Claudius Hoberg (right) shows Minister Ina Brandes and Rector Martin Paul an experimental setup.
This group photo shows (from left) Dr. Daniel Witthaut (Evonik), Professor Viktoria Däschlein-Gessner, Professor Martin Paul, Ina Brandes, Professor Martina Hevanith, Professor Jörg Behler, Professor Lars Schäfer, and Dr. Claudius Hoberg.
RESOLV
New Formats for Research and Transfer
The North Rhine-Westphalian Science Minister Ina Brandes gained insights into current research topics and upcoming projects at RESOLV.
At the invitation of RESOLV spokesperson Martina Havenith, the North Rhine-Westphalian Minister of Culture and Science Ina Brandes visited the RESOLV Cluster of Excellence in Bochum and spoke with scientists about their work in solvation research. RESOLV stands for “Ruhr Explores Solvation” and addresses aspects ranging from the role of solvents in chemical and biological processes to their implementation in industrial applications and products.
Ina Brandes says: “With the Cluster of Excellence RESOLV, much more has been created than a scientific institution. Structures have been established that reach far beyond research. As a central building block of the joint application of Ruhr University Bochum and TU Dortmund University to become a Consortium of Excellence, RESOLV is an outstanding example of successful collaborations.”
“RESOLV is a role model for innovative structures, a great example of what we can achieve through scientific excellence, internationalization, collaborations, and promoting young researchers,“ says Professor Martin Paul, Rector of Ruhr University. “In times when the world is rapidly changing due to technological advances and political upheavals, we as universities are more than ever called upon to create space for new ideas in research, to assume social responsibility, and to support shaping this transformation.”
Focus on transfer
In 2025, the joint Cluster of Excellence RESOLV of Ruhr University Bochum and TU Dortmund University, founded in 2012, has been awarded the Excellence Initiative funding from the German Federal Government and the state of North Rhine-Westphalia for the third time (2026 to 2032). RESOLV develops innovative techniques to understand solvation in detail at the molecular level. A further focus will now be on the transfer of research results, through the development of advanced, environmentally friendly, and smart applications. RESOLV aims at contributing to address the pressing challenges society is facing through cutting-edge research.
New formats will be created in the upcoming funding period: In cooperation with Evonik, an AI-assisted high-throughput laboratory for analytics and synthesis will be established. Furthermore, a transfer center for innovation and sustainable chemistry is being planned in Herne.
When we started in 2012, we were pioneers in a completely new area of research.
“When we started in 2012, we were pioneers in a completely new area of research – and have since then grown RESOLV into an internationally leading center for solvation research,” says Professor Martina Havenith. “Our modern research facilities, the international composition of our team, and our program for promoting young researchers make the Ruhr region and North Rhine-Westphalia attractive to scientists from all over the world.”
Last month, another RESOLV research building, CALEDO, the “Center for Advanced Liquid-Phase Engineering Dortmund”, was opened at TU Dortmund University, providing space for around 100 scientists.
A further joint step by Ruhr University Bochum and TU Dortmund University to strengthen the region as a center for science is their joint application for funding as a Consortium of Excellence called Ruhr Innovation Lab.
