NRW Environment Minister Oliver Krischer visits Helmholtz Institute Münster and MEET Battery Research Center
How can we successfully transition to a sustainable energy future, and what career opportunities does battery research offer in this context? NRW Environment Minister Oliver Krischer sought answers to these questions during his visit to Helmholtz Institute Münster and MEET Battery Research Center as part of his 2025 summer tour.
31 July 2025 – On 31 July 2025, MEET Battery Research Center at the University of Münster and Helmholtz Institute Münster (HI MS) at Forschungszentrum Jülich welcomed Oliver Krischer, Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Transport of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, as part of his summer tour this year. The visit was themed “Job prospects in the environmental economy” and highlighted the central role of battery research for a sustainable and climate-friendly future. The focus was on promoting talent in the energy and environmental economy. Within these economic sectors, which have been growing in North Rhine-Westphalia for years now, forward-thinking minds are finding answers to climate change, biodiversity loss and scarce resources.
Different Career Paths Lead to Battery Research
Minister Krischer used his visit to discuss current research priorities, innovation potential in battery recycling, a possible battery deposit system, and career paths in battery research. The diverse career paths of the employees at MEET and Helmholtz Institute Münster were of particular interest. During the meeting, Krischer spoke with three colleagues from the institutes.
Sascha Berg from Helmholtz Institute Münster, for example, began his career with an apprenticeship as an electronics technician for automation technology in industry before his curiosity led him to study electrical engineering at RWTH Aachen University. Today, he is pursuing a doctorate on the topics of “Optimisation of the performance and service life of lithium-ion pouch cells through targeted mechanical pressure application” and “Reaction mechanisms and mechanical properties of the interphase between liquid electrolyte and lithium metal”. Berg reports: “I first came into contact with the Helmholtz Institute Münster in 2023. It was only after three years of engineering-focused research in an RWTH project that I switched to use-inspired basic research with lithium metal and moved to HI MS in Aachen.”
Yvonne Höppener and Dr Dominik Voigt also found their way into the world of batteries after completing their apprenticeship. Both started their careers as chemical laboratory assistants at the North Rhine-Westphalia Chamber of Agriculture. Höppener later studied industrial engineering, while Voigt studied chemical engineering at FH Münster. Both remained loyal to chemistry: Since completing her master's degree, Höppener has been working as an industrial engineer in the areas of cell production, quality assurance and logistics at MEET. After completing his master's degree in physical chemistry at the University of Münster, Voigt earned his doctorate with a thesis on “Electrostatic self-assembly of nanocomposites for photo- and electrocatalytic materials”. Today, he is deputy head of the “Materials” division at MEET.
A tour of the laboratory rounded off Minister Oliver Krischer's visit. It offered the minister exclusive insights into the cutting-edge research infrastructure of the institutes.
Skilled Workers Desperately Needed
During the dialogue between colleagues and Minister Krischer, it became clear that skilled workers are urgently needed in battery research and development in order to keep pace with the significant growth along the entire value chain in Germany and Europe. Nevertheless, the visitor was able to see by himself that a comprehensive education and research infrastructure has been created in the “Battery City Münster” with MEET Battery Research Center at the University of Münster, Helmholtz Institute Münster of Forschungszentrum Jülich, the International Graduate School BACCARA and the Fraunhofer Research Institution for Battery Cell Production FFB.