Stefan Hecht

Prof. Dr. Stefan Hecht serves as Einstein Professor of Organic Chemistry and Functional Materials at Humboldt University of Berlin's Institute of Chemistry and Founding Director of the Center for the Science of Materials Berlin (CSMB). His interdisciplinary team pioneers molecular-scale material design with light-responsive properties at Berlin's Science and Technology Park Adlershof.

Research focuses on:

• Photoreactive materials that transition between insulating, semiconducting, and conducting states via light activation
• Xolography - a dual-wavelength 3D printing technology creating complex structures like embedded spheres and organ models
• Self-erasing molecular information storage systems
• Sustainable materials development for energy applications

His work demonstrates significant commercial translation through xolo GmbH, the startup he co-founded in 2019 that now employs 20 people and markets both printers and specialized materials.

Key recognitions include:

• 1991 Jugend Forscht State Competition win for bioluminescence research
• Prestigious Einstein Professorship
• Brain City Ambassador designation

As CSMB director, he coordinates city-wide collaborations between chemists, physicists, mathematicians, computer scientists, cultural researchers, and biologists. His laboratory maintains strong ties with Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin and other non-university research institutions at Adlershof, emphasizing Berlin's unique ecosystem for unconventional scientific paths.