A German-Polish research team from the Leibniz Institute of Surface Engineering (IOM) and the Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw has been awarded the Kepler Prize 2026 of the European Academy of Sciences (EurASc). The distinction honours interdisciplinary European research collaborations that connect scientific disciplines and open up new perspectives for pioneering technologies. The 2026 edition focuses on the interplay between switchable molecular systems, advanced materials and the methods of their characterisation for next-generation technologies.

Among the IOM awardees are Yusen Luo, Jonas Lorenz and Eric Vogelsberg. Yusen is a scientific co-worker / post-doc in the unit “Material characterization and Analytical service”. Jonas and Eric are doctoral researchers at the Faculty of Chemistry and Mineralogy at Leipzig University and conduct research at IOM in the working group “Switchable molecularly functionalized surfaces”, led by Dr Kirill Monakhov.

To mark the award, IOM will host the international workshop “From Molecules to Functional Materials and Devices: Chemistry Beyond Equilibrium” in Leipzig from 7 to 9 December 2026. Dr Kirill Monakhov is substantially involved in the organisation and will accompany the event as Scientific Advisor and Liaison. The workshop will bring together researchers from chemistry, physics, materials science, engineering and information technologies. Its focus will be on molecular and hybrid architectures beyond thermodynamic equilibrium and their potential for functional materials and devices.

The programme will include, among other formats, six keynote lectures, nine invited lectures, nine Early Career Researcher Spotlight Talks, poster sessions and networking formats.

Further information on the prize and the workshop programme is available on the EurASc website: https://www.eurasc.eu/kepler-prize-2026/