Clariant, a global specialty chemical company focused on sustainability, marked a dual milestone at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) with the 10th anniversary celebration of both the TUM Catalysis Research Center (CRC) and the Dr. Karl Wamsler Innovation Award for Catalysis Research. The ceremony recognized two distinguished scientists whose pioneering work is revolutionizing catalysis and sustainable chemistry applications across industries including plastics manufacturing.
The anniversary event highlighted Clariant’s decade-long commitment to advancing catalysis research through strategic academic partnerships. Since 2017, the company has invested €50,000 annually to sponsor the prestigious award, supporting fundamental and applied research that drives innovation in chemical processes critical to sustainable plastics production and specialty materials development.
Clariant recognizes professor
Professor Tao Zhang, vice president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and researcher at the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, received the 2025 Dr. Karl Wamsler Innovation Award for his pioneering research on single-atom catalysis. Zhang introduced this transformative concept in 2011, fundamentally changing how catalytic processes are understood and applied. His contributions earned him the Clarivate Citation Laureate distinction in 2025, recognizing research of Nobel Prize caliber.
“Reaching the 10th anniversary of both the TUM Catalysis Research Center and the Dr. Karl Wamsler Innovation Award is a truly proud moment for everyone at Clariant,” said Clariant CEO Conrad Keijzer. “This partnership is far more than a sponsorship — for us, the collaboration with TUM and the Catalysis Research Center forms the basis for numerous innovations and for attracting exceptional young talents.”
A lasting legacy in catalysis science
The 2026 award honored Professor Frances H. Arnold of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), the 2018 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry. Arnold received recognition for her groundbreaking contributions to biocatalysis, having pioneered directed evolution of enzymes — an approach enabling protein engineering with entirely new, highly efficient functions applicable to sustainable chemical manufacturing.
Honoring Dr. Karl Wamsler
The Dr. Karl Wamsler Innovation Award commemorates Dr. Karl Wamsler, a prominent figure in post-war German chemistry and former CEO of Süd-Chemie. TUM recognized Wamsler with an Honorary Senator title in 2015 for his lifelong conviction that knowledge has the power to change the world.
The Clariant Foundation recently extended its partnership with TUM for three additional years, continuing a collaboration dating back to 2010 through the MuniCat initiative.