7Ex Wins JUICE Innovation Contest 2025 – Turning Science into Business

31 October 2025

At this year’s JUICE Innovation Contest, six teams from Forschungszentrum Jülich pitched how their science could become real-world innovation. The jury awarded first place to 7Ex, with the participation of Max Meyer (HI ERN) for its breakthrough in sustainable lithium recovery. H2Cycle and NeuroSense took second and third place.

The winning team 7Ex, consisting of Andreas Kuhlmann (INW-1), Marten Huck (INW-1), Max Meyer (HI ERN) und Mohamed Elbashbishy (ITE), developed a modular electrochemical system that extracts high-purity lithium from diverse sources – from old batteries to recycling “black mass” – without additional chemicals. The process is energy-efficient, runs on renewables, and integrates easily into existing plants. By securing sustainable raw material supply chains, it makes e-mobility greener and more reliable.

The contest marks the finale of the Jülich Innovation & Entrepreneurship Certificate Program (JUICE). Over six months, participants learn entrepreneurship, transfer, and business model design – and develop concrete innovation cases with industry potential.