Christoph J. Brabec

Professor Christoph J. Brabec (*1966 in Linz) is an Austrian researcher in the field of materials science, particularly focused on renewable energy applications. His work spans various aspects of material research for renewable energy, process development, and the application of artificial intelligence in optimizing semiconductor materials for renewable energy generation. 
==Education and career==
* Brabec began his academic path by pursuing a degree in physics at Johannes Kepler University in Linz, where he later earned his Ph.D. with a focus on the "Rheological Characterization of Polymer Blends."
* In 1996, he conducted research at the Institute for Polymers & Organic Solids at the University of California, Santa Barbara, under the guidance of Prof. Alan J. Heeger, a Nobel laureate.https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/chemistry/2000/heeger/facts/
* From 1995 to 1998, Brabec served as an assistant professor at Johannes Kepler University Linz. Brabec established and led a CD Laboratory in Linz from 1998 to 2001, focusing on the development of organic solar cells.
* Between 2001 and 2004, Brabec worked as a responsible scientist and project manager at Siemens Corporate Technology, Erlangen.
* In 2003, he achieved habilitation at Johannes Kepler University Linz.
* From 2004 to 2009, Brabec held various leadership positions at Konarka Technologies, https://www.konarka.com impacting the organic photovoltaics industry.
* In 2009, he became a W3 professor at Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, specializing in the Institute of Materials for Electronics and Energy Technology (i.MEET).https://www.i-meet.ww.uni-erlangen.de/
* Concurrently, he took on the role of Scientific Director at [Bayerisches Zentrum für Angewandte Energieforschung (ZAE Bayern)], Erlangen, and became a board member of ZAE Bayern.
* Starting in 2010, Brabec served as a board member at Energie Campus Nürnberg e.V.
* From 2015 to 2017, he served as the Head of the Department of Materials Sciencehttps://www.ww.tf.fau.eu/ at Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg.
* In 2018, Brabec became the Director at the Institute of Energy and Climate Research – Helmholtz Institute Erlangen-Nürnberg for Renewable Energies.
* In 2023, Brabec assumed the role of spokesman for FAU Profile Center Solar,http://www.solar.fau.de focusing on solar energy systems, innovation, and accelerated research.
===Awards and Recognition=== 
Throughout his career, Professor Christoph J. Brabec has received recognition for his contributions to the field of materials science and renewable energy. Notable achievements include:
* Consistently ranked among the Top 1% materials researchers worldwide by Thompson Reuters in various years from 2013 to 2023.https://www.webofscience.com/wos/author/record/N-1897-2013
* Recognized as "Inventor of the Year" in 2005 for his contributions to the field of organic photovoltaics, marked by a substantial patent portfolio.https://patents.google.com/?inventor=christoph+brabec
* Membership in advisory committees and founding role in scientific journals, such as "Advanced Energy Materials" and "Progress in Photovoltaics."
* In 2011, he achieved a notable ranking of 12th among the top 100 material scientists for the last decade, as acknowledged by Thomson Reuters.http://archive.sciencewatch.com/dr/sci/misc/Top100MatSci2000-10/
=== Research Focus Areas ===
====Material Development:====
* Semiconductors for renewable energy.
* Organic and perovskite solar cells.
* AI for semiconductor optimization.
====Process Development:====
* Leadership roles at ZAE Bayern and EnCN.
* PV technology innovation.
* Quality control methods.
* PV field monitoring.
====AI and High-Throughput Research:====
* Director at HI-ERN.
* PV testing and monitoring.
* Cybersecurity research.
Category:1966 births
Category:People from Linz
Category:Austrian people
Category:Johannes Kepler University Linz alumni
Category:Researchers