Immanuel Bloch receives first Bavarian Hightech Award
The new and highly endowed technology award was presented to him by Bavarian Minister of Science Markus Blume during a ceremonial event at the Bavarian Academy of Sciences.
On the evening of April 9, 2025, the Free State of Bavaria awarded its new Hightech Prizes for the first time, across four categories. Recipient of the “Hightech Prize of the Bavarian Prime Minister” is MPQ Director Immanuel Bloch, honored for his pioneering work in experimental quantum sciences, particularly in the study of quantum many-body systems. The award includes a prize of €300,000, which is to be reinvested into research. In addition, the Pioneer Award of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences (BAdW), as well as the Young Talent Prize and the Graduate Award of the Bavarian State Ministry for Science and the Arts, were also presented.
The €300,000 Hightech Prize recognizes scientific milestones in the key technologies of the future and is the highest-endowed technology award in Germany, according to the Free State's announcement. The prize money is intended to be reinvested in research, teaching, applications, and the promotion of young scientists.
“I am very pleased about this new and significant award from the Bavarian Prime Minister and the Bavarian State Government. This recognition is also a tribute to the many people I have had the pleasure of working with over the past 17 years here in Munich to shape the ‘future of quantum science.’ My sincere and heartfelt thanks go out to all of them!”
Bavarian Prime President Markus Söder (CSU) stated on Wednesday evening via video link during the award ceremony at the Munich Residence that Immanuel Bloch, as a pioneer in quantum science, is among the world’s leading researchers.
“We can make good use of the prize money to further strengthen our field of quantum simulations, for example by purchasing new laser systems for our experiments. With these, we aim to better understand the ‘social behavior’ of atoms and, based on this knowledge, develop new quantum computer systems using neutral atoms”, Immanuel Bloch adds.
Immanuel Bloch - Quantum Many Body Systems (VIDEO PORTRAIT)
Other Award Recipients of the Evening
Gerhard P. Fettweis received the Pioneer Award (also endowed with €300,000) for his research on mobile communication technologies.
Jacueline Lammert was awarded the Young Talent Prize (€30,000) for her work on applying artificial intelligence to women’s health at the Rechts der Isar Hospital in Munich.
As part of the Graduate Award, five outstanding doctoral candidates in engineering sciences were honored for their excellent dissertations.
About Immanuel Bloch
Immanuel Bloch has been a Director at the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics (MPQ) in Garching since 2008 and holds the Chair for Experimental Physics and Quantum Optics at Ludwig Maximilian University (LMU) Munich. He earned his doctorate at LMU under Nobel Laureate Theodor Hänsch, focusing on atom lasers and phase coherence in atomic Bose-Einstein condensates.
Immnauel Bloch is a multiple award-winning physicist:
He received the Philip Morris Research Award twice (in 2000 together with Prof. Hänsch, and again in 2007). In 2002, he was awarded the Otto Hahn Medal of the Max Planck Society, followed by the Rudolf Kaiser Prize in 2003. In 2005, he was honored as the youngest recipient of the Leibniz Prize of the German Research Foundation, the Federal Cross of Merit, and the Prize of the International Commission of Optics. The European Physical Society (EPS) awarded him the 2011 Prize for Fundamental Aspects of Quantum Electronics and Optics. In 2013, he received the Hector Science Award 2012, the Körber Prize for European Science, and the Senior BEC Award 2013. In 2016, Prof. Bloch received the prestigious Harvey Prize from the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa; in 2018, he was elected a member of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences. In 2021, he was awarded the Bavarian Maximilian Order, and in 2023, the Stern-Gerlach Medal of the German Physical Society (DPG) as well as the ZEISS Research Award.
More information on the 2025 Bavarian Hightech Prizes:
https://www.hightechpreise-bayern.de/hightech-preis-des-bayerischen-ministerpraesidenten-2025/
