Prof. Dr. Christoph Brabec
Person
Prof. Dr Christoph J. Brabec studied theoretical physics at the University of Linz, where he was awarded his doctorate in 1995. Following positions at the University of California, USA, and the University of Linz, Brabec became a senior research scientist at Siemens Technology in Erlangen. Since 2009, Brabec has held the Chair of Materials Science (Materials for Electronics and Energy Technology) at FAU; since 2018, he has been Director of the Helmholtz Institute Erlangen-Nuremberg (HI ERN); and since 2024, he has been Chair of the Scientific Steering Committee of EnCN. Christoph Brabec is one of the most frequently cited materials researchers worldwide.
1992: Studied physics at Johannes Kepler University in Linz
1995: PhD from Johannes Kepler University in Linz on the topic ‘Rheological characterisation of polymer blends’
1996: Research fellowship at the Institute for Polymers & Organic Solids at the University of California, Santa Barbara
1995–1998: Appointed Assistant Professor at Johannes Kepler University, Linz
1998–2001: Project leader of a CD laboratory for organic solar cells in Linz
2001–2004: Principal scientist and project leader at Siemens Corporate Technology in Erlangen
2003: Habilitation at Johannes Kepler University in Linz
2004–2009: Various senior management roles at Konarka Technologies in the USA, Austria and Germany
2009: Appointed as W3 Professor at the Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nuremberg at the Institute of Materials for Electronics and Energy Technology (I.MEET)
2009:Appointed Scientific Director of ZAE Bayern in Erlangen
Appointed to the Executive Board of ZAE Bayern
2010: Member of the Executive Board of Energie Campus Nürnberg e.V.
2013: Spokesperson at the Interdisciplinary Centre for Nanostructured Films (IZNF)
2015–2017: Head of the Department of Materials Science at Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg
from 2018: Director of the Institute of Energy and Climate Research – Helmholtz Institute Erlangen-Nuremberg for Renewable Energies
- Materials Genome: Automated invention, synthesis and characterisation of functional materials
- Pioneering photovoltaic technologies: materials, solar cells, interfaces and fabrication
- Accelerating research: design, implementation and operation of machine learning-supported autonomous research laboratories
- Production Development: 2D and 3D printing processes for the manufacture of novel semiconductor architectures
- Sustainability: Closed-loop workflows and C2C concepts for advanced semiconductor technologies
- Reliability of PV systems: Imaging-based monitoring of GW-scale fields and prediction of energy yields
- “Inventor of the Year” with the most patents in the field of organic photovoltaics (2005)
- Listed among the ten most-cited scientists in the field of organic electronics / solar cells (2007)
- Member of the advisory board of the journal “Progress in Photovoltaics”, published via the Wiley VCH online library (2010)
- Editor-in-Chief and founding member of the journal “Advanced Energy Materials”, published via the Wiley VCH online library (2009)
- Member of the advisory board and founding member of the journal “Photonics for Energy”, published via the SPIE online library (2010)
- Ranked 12th among the 100 best materials researchers of the past decade (awarded by Thomson Reuters) (2011)
- Member of the editorial board for the journal “Emerging Materials Science” (2011)
- 95 patents