Collaborative Research Center 1333 | University of Stuttgart

What Collaborative Research Center 1333 | University of Stuttgart does

Collaborative Research Center 1333 (CRC 1333 / SFB 1333) is a publicly funded academic research center established in 2018 at the University of Stuttgart under the German Research Foundation (DFG) Collaborative Research Center (Sonderforschungsbereich) program. Its central research thesis is that mesoporous supports (2–20 nm pores) with defined size, shape, and polarity can replicate the specificity-enhancing 3D confinement effects of enzymatic biocatalysts, thereby bridging homogeneous and heterogeneous molecular catalysis. The research program is organized into three thematic areas: Area A (Materials, covering COFs, mesoporous metallosilicates, and chiral MOFs), Area B (Catalysis, covering CO2 hydrogenation to methanol, ethylene oligomerization, formic acid dehydrogenation, and multi-site oxidation), and Area C (Analysis, Theory and Simulation, including EPR, MD/DFT simulations, ML potentials, and X-ray spectroscopy). Supporting infrastructure includes the FAIR-compliant DaRUS data repository (60+ DOI-bearing datasets), the MAICoS open-source software toolkit, electronic lab notebooks, and the Integrated Research Training Group (IRTG) for graduate training.

The consortium spans eight German institutions: the University of Stuttgart (coordinating), Max Planck Gesellschaft, University of Paderborn, Philipps University Marburg, Ruhr University Bochum, University of Freiburg, University of Ulm, and TUHH Hamburg University of Technology. CRC 1333 is directed by Speaker Prof. Dr. Michael R. Buchmeiser and Deputy Speaker Prof. Bettina Lotsch (MPI-FKF director), with a Management Office headed by Dr. Elisabeth Rüthlein and a Graduate School led by Patrick Becker.

CRC 1333 operates as a non-commercial academic research entity under the University of Stuttgart, which is a public-law corporation (Körperschaft des öffentlichen Rechts). It has no commercial pricing or revenue mechanics; funding flows from the DFG through periodic multi-year grants (currently entering its third period in 2026). The downstream beneficiaries — academic researchers, doctoral students, industry partners, and the general public — are served via open-access publications, colloquia, summer schools, mentoring programs, and public outreach. Cumulative output includes 100+ peer-reviewed publications (majority open access, ~40% cross-disciplinary joint articles), special issues in ACS Catalysis, Angewandte Chemie, and JACS, and a structured FAIR data infrastructure.

Name

Collaborative Research Center 1333 | University of Stuttgart

Legal name

University of Stuttgart (Coordinating Institution)

Website

https://crc1333.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

DFG-funded Collaborative Research Center 1333 at the University of Stuttgart (est. 2018) conducts fundamental interdisciplinary research on molecular heterogeneous catalysis in confined mesoporous geometries, coordinating eight German partner universities and research institutes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CRC 1333 is a DFG-funded collaborative research center conducting fundamental research on molecular heterogeneous catalysis in confined geometries, systematically developing heterogenized molecular catalyst systems that exploit confinement effects in mesopores (2-20nm) to improve reactivity and selectivity. Its deliverables include peer-reviewed publications, open-access datasets, software tools (MAICoS), synthesized materials, and structured doctoral training through the Integrated Research Training Group (IRTG).

Product overview

CRC 1333 is a collaborative research center at the University of Stuttgart focused on Molecular Heterogeneous Catalysis in Confined Geometries. The research program is organized into three thematic areas: Area A (Materials) covering COFs, mesoporous materials, and metal-organic frameworks; Area B (Catalysis) investigating reactions under confinement including CO2 conversion and ethylene oligomerization; and Area C (Analysis, Theory and Simulation) developing analytical and computational methods. Supporting infrastructure includes the DA-RUS data repository for FAIR data management, the MAICoS software toolkit for molecular analysis, and the IRTG graduate training program offering seminars and summer schools. The center publishes research findings and maintains open access to datasets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• DaRUS Data Repository FAIR-compliant open-access data repository for storing and sharing research datasets with DOIs, serving researchers who need to publish and archive catalysis research data in accordance with F.A.I.R. data principles.
• MAICoS Toolkit Software toolkit for the molecular analysis of interfacial and confined systems, used by researchers studying soft matter structure and dynamics in mesopores.
• Integrated Research Training Group (IRTG) Program Structured doctoral training program including graduate seminars, summer schools, and milestone presentations, providing credit-bearing participation for doctoral and postdoctoral researchers in catalysis.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 100 peer-reviewed publications since 2018, with nearly 40% joint articles across disciplines
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Max Planck GesellschaftcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution contributing research expertise. Deputy spokesperson Prof. Bettina Lotsch is director at MPI-FKF. Athena FKF mentoring program co-initiated with MPI-FKF.
• University of PaderborncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipating German university contributing to CRC 1333 research consortium with Prof. Dr. Matthias Bauer from Institute of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry.
• Philipps Universität MarburgcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipating German university contributing to the interdisciplinary research consortium of CRC 1333.
• Ruhr Universität BochumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipating German university contributing researchers including Prof. Dr. Kristina Tschulik's group for electrocatalysis projects.
• Universität FreiburgcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipating German university contributing to CRC 1333 research consortium.
• Universität UlmcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner university contributing to CRC 1333, including Krause Group for photoactive metal-organic frameworks research.
• TUHH Hamburg University of TechnologycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipating German technical university contributing engineering and technology expertise to the research consortium.
• Athena FKF Group (MPI-FKF)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCRC 1333 joined the Athena Group of MPI-FKF in 2019, co-initiating a subject-specific mentoring program for female early career researchers in chemistry, materials sciences, and physics. Includes networking activities with IQST.
• QuintesentiominorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerDr. Sabine Horst from coaching agency Quintesentio delivers leadership seminars for female scientists in CRC 1333 and Athena FKF group.
• Recalibration GmbHminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSilvia Balaban, head of Recalibration GmbH, provides mental health workshops for doctoral students to help with stress, doubts, and anxiety related to PhD studies.
• OXEAminorOthersDr. Benjamin Schieweck from OXEA was scheduled to present at CRC 1333 Colloquium Series (event was cancelled).
• Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research (MPIP)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProf. Dr. Tanja Weil, Director of MPIP, delivered colloquium on 'Programming Functional Matter Across Scales' and career talk. Research bridges materials science and cell biology.
• CataLysis NetworkmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative network co-editing special issue 'Contemporary Challenges in Catalysis' with partners from the CataLysis network. Joint online colloquium series organized.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Evonik Industries AG: German specialty chemicals company with major catalysis research programs including CO2 utilization. Comparable to CRC 1333 as both work on industrial catalysis applications with sustainability focus, though Evonik operates at commercial scale.
• Clariant AG: Swiss specialty chemicals company with significant catalysis business for industrial processes. Comparable to CRC 1333 as both work on applied heterogeneous catalysis with sustainability focus, though Clariant operates at commercial scale.
• BASF SE: World's largest chemical company with significant industrial catalysis R&D. Comparable to CRC 1333 as both work on heterogeneous catalysis and sustainable chemistry, though BASF operates at industrial scale with commercial product focus.

Direct peers

• CAT Catalysis Center at TU Munich: Interdisciplinary catalysis research center at TU Munich. Directly comparable to CRC 1333 as both pursue university-based multidisciplinary catalysis research bridging materials, reaction engineering, and theory.
• Leibniz Institute for Catalysis (LIKAT): Europe's largest research institute dedicated to catalysis, covering homogeneous, heterogeneous, and bio-catalysis. Comparable to CRC 1333 as both work on applied and fundamental catalysis research with industry partnerships.
• Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion: German research institute focused on catalysis for energy conversion processes including CO2 hydrogenation and water splitting. Directly comparable to CRC 1333 as both pursue molecular-level catalysis research with an emphasis on sustainable chemistry.
• Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society: Leading German research institute focused on molecular catalysis and surface chemistry. Directly comparable to CRC 1333 as both conduct fundamental molecular catalysis research with strong emphasis on understanding catalytic mechanisms at the molecular level.
• ETH Zurich Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences: Top European university chemistry department conducting leading molecular catalysis research. Comparable to CRC 1333 as both work on molecular catalysis with strong publication output and integration of theory and experiment.

Regional players

• Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia (ICIQ): Leading Spanish research center focused on catalysis and sustainable chemistry. Comparable to CRC 1333 as both conduct cutting-edge molecular catalysis research bridging catalyst design and catalytic applications, though ICIQ is concentrated in a single institution.

Emerging players

• hte GmbH: German company providing high-throughput catalysis testing and research services for the chemical industry. Comparable to CRC 1333 as both focus on catalysis research, though hte operates commercially with industry customers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/crc1333

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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