Leibniz Institute for Catalysis

What Leibniz Institute for Catalysis does

Leibniz-Institut für Katalyse e.V. (LIKAT Rostock) is a publicly funded, non-profit applied catalysis research institute organised as a registered association (e.V.) under German law and headquartered at Albert-Einstein-Straße 29a, 18059 Rostock. Tracing its origins to 1952, when its predecessor "Institut für Katalyseforschung" was founded as the first European institute exclusively dedicated to catalysis, LIKAT today operates as a member of the Leibniz-Gemeinschaft and describes itself as one of the largest publicly funded applied catalysis research institutes in Europe. The institute is governed by Scientific Director Prof. Dr. Robert Francke and Commercial Director Dr. Sandra Hinze, and employs 101–250 staff across roughly 30+ active research groups, multiple junior research groups, and supporting service departments.

LIKAT's portfolio spans homogeneous, heterogeneous, electro-, photo-, and polymer catalysis, supported by capital-intensive analytical infrastructure including operando powder XRD (four measurement stations across three diffractometers, coupling with mass spectrometry and Raman spectroscopy up to 1600 °C), NAP-XPS funded via the EFRE 2014–2020 programme, fibre-coupled Raman (Horiba SP550), and high-pressure NMR cells. Its technology base also includes continuous electrochemical process technology (AEM/PEM electrolysis, CO2 reduction in flow reactors), theoretical modelling of photoactive transition-metal complexes using multireference, coupled-cluster, and range-separated DFT methods, and catalytic polymer synthesis/depolymerisation platforms. A 2025 product line addition — the MeGa methanol-to-hydrogen demonstration plant — marks the first demonstrator-scale offering, and 2025 also saw lignin-to-amides and photocatalytic CO2-utilisation process breakthroughs, the latter developed jointly with Evonik and published in JACS.

The institute generates revenue through five streams: (1) institutional Bund/Länder core funding via the Leibniz-Gemeinschaft, (2) EU grants through EFRE, ESF, and ELER programmes, (3) project-based national and industrial research grants (e.g., BMBF projects KATAPLASMA and PROFORMING with Evonik), (4) licensing of an active patent portfolio covering acetoxylation, ammoxidation, halogenated benzonitrile synthesis, cyanopyridine manufacture, vinyl chloride production, and bio-based monomers/epoxy resins, and (5) knowledge and technology transfer services (contract research, pilot-plant scale-up via the Process Development and Transfer group). Engagements are contract- and grant-based, pricing is not publicly disclosed, and the GTM is event-driven via academic publishing, biennial reports, press releases, colloquia, conferences, and the institute website. Customer segments served include the chemical industry (Evonik, Henkel), the energy sector (Power-to-X, hydrogen, e-fuels, Fischer-Tropsch, electrolysis), environmental/climate-protection actors (CO2 utilisation, photocatalysis), life sciences/pharmaceuticals (asymmetric hydrogenation, hydroformylation for fine chemicals), and polymer/materials companies (bio-based monomers, depolymerisation).

Name

Leibniz Institute for Catalysis

Legal name

Leibniz-Institut für Katalyse e.V.

Website

https://catalysis.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1952

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Leibniz-Institut für Katalyse (LIKAT Rostock) is a publicly funded, non-profit Leibniz-Association member institute and one of Europe's largest applied catalysis research centres, providing R&D, contract research, patent licensing, and training to the chemical, energy, polymer, and life-sciences sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Catalysis Research Services

NAICS

Petrochemical Manufacturing (325110), Chemical Manufacturing (325), Petrochemical Manufacturing (32511)

SIC

Industrial Organic Chemicals (2860), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Medicinal Chemicals & Botanical Products (2833)

akta.pro primary industry

Petrochemical & Polymerization Catalysts (IMAEAIAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

C1 & Synthesis Gas Derivatives (Methanol, Formaldehyde, Acetic Acid) (IMAEADAC), Industrial & Process Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAF), Biochemicals & Bio-based Platform Chemicals (cellulose sugars, lignin derivatives, organic acids) (IMAMALAB)

Keywords

• Applied catalysis research
• Heterogeneous catalysis
• Homogeneous catalysis
• Electrocatalysis processes
• Polymer catalysis

Headquarters

HQ city

Rostock

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Public Institutional Funding: Primary funding as a member institute of the Leibniz Association (Leibniz-Gemeinschaft), with combined federal/state (Bund/Länder) institutional financing as one of the largest publicly funded applied catalysis research institutes in Europe.
2. European Regional Development Fund (EFRE) Grants: Project-based grants from the European Union's European Regional Development Fund (ERDF/EFRE), including the 2014–2020 operational programme for scientific equipment (e.g., NAP-XPS, Raman spectrometer).
3. Industrial and Academic Research Grants: Project-based research funding from national programmes (e.g., BMBF) and industrial partners (e.g., Evonik Operations GmbH KATAPLASMA/PROFORMING projects), supporting collaborative research and technology transfer.
4. Intellectual Property Licensing / Patents: Revenue from granted patents covering catalytic processes and materials (e.g., acetoxylation catalysts, halogenated benzonitrile synthesis, cyanopyridine manufacture, vinyl chloride production, bio-based monomers); active patent portfolio held by senior researchers.
5. Knowledge and Technology Transfer Services: Contract research, consulting, and pilot plant/scale-up services via the Process Development and Transfer group and other units, supporting Power-to-X, hydrogen, Fischer-Tropsch, and electrolysis process development.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Leibniz-Institut für Katalyse (LIKAT Rostock) conducts publicly funded applied catalysis research covering homogeneous, heterogeneous, electro-, photo-, and polymer catalysis. Its offerings comprise contract research, analytical services (operando XRD, NAP-XPS, Raman), pilot-plant scale-up via the Process Development and Transfer group, patent licensing of catalytic processes, and doctoral/postdoctoral training, delivered through 30+ thematic and junior research groups to industrial partners and academic collaborators.

Product overview

Leibniz-Institut für Katalyse (LIKAT Rostock) is one of the largest publicly funded applied catalysis research institutes in Europe, founded in 1952. Its offering is a single, integrated research-institute portfolio organised around topic fields, research departments (Forschungsbereiche), thematic groups (Themengruppen), and junior research groups (Nachwuchsgruppen), rather than a commercial software/SaaS product line. The named offerings captured here comprise the institute's Powder X-Ray Diffraction analytical service (Pulver-Röntgendiffraktometrie), several flagship research groups including Process Development and Transfer (Dr. Christoph Wulf), Continuous Electrochemical Processes (Dr. Wen Ju), the Modelling of Metal Complexes junior research group (Dr. habil. Olga Bokareva), the Synthesis and Valorisation of Polymers explorative group (Dr. Nora Jannsen), the SPECTRE Research Training Group, the institute-wide Knowledge and Technology Transfer service, and its Young Researchers training programmes (PhD, postdoc, FJN). Together these analytical services, research groups, transfer function, and training offerings form the unified service portfolio that LIKAT provides to academic and industrial partners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Powder X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) Analytical Service Solid-state analytical service providing qualitative/quantitative phase analysis, microstructure analysis, and in-situ/operando characterisation of catalysts under reaction conditions up to 1600°C, coupled with mass spectrometry and Raman spectroscopy for combined diffraction and vibrational analysis.
• Process Development and Transfer Lab-to-pilot scale-up service covering Power-to-X (methanol and Fischer-Tropsch from CO2), catalyst material preparation, AEM/PEM electrolysis, and reverse-water-gas shift reaction, delivered through contract research with industrial partners.
• Continuous Electrochemical Processes

Quantifiable outcome

• 4 of 5 chemical products already pass through a catalysis cycle during manufacture
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability7 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship institutional partner, core strategic partner, major industrial partner, industrial collaboration partner, regional research partner, cross-disciplinary partner, academic collaboration partner, academic affiliation partner, strategic consortium partner, core training partner and web implementation vendor.

• Leibniz Association (Leibniz-Gemeinschaft)flagship institutional partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerLIKAT is a member institute of the Leibniz-Gemeinschaft, the umbrella organisation of German non-university research institutes. The partnership provides joint scientific and public-affairs alignment, including joint statements (e.g., on democracy and rule of law) and shared participation in Leibniz-Nordost and Leibniz-WissenschaftsCampus Phosphorforschung Rostock.
• University of Rostockcore strategic partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerLIKAT is co-located with the University of Rostock ("an der Universität Rostock"). Joint activities include the "Uni in Leibniz" PhD programme, RTG SPECTRE graduate school, joint professorship appointments (e.g., Eszter Baráth), student training, and shared lectures such as "Uni im Rathaus".
• Evonik Operations GmbHmajor industrial partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerBMBF-funded collaborative projects KATAPLASMA (01/2016 – 06/2019) and PROFORMING (06/2012 – 12/2015), with LIKAT providing in-situ IR/NMR spectroscopy for kinetic and mechanistic study of carbonylation reactions (Dr. Christoph Kubis). A 2025 press release also highlights a collaboration with the Jackstell group on CO2 utilisation.
• Henkel (KGaA)industrial collaboration partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerEU-project collaboration referenced in Dr. Sergey Tin CV on catalytic polymerisation of renewable cyclic ethers (2017 post-doc period). Henkel is also a co-assignee on multiple bio-based epoxy / cationic epoxy composition patents (EP 20207701, EP 20207707) with Tin and others.
• Leibniz-WissenschaftsCampus Phosphorforschung Rostockregional research partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerLIKAT participates in the Leibniz ScienceCampus on Phosphorus Research Rostock, a regional cross-institution collaboration for phosphorus-related research.
• PePPP Forschungsprojekt (Protein Misfolding, ER-Stress and Protein Degradation)cross-disciplinary partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed on the LIKAT homepage as a partner project linking catalysis research with biomedical research on protein misfolding at Universitätsmedizin Greifswald.
• University of Oxford (Prof. Charlotte Williams group)academic collaboration partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Nora Jannsen undertook a postdoctoral stay at the University of Oxford in Prof. Charlotte Williams' group (2023–2025) on heterodinuclear complexes for anhydride/epoxide and CO2/epoxide ring-opening polymerisation, supporting the explorative polymer group launched at LIKAT in 2025.
• University of Vienna (Institute of Theoretical Chemistry)academic collaboration partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch stay of Dr. habil. Olga Bokareva in 11/2023 at the Institute of Theoretical Chemistry, University of Vienna, on excited-state dynamical simulations of metal-organic complexes.
• Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jenaacademic affiliation partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerHabilitation host for senior researcher PD Dr. habil. Andreas Martin (2004–2005) in Technical Chemistry under Prof. B. Ondruschka; longstanding academic affiliation for LIKAT researchers.
• Technical University of Berlin (Prof. Peter Strasser group)academic collaboration partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerPhD (2015–2019) and postdoctoral work (2019–2024) of Dr. Wen Ju in Prof. Peter Strasser's group, preceding his LIKAT group-leader appointment. Joint publications on CO2 electroreduction, Ni–N–C catalysts, and bipolar membrane electrolyzers.
• NFDI4Cat Consortium (National Research Data Infrastructure for Catalysis)strategic consortium partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerDigital data-management consortium for catalysis research; LIKAT researchers (incl. Dr. Christoph Wulf) co-author the consortium's foundational paper and 2025 press release announces extension of NFDI4Cat funding.
• SPECTRE Research Training Group (RTG)core training partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerDFG-funded Research Training Group "SPECTRE" co-hosted by LIKAT and University of Rostock; Dr. habil. Olga Bokareva holds a junior group-leader position within SPECTRE (08/2024–present). Press release "SPECTRE goes to Hollywood" (Dec 2025) highlights collaborative output.
• University of St Andrews (Prof. Matthew L. Clarke)academic collaboration partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerPhD (2012–2016) of Dr. Sergey Tin under Prof. Matthew L. Clarke on enantioselective hydrogenation; collaboration continues on enantioselective amination chemistry.
• Qbus Internetagentur GmbHweb implementation vendorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCreator of the LIKAT website (catalysis.de), as disclosed in the Impressum. Vendor providing web design and implementation services.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Clariant AG: Swiss specialty chemicals company with a major catalyst business (later merged into Element Solutions). Operates applied catalysis R&D comparable in industrial focus to LIKAT's Process Development and Transfer work.
• Evonik Industries AG: Major German specialty chemicals company and existing LIKAT industrial partner on KATAPLASMA and PROFORMING projects. Operates large-scale industrial catalysis R&D and is a logical downstream commercialisation counterpart for LIKAT IP.
• Johnson Matthey: UK-listed global leader in catalyst technologies for chemicals, hydrogen, and clean energy. Comparable on heterogeneous catalysis, hydrogen, and CO2 utilisation research areas where LIKAT has active programs.
• Haldor Topsoe: Danish catalyst and process technology company specialising in heterogeneous catalysis, hydroprocessing, and Power-to-X. Comparable to LIKAT on industrial catalysis for fuels, hydrogen, and ammonia.
• BASF SE: World's largest chemical company with one of the largest industrial catalysis R&D organisations. Overlaps with LIKAT on heterogeneous catalysis, process development, and scale-up; a logical potential large industrial partner/peer.

Direct peers

• Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion (MPI CEC): Publicly funded German research institute in Mülheim focused on chemical energy conversion and catalysis. Directly comparable to LIKAT in mission, structure (multiple research groups, large analytical infrastructure), and funding model (Max Planck Society).
• Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) - Institute of Catalysis Research and Technology (IKFT): Large German applied-research university with a dedicated catalysis institute covering homogeneous, heterogeneous, and electrocatalysis plus process scale-up. Comparable breadth of catalysis domains and pilot-plant capability.
• Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society: Berlin-based Max Planck institute dedicated to surface science and catalysis. Overlaps with LIKAT on heterogeneous catalysis, operando spectroscopy, and surface chemistry under similar publicly funded conditions.
• Catalysis Research Center (CRC) at TU München: University-based catalysis research centre combining molecular, electrochemical, and heterogeneous catalysis. Comparable to LIKAT in scope (homogeneous, heterogeneous, electrocatalysis) and in training PhD researchers across catalysis subfields.

Others

• DECHEMA (Society for Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology): German non-profit organisation coordinating applied chemistry, biotechnology, and catalysis research across universities, institutes, and industry. Provides the German catalysis research community network in which LIKAT operates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/leibniz-institute-for-catalysis

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Leibniz Institute for Catalysis