Abstract: The invention relates to a process for producing a catalyst comprising a porous support and at least one active metal, which comprises providing a porous support which has a specific BET surface area of at least 500 m2/g and is transparent to an activating radiation, applying at least one active metal precursor which comprises at least one active metal and at least one group which is bound via a ligator atom selected from among oxygen, sulfur, nitrogen, phosphorus and carbon to the active metal atom to the porous support so as to produce an adduct which comprises the porous support and the at least one active metal precursor; and illuminating the adduct with the activating radiation to convert the at least one active metal into its reduced form.