Thinking Works
Research at the InnovationLab
Effective innovation arises where different perspectives, skills, and experiences come together. The InnovationLab is exactly that kind of place: Here, close collaboration between research institutions, companies, investors, and technology partners makes it possible to pool knowledge, develop ideas more quickly, and put promising approaches into practice.
Early-stage research
... in the fields of life sciences, clean tech, and advanced manufacturing
Innovation begins with early-stage research—in the life sciences, clean tech, and advanced manufacturing. This is where new scientific discoveries, technologies, and solutions emerge, laying the foundation for medical progress, sustainable transformation, and the industry of the future.
We are convinced that the greatest breakthroughs occur at the intersection of science, technology, and industry. After all, innovation realizes its full potential through collaboration.
At the InnovationLab, collaboration is more than just an organizational principle—it is part of our culture. Here, 13 research teams and researchers from the University of Heidelberg, the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), and the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) work together in a unique research environment that specifically promotes exchange across disciplines and institutions.
This physical proximity creates significant added value: ideas can be discussed immediately, expertise can be quickly tapped into, and joint research approaches can be further developed without bureaucratic hurdles. Communication lines are short, dialogue is direct, and spontaneous conversations often spark new ideas for groundbreaking innovations.
In our Shared Labs, during informal encounters in the building, or in daily exchanges between teams, collaboration is a natural part of our culture. Different perspectives come together, knowledge is shared, and expertise is strategically pooled—openly, straightforwardly, and on equal footing.
This fosters a research atmosphere in which excellent science takes place not alongside one another, but together. An environment that promotes creative ideas, creates synergies, and paves the way for tomorrow’s innovations.
Research Groups
Currently, 11 groups from three different universities of excellence (the University of Heidelberg, the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, and the University of Freiburg), representing a total of 5 different institutes (with varying research focuses), are based at the iL:
Heidelberg University
Heidelberg University is currently represented at iL by five research groups from two different institutes. Four groups
Institute for Molecular Systems Engineering and Advanced Materials (IMSEAM)
IMSEAM is home to approximately 120 employees in five research groups (Blasco, Fischer, Heinzelmann, Kemerink, Selhuber-Unkel) and one early-career research group (Gerlt, Melde), as well as several researchers from affiliated groups.
Research at IMSEAM focuses on the design and synthesis of new polymer-based functional materials with applications in 3D/4D printing, responsive and 3D-structured materials, and bio-inspired systems, soft robotics, the interaction of acoustic, optical, electrical, and magnetic fields with matter at the micro- and nanometer scales, and 3D fabrication methods through self-organization and holographic techniques. IMSEAM’s research also includes the innovative fabrication of organic solar cells, molecular ferro- and piezoelectronics, and organic thermoelectronics—including the underlying electronic processes—ranging from experimental work to numerical simulations. Detailed information on the research topics can be found on the groups’ websites.
Precision Organoid Engineering for Multi-Organ Interaction Studies (POEM)
Human stem cell-derived 3D in vitro model systems have established themselves as powerful tools in biology and medicine, enabling the study of development, physiology, and disease in experimentally accessible environments. Recent advances in organoid culture, microphysiological systems, and organ-on-a-chip technologies have significantly increased the complexity and applicability of these models across disciplines.
The Organoid Engineering Lab at Heidelberg University contributes to the Precision Organoid Engineering for Multi-Organ Interaction Studies (POEM) network and is dedicated to developing the next generation of 3D in vitro model systems and integrating them into collaborative research projects.
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)
With a total of 6 working groups from three different institutes (and 28??? people), KIT is participating in the InnovationLab
Lighting Technology Institute (LTI)
The Institute of Lighting Technology (LTI) at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) is one of the leading research institutes in the field of photonics and lighting technology. Its focus is on the generation, control, and utilization of light for applications in energy, communications, mobility, medical technology, and industry. The LTI combines basic research with application-oriented development and works closely with industry partners.
Research at the LTI is organized into several key areas of work and research:
Optoelectronics (e.g., organic light-emitting diodes, nanophotonics, optical sensors)
Printed Optoelectronics (printed electronics, functional inks, and sustainable manufacturing processes)
Lighting Technology (lighting systems, the effects of light on humans, photometry, and automotive lighting)
Lighting, Electronic Ballast, and Plasma Technologies (UV technologies, power electronics, plasma processes, and environmental technologies)
Organic and Perovskite Photovoltaics as well as Next-Generation Photovoltaics (development of efficient solar cells and scalable manufacturing processes)
Testing Center for Vehicle Lighting Systems, which develops and validates scientific testing and measurement methods for the automotive industry.
Research Highlights
A complete list of publications can be found on the Google Scholar profiles of the group leaders:
Prof. Dr. Gerardo Hernández-Sosa, Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Ulrich W. Peatzold and Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Uli Lemmer.
Our History
The Scientific Advisory Board of the Rhine-Neckar Metropolitan Region was established in May 2007 at the initiative of Prof. Dr. Claus E. Heinrich, a former member of the SAP Executive Board and former Chairman of the Board of the Association for the Future of the Rhine-Neckar Metropolitan Region (ZMRN e.V.).
The goal of this high-level committee was to advance collaboration between academia and industry in the region and to promote joint research activities. To achieve these goals, the Science Council actively supported the founding of InnovationLab GmbH and the successful application of the Forum Organic Electronics cluster in the Federal Ministry of Education and Research’s Leading-Edge Clusters competition, thereby creating added value for the Rhine-Neckar metropolitan region and its surroundings.
From the very beginning, InnovationLab has been able to build on initiatives that in the past were primarily carried out as individual projects or bilateral collaborations
successfully connect leading regional companies, universities, and research institutions.
With the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)'s Leading-Edge Cluster Initiative serving as a catalyst, the loosely connected participants from the academic and business communities were successfully brought together.
In line with the co-innovation model, the partners’ expertise is pooled across disciplines. Joint research projects create significant synergies that enable the faster development of market-ready products and applications.
While its focus was initially on the development of organic electronics, InnovationLab now concentrates primarily on cutting-edge research in the fields of life sciences, clean tech, and advanced manufacturing.
Group Leaders
Staff
Ali Tunc, Dr.
Postdoctoral Researcher
Christian Rainer, M. Sc.
PhD Student
Kai Xia, M. Sc.
PhD Student
Peter Krebsbach, B. Sc.
PhD Student
Srikanth Doddapaneni, M. Sc.
PhD Student
Ozan Karakaya, M. Sc.
PhD Student
Theresa Küchle, M. Sc.
PhD Student
Uma Dangudubiyyam, M. Sc.
PhD Student
Former Staff
Upon successful completion, former doctoral candidates and postdocs have pursued diverse career paths in academia and industry:
Former Doctoral Candidates
13+
- Manuel Pietsch, Dr.-Ing.
- Nils Jürgensen, Dr.-Ing. (LQ Mechatronik‒Systeme GmbH)
- Serpil Tekoglu, Dr.-Ing. (Johannes Kepler University)
- Mervin Seiberlich, Dr.-Ing. (Carl Zeiss AG)
- Luis Ruiz Preciado, Dr.-Ing.
Former Postdocs
5+
- Sanghoon Baek, Dr. (Samsung Electronics)
- Aleksandr Perevedentsev, Dr. (ICMAB‒CSIC)
- Frida Lindberg, Dr. (Saab AB)
- Martin Held, Dr. (Helmholtz‒Center Geesthacht)
- Anthony Morfa, Dr. (The University of Sydney)
Gallery
Funding
This research is funded by:
