. To kick off the event, Cluster Speaker Prof. Achim Hartschuh (LMU Munich) provided a concise overview of e-conversion 1.0 and the Excellence Cluster’s goal of understanding the fundamental processes of energy conversion at the molecular level. A unique research infrastructure provided by Munich’s university landscape significantly supports this mission.

Vision for e-conversion 2.0

Prof. Jennifer Rupp (TU Munich), who is set to take over as the next speaker of the cluster, gave an outlook on its future. She highlighted the global challenges of increasing energy demand and the urgent need for energy to be storable, sustainable, and widely available. According to Rupp, this calls for nothing less than a “Green Energy Tech Revolution”. She emphasized that many materials we use today were developed over 50 years ago, and the next generation of energy materials must be researched now. e-conversion offers a strong platform for this, creating new concepts such as solar batteries and optoionics, and presenting radically new approaches to battery technology. In Rupp’s view, deep tech startup development is a key part of the success formula, building bridges between research and the market. Supporting initiatives like the battery startup incubator at TUM also plays an important role.

Successful Startups and Industrial Partnerships

Chiara Turrina from TUM Venture Labs presented the extensive support network available to founders. This initiative from TUM and UnternehmerTUM offers a comprehensive ecosystem with modern infrastructure and twelve specialized venture labs. It also serves as a launchpad for deep tech and life science entrepreneurship, from the initial idea to market entry. In brief startup pitches, founders Dr. Andreas Weis (Qkera), Christoph Gruber (iNSyT), and Prof. Dominik Bucher (Quantum Diamonds) shared their entrepreneurial journeys, challenges, and achievements, offering authentic insights into their startups. Industry representatives also provided valuable insights into their strategies and opportunities for collaboration. Dr. Simon Anniés (PULSETRAIN) discussed multilevel batteries and challenges along the battery value chain—from first-life to second-life use, as well as technical components like MOSFETs. Johanna Poschenrieder (Wacker Chemie AG) highlighted strategic connections in electrochemistry and shared experiences from working with startups. Dr. Daniel Böhm and Dr. Julius Hornung (Freudenberg ePower Systems) presented novel manufacturing methods for electrodes and catalysts—from ink to “MEGA” production. Dr. Raphael Tautz (Tautz & Schuhmacher Patentanwälte PartGmbB) addressed the economic importance of intellectual property for research, startups, and funding—a topic that is often underestimated but crucial. Patricia Hornstein (TUM School of Management) spoke on the importance of sustainable leadership. Andrea Capogrosso introduced the H₂ Real Lab in Burghausen, outlining the challenges of transitioning to green hydrogen.

Inspiration and Impulses

There were numerous opportunities for networking and scientific exchange during the poster session, as well as over coffee and meals in a relaxed setting. With a great deal of positive feedback, new contacts, and many ideas for future collaborations, the event demonstrated how successful e-conversion already is as a platform linking basic research and industrial application, and how essential close cooperation between science, industry, and entrepreneurial spirit is for advancing the energy transition.

Impressions from the event