Successful Research Collaboration Enters the Next Phase: Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Potsdam-based Science VC quantumReality Extend Cooperation to Develop Digital Twins for Electrolysis Plants by Two Years with a contract volume of €500,000.
Berlin, June 9, 2026. Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (HU) has once again secured a major research contract from the Potsdam-based venture capital firm quantumReality GmbH, this time with a contract volume of €500,000. This new project further expands the existing collaboration in the field of AI-assisted electrochemical research. Following a successful preliminary project in 2025, the company is continuing its investment in the research conducted by the "Hybrid Devices" working group, led by Prof. Dr. Emil List-Kratochvil at HU’s Center for the Science of Materials Berlin.
Application-Oriented Research
The core focus of the project is the development of a digital twin for PEM and AWE electrolysis plants. PEM (Proton Exchange Membrane) electrolysis plants are a key technology for the production of green hydrogen. The development of digital twins is expected to lead to significant improvements in their service life, efficiency, and operating costs.
The new project builds upon a preparatory research contract from 2025. What began as initial scientific models and recommendations for action has now evolved into a long-term research collaboration—a prime example of how application-oriented research opens up tangible technological prospects.
"This renewed collaboration demonstrates that scientific excellence and application-oriented research can work together successfully," says Prof. Dr. Julia von Blumenthal, President of Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. "Especially in future-oriented fields like AI and sustainable energy infrastructure, close cooperation between academia and industry is essential."
Operating Electrolysis Systems More Efficiently in the Future
The research project combines electrochemical modeling with modern AI methods and data-driven analysis.
"We are working on systems that do not just measure and evaluate electrochemical processes, but actually understand them," explains Prof. Dr. Emil List-Kratochvil. "This allows electrolysis systems to be analyzed with greater precision and operated more efficiently in the long term."
"In addition to capital, quantumReality GmbH provides scientific expertise and business development. The excellent project management by Prof. Dr. List-Kratochvil has led to a substantial investment volume. Our science investments are significantly shaped by the outstanding cooperation with Humboldt Innovation GmbH," says Eve Büchner, Managing Director of quantumReality GmbH.
With this project, Humboldt-Universität—together with its innovation company Humboldt-Innovation GmbH—is strengthening its activities in the field of collaborative research and underlining the importance of interdisciplinary cooperation at the intersection of AI, electrochemistry, and sustainable energy technologies.