The vision of greenCHEM and what has to change in the chemical industry – interview with Martin Rahmel

In March 2024, the initiative greenCHEM has celebrated its brand launch. greenCHEM aims to make the chemical industry more sustainable and eco-friendly. It has been four years that industrial engineer Martin Rahmel is the CEO of the Chemical Invention Factory. Now, he is also co-ordinator of the greenCHEM consortium. In an interview, we spoke with him about his path towards chemistry, the role of chemistry for the industry, greenCHEM and its advantages as well as other interesting topics. 

How did you get into chemistry?

My father inspired me to get into chemistry. He studied chemistry at TU Berlin, did his PhD and was chief production manager at Schering in the end. I can remember my first chemistry lecture very well. I was very nervous and excited. I wanted to know more about chemistry. And the oxygenhydrogen reaction is a lasting memory of mine. Luckily, I did not get a tinnitus.  

What fascinates you about chemistry?

Chemistry fascinates because it is the science of material change. You add A to B and something new comes into being, a new material. And the diversity of creating such new materials is endless. 

What is your motivation?

My main motivation is the topic of sustainability. Professionally as well as in my private life. In private, I am First Chairman of a registered nature conservation association for sustainable, near-natural river ecosystems. Professionally, I also deal with ecosystems, but those are ecosystems of innovation in the field of green chemistry. That is my passion, that is my motivation: Bringing new sustainable materials on the market with the help of green chemistry is just amazing. 

What goes wrong in the chemical industry nowadays?

I think there are problems in several sectors with regard to the topic of innovation for sustainability.  There are interesting studies that prove that we have multiplied the number of researchers within the last 30 years, but the impact on economy is missing. The chemical industry is no exception here. When we look at the causes, we can find that those are not only the industry, the researchers or the state. It is a multifactoral problem. However, with regard to the chemical industry, it must first be noted that this industry has always played a kind of latecomer role due to long development cycles and high capital intensity. This can be regarded as a disadvantage or as an advantage and I am a person who is very optimistic. So, I consider it as an advantage, since we can learn from other industries and do a better job. At this point, one can find specific circumstances that are very challenging at the moment such as the linear logic of the economy we want to transfer into a recyclable one, changing the whole basis of ressources that are fossil up to 87% into renewable, biogenic carbon sources and lastly, the mitigation of toxic substances. 

If we success to do that, we are able to build a new chemical industry to which innovations are essential. That is what we stand for. 

What is greenCHEM?

greenCHEM is a joint project by TU Berlin, Free University and Humboldt-University that is funded by the Federal Ministry of Research and Education. The goal is to create a specific transfer space. This sounds relatively cryptic. To put it simply: We are the innovation ecosystem for green chemistry. We are united by our guiding principle, namely to unfold sustainability impact of green chemistry through optimized transfer. 

What is the vision of greenCHEM and what are the next steps?

The vision of greenCHEM is actually very simple: We aim to be the European innovation ecosystem for green chemistry. So, when some scientist in Europe or somewhere else has a realization, a research result, then there must be the question: Where do I have to go? Where do I get the help to unfold this potential in the fastest and best way possible? This is exactly the place we want to be.

Our next steps depend on what it takes to become this place. These are two central topics in the end: The first topic is the infrastructure. In chemistry, we need the appropriate infrastructure in the form of laboratories and analytics, from basic research to production, and this is exactly what we provide in a unique way in greenCHEM.

From infrastructure for basic research such as the “Center for the Science of Materials Berlin” at Humboldt-University that we are intentionally keeping open, also for technology transfer and startup-teams, to the Chemical Invention Factory at the TU Berlin or Scaleup-Lab where we conduct reactions up to 150 liters at the Free University. 

The whole thing is rounded off in cooperation, for example with Brandenburg, where we will provide space for pre-production for so-called pilot plant scales with the Startup Lab in Schwedt. That is the first factor, the infrastructure, the hardware.

There is also a very essential, soft factor: the ecosystem. And this is exactly what we are creating with greenCHEM by binding partners to us and creating them around us in order to achieve a diverse ecosystem for joint success in the innovations of green chemistry.

How does greenCHEM implement sustainability?

I think, we all accept and understand the “Why”. The “Why do we have to integrate sustainability in our agency?”. Also the “What” is accepted: “What do we have to do to live sustainability?”. But in chemistry, the main question is now: How do we implement it? Exactly to this, the 12 principles of green chemistry respond. They give chemists examples and guidance on how they can reinvent chemistry in order to realize the “why” and the “what” and to design sustainable products and procedures. 

Which players are important for the success of greenCHEM?

Let’s be honest: We are facing an enormous transformation of the chemical industry. Correspondingly, it takes all players to implement successful transfer. That is why we as greenCHEM have identified five target areas where we will become active together with the stakeholder groups behind it. In accordance with the five target areas, we have different offers of how we get into interaction. It ranges from teaching and research to create transfer from the universitary perspective to collaboration with the industry in the fields of innovation and advanced training as well as societal dialogue. All this, you find on our homepage and we would be very pleased if you subscribe to our newsletter.

Can you give us some examples of innovations in green chemistry?

There is a broad variety of examples of innovations that come from green chemistry. We alone have fourty different technology transfer- and startup-teams that are already selling their innovations or on the verge of doing that. When you look at the variety it reflects such of the chemical industry. It ranges from applications for lacquers, underwater boats to heat and energy storage materials in general, packaging materials etc.. In the end, every chemically manufactured product needs innovation and deserves innovation.

greenCHEM is a joint project of FU, HU, TU and Charité. What are the merits of this composite?

Ultimately, there are three central merits of such a compound innovation ecosystem: Firstly, complementarity. I think on the basis of the infrastructure it could be recognized quite well that we as a composite create a whole that provides for necessary infrastructure through all technological development stages. The second huge advantage is the critical mass. In compound, the three universities are able to set the critical mass of students and PhD candidates in chemistry. Lastly, variety which I have learned from natural ecosystems: The variety we cover across the three universities, the inspiring people. Conflating the diversity of these people is certainly challenging, but also accompanied by enormous potentials.

All in all, I can say of course that it is a huge privilege for us to work with such outstanding scientists in chemistry from three universities in Berlin. Where do you get such a diversity? I am definitely very grateful. 

If I want to bring green chemistry into my life, what would you recommend?

This strongly depends on the background you have. I can recommend students for instance to attend to our course offerings. Outstanding is certainly the “Micro Credential Sustainble Entrepreneurship”. If you are a PhD candidate, doctorate or Post-doc, I can recommend several event series where you dive into the innovation ecosystem. This also deems for professors. Just reach out to us if you have research results that could have impact potential. You can find us on our homepage www.greenchem.berlin where we also offer our newsletter so that you are always up-to-date. 

Thank you very much for the interview!