Battery researcher Prof. Dr. Philipp Adelhelm was awarded the 2024 Berlin Science Award (original: Berliner Wissenschaftspreis) on July 24. Adelhelm is a professor at the Department of Chemistry at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (HU) and heads a joint research group of HU and the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB). The materials scientist and electrochemist works on the development of sustainable batteries, which play a key role in the energy transition. Internationally, he is considered one of the leading experts in the field of sodium-ion batteries.
Groundbreaking contributions to the future of energy supply
With his achievements in battery research, Professor Adelhelm has made groundbreaking and internationally influential contributions to solving urgent future challenges in energy supply. According to the jury, Adelhelm and his research group have made a decisive contribution to Berlin's success as a scientific hub for electrochemistry and sustainability research.
Prof. Dr. Philipp Adelhelm: "I’m very pleased with this award as a recognition of our joint work on more sustainable batteries—an interdisciplinary endeavor that we’re realizing in Berlin across several research institutions. Advancing cost-effective and safe energy storage systems, for example for electric vehicles, home systems, or large-scale applications, is a key element in the energy transition and energy security. It is one of the major challenges for chemistry and other STEM fields. My special thanks go to my team and our collaborators—especially here in Berlin, which, with its unique density of research institutions, is an ideal place for innovative materials research."
President Julia von Blumenthal: "I warmly congratulate Philipp Adelhelm on this well-deserved award. His innovative research on sustainable battery development is not only a great asset to Humboldt University, but also makes a significant contribution to the energy transition and Berlin as a science hub. That a researcher from our university is honored with the Berlin Science Award is a sign of excellent research and outstanding commitment, and we are very proud of it."
About the awardee:
Philipp Adelhelm is Professor of Physical Chemistry of Materials at the Department of Chemistry. He is also a member of the Center for the Science of Materials Berlin (CSMB) and heads the joint research group "Operando Battery Analysis" at HU Berlin and the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB). Since 2025, he has also served as co-spokesperson of the Berlin Battery Lab—a joint initiative of HU Berlin, HZB, and the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM) to further develop sodium-ion batteries. In 2019, Philipp Adelhelm received a Consolidator Grant from the European Research Council (ERC).
The Berlin Science Award:
The Berlin Science Award is presented for outstanding achievements in science and research. In addition to scientific excellence, the practical applicability of the research is a key criterion. The prize is endowed with 40,000 euros.
This text is a translation, in our own words, of the following press release by Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin:
https://www.hu-berlin.de/de/pr/nachrichten/juli-2025/nr-25725