Physicist Raphael Wittkowski awarded the 2026 Alfried Krupp Prize
Physicist Prof. Dr Raphael Wittkowski has been awarded the 2026 Alfried Krupp Prize. The laureate conducts research at the RWTH Aachen University and at the DWI – Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials in the field of active soft matter – a new field at the interface between physics, chemistry, engineering, biology and medicine. The Alfried Krupp Prize, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, is one of the most prestigious scientific awards in Germany. The prize, endowed with €1.1 million, is awarded annually to young researchers holding their first professorship.
Prof. Dr Raphael Wittkowski’s work focuses on microsystems with their own propulsion mechanism that are controlled using ultrasound. Among other achievements, he has developed a method for guiding a large number of acoustically propelled microparticles to a specified target. With these advances, Prof. Wittkowski has paved the way for future medical applications of acoustically propelled microparticles, such as the transport of of drugs to a specific target within the body, with the aim of avoiding the disadvantages of systemic drug distribution. One example is conventional chemotherapy, the side effects of which are primarily caused by the systemic distribution of the drugs in the body, which also harms healthy tissue.
Prof. Dr Wittkowski has held a professorship at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences at the RWTH Aachen University since 2025, where he heads the Chair of Theory of Active Soft Matter. The 38-year-old is also a member of the Scientific Board of the DWI – Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials. He has received numerous awards for his work, including the EIC Pathfinder Grant from the European Innovation Council.