31 October 2025
The Helmholtz Association has a new President: Martin Keller, an experienced science manager, will take over as head of Germany's largest research organisation on 1 November 2025. He succeeds Otmar D. Wiestler, who is stepping down after having served two full terms.
Keller is no stranger to Jülich: He has been a member of the Scientific Advisory Council since January 2019 and was elected Chairman in 2023. He held this office until 30 September 2025.
After around three decades in the USA, Martin Keller is now returning to Germany. Most recently, he directed the renowned National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, Colorado – one of the world's leading research centres for renewable energies.
“I very much look forward to working with our partners in politics, science, and industry to tackle the pressing questions of our time in a solution-oriented manner. Helmholtz is where the action is,” said Keller in his inaugural speech in Berlin.
With his international experience and focus on sustainability and innovation, Martin Keller will also shape research at Jülich in the future.
