Guest Speakers

Prof. Dr. Matthias Beller is one of the leading international figures in catalysis and sustainable chemistry. He is Head of the Department of Applied Homogeneous Catalysis at the Leibniz Institute for Catalysis in Rostock and serves as Deputy Spokesperson and Scientific Coordinator of NFDI4Cat, an initiative dedicated to advancing research data management and digitalization in catalysis.

His research focuses on the development of innovative catalytic methods for organic synthesis, with particular emphasis on homogeneous catalysis, sustainable chemical processes, and the translation of fundamental discoveries into practical applications. Through his work, Prof. Beller has made major contributions to modern catalysis and to the development of more efficient and sustainable chemical technologies.

At the Summer School on AI for Catalysis, Prof. Beller will address the topic of catalysis digitalization, bringing a unique perspective on how digital tools, data-driven approaches, and artificial intelligence can support the future of catalysis research.

Prof. Kjell Jorner is a multidisciplinary, globetrotter scientist developing AI methodologies for sustainable chemistry. He is currently Assistant Professor of Digital Chemistry at the Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich. He received his PhD from Uppsala University, where he worked on the photochemistry of aromatic compounds. He then carried out postdoctoral research at AstraZeneca in the UK, focusing on reaction prediction using computational chemistry and machine learning, followed by further postdoctoral studies at the University of Toronto on the molecular design of catalysts and organic electronic materials. Since 2023, he has been an Assistant Professor at ETH Zurich.

His research group focuses on predicting chemical reactivity and molecular properties using machine learning, artificial intelligence, computational chemistry and chemoinformatics. Their ultimate goal is the computer-aided design of molecules and catalysts for more sustainable chemical processes.

At the AI for Catalysis Summer School, Prof. Jorner will demonstrate how AI can be used for catalyst design, combining his expertise in digital chemistry, reaction prediction and molecular design.