"Hydrogen is the future - it forms the material basis for global trade in renewable energies. This enables the transformation to a climate-neutral industry, mobility and energy sector," he says, outlining his department's field of work. Around 180 employees at Fraunhofer ISE work on the entire hydrogen value chain, from fuel cells, electrolysis and sustainable synthesis products to techno-economic analyses.

A particular focus of Fraunhofer ISE is on the development, production and characterization of the catalytically active components on which the reactions take place. With his many years of experience in the field of catalysis research and chemical production, Dr. Frei perfectly complements and is responsible for the profile of the division.

After studying chemistry at the Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, where he wrote his diploma thesis on CO₂ hydrogenation to methanol, Elias Frei completed his doctorate in inorganic chemistry in 2013 on the synthesis and characterization of various catalysts. He then worked in the Department of Inorganic Chemistry at the Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society as a project manager, group leader and head of the synthesis laboratories until 2020. During this time, he worked closely with Prof. Dr. Robert Schlögl, a leading German hydrogen researcher.

As Senior LabTeam Leader at BASF since 2020, Dr. Frei has been working on new technologies for process catalysis, in particular hydrogen derivatives. These include methanol and ammonia synthesis, ammonia reforming and propane dehydrogenation. Since February 2024, he has been responsible for global innovation and sustainability activities at BASF SE as Senior Project Manager.

"We are delighted to have gained a proven expert in hydrogen technology in Dr. Elias Frei, who brings with him experience in both scientific excellence research and strategic business development in industry. With this wealth of experience, he will accelerate the transfer of our research results to this rapidly growing industry," explains Institute Director Prof. Dr. Hans-Martin Henning.