A Chemical Engineer and a Chemist are working on samples in a lab with the help of Poweder X-Ray Diffraction.
In an open and stimulating working environment we promote accomplished junior scientists, who complete formative years of their careers as students, Ph.D. students, postdocs or research group heads, as e.g. in our International Max Planck Research School.
Researchers in the Lab of the Electrochemical Energy Conversion Group at MPI Magdeburgs
Team members from many nations are working in an interdisciplinary research environment: chemical engineers, biologists, physicists, material scientists, mathematicians, control and computer engineers are cooperating closely.
A chemical engineer and a process engineer are working crystallization processes in the pilot scale lab hall at MPI Magdeburg.
Our Max Planck Institute, located in Magdeburg, is dedicated to all aspects of process systems engineering, chemical, biochemical and energy systems, that are vital to the future of well-being of human society globally. It is our aim to optimize these increasingly complex processes in modern production systems.
A mathematician is analyzing and optimizing chemical reactor models at her computer at MPI Magdeburg.
A specific strength of our MPI is the combination of systems-theoretical approaches with experimental validation carried out under one roof. We further develop mathematical, computational and control theoretic methods along with the various process applications investigated here.

News

The new research group Phase Transition Engineering, led by Dr. Leif-Thore Deck, started work at the Max Planck Institute in Magdeburg. The group combines experiments in tiny droplets with computer models to better understand and more precisely control the manufacturing processes of medicines.
After completing her degree, Luisa Peterson had actually intended to leave Magdeburg. She returned to pursue her Ph.D. studies at the Max Planck Institute in Magdeburg. Now she and her research team have been honoured for a new technology for storing renewable energy.
A contribution in GUERICKE - uni:magazin of the Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg
Science is coming home: Alexander Klimek, scientist at the Max Planck Institute in Magdeburg, gave a presentation to a local audience outlining future production methods for sustainable aviation fuels on September 3, 2026.
The research group Analysis and Redesign of Biological Networks is partner in the EU project CarboNcare, which aims to develop new microbial fermentation processes converting renewable methanol into valuable chemicals for medical, cosmetic and food products. The task of our researchers is to use computational biology and metabolic modeling to help design microbial cell factories.

Upcoming

Signals from Sweat, Skin and Movement, Talk given by Prof. Sohini Kar-Narayan, SILBERSALZ Festival

Nov 1, 2026 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM (Local Time Germany)
Stadthaus Halle, Festsaal, Marktplatz 2, 06108 Halle

Nationwide Career Day: Der Zukunftstag - Girls' und Boys' Day

Apr 22, 2027 09:00 AM - 03:00 PM (Local Time Germany)
Max-Planck-Institut Magdeburg

Science Night in Magdeburg 2027

Jun 5, 2027 06:00 PM - 11:59 PM (Local Time Germany)
Max Planck Institute Magdeburg
October 2026
Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
8
New Date!! MPI Colloquia Series | Prof. Olga Fink, EPFL

Oct 8, 2026 from 02:00 PM to 03:00 PM (Local Time Germany)

New Date!! MPI Kolloquiumsreihe | Prof. Olga Fink, EPFL

Oct 8, 2026 from 02:00 PM to 03:00 PM (Local Time Germany)

Materials scientist Sohini Kar-Narayan, director at the MPI Magdeburg, is going to talk about Soft Technologies for the Medicine of Tomorrow: From Wearable Sensors to Surgical Robotics at the SILBERSALZ Festival in Halle/Saale.
We invite you to attend our public colloquia series at the Max Planck Institute Magdeburg.
High-ranking scientists from renowned research institutions in Germany and around the world present the state-of-the-art of their current research projects.
Magdeburg is a major hub for science and research. Its universities and research institutions conduct research, provide education, and generate knowledge - for the benefit of the city, for the benefit of Saxony-Anhalt, and with a visible impact both in Germany and internationally.

Career

The Max Planck Institute in Magdeburg offers a variety of opportunities for professional development, personal and professional further education.

Latest Publications

Klimek, A.; Plate, C.; Sager, S.; Sundmacher, K.; Ganzer, C.: Superstructure Optimization with Embedded Neural Networks for Sustainable Aviation Fuel Production. Chemical Engineering Journal 535, 175172 (2026)
Schultheis, A.; Merz, K.; Tenberg, V.; Lorenz, H.: Solid–liquid equilibria in the aqueous chiral homophenylalanine system and solid-state characterisation of the racemic species. CrystEngComm 28, pp. 2937 - 2946 (2026)
Hegde, C.; Voigt, A.; Sundmacher, K.: Dynamic pH control for selective CO2 carbonation and tunable CaCO3 formation from multi-ion solutions. Journal of CO2 Utilization 108, 103457 (2026)
Peterson, L.; Forootani, A.; Sanchez Medina, E. I.; Gosea, I. V.; Sundmacher, K.; Benner, P.: Towards Digital Twins for Power-to-X Processes: Comparing Surrogate Models for a Catalytic CO2 Methanation Reactor. IEEE Transactions on Automation Science and Engineering 23, pp. 3469 - 3483 (2026)
Go to Editor View