News from our members

The corona pandemic has shown just how important it is to protect people in indoor areas against infection through airborne pathogens. Mobile air purifiers can, in principle, contribute to this. Until now, there has been no uniform method for testing their effectiveness. Researchers at the Fraunhofer WKI have therefore developed a standardised testing method.

Hardly any other chemical substance can compete with PFAS, due to their unique properties. That explains why it is so hard to find a replacement for these toxic “forever chemicals”, which accumulate in the environment and do not break down over time.

There is fresh momentum in our protein supply — and it’s moving along on six legs. Insects are a source of protein with a smaller resource footprint than conventional alternatives in every possible way. To ensure the safety of insect farms and their products, Fraunhofer researchers have developed a system that reliably detects pathogens right away, at low cost and with the possibil-ity of automation.

The EU project “DiGreeS” aims to make steel production “greener”, more digital, and more economical.

Making harvesting robots, submarine grippers, and autonomous rovers on distant planets more universally applicable and autonomous in the future – researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology IWS in Dresden work on enabling them to “feel”.

The Fraunhofer ISE has been conducting research along the entire battery value chain for many years. Now with today’s inauguration of the Center for Electrical Energy Storage, the institute has access to state-of-the-art laboratories which enable cutting-edge international research.

At the annual conference of the German Renewable Energy Research Association on October 8 and 9, scientists will show how the energy transition can be accelerated on a technical, political and social level. Under the motto "Accelerating the energy transition with research", they will present the current state of research. (German only)

After a year of construction, the new development and test environment for offshore drones was officially opened with numerous guests from business, politics, and science.

How this works, experts from Fraunhofer IZFP will be demonstrating by means of a wheel rim inspection from 24 to 27 September 2024 at the 14th InnoTrans in Berlin (Messe Berlin, ExpoCenter City, Hall 23, Stand 240).

Fungi have more to offer than meets the eye. Their thread-like cells, which grow extensively and out of sight underground like a network of roots, offer huge potential for producing sustainable, biodegradable materials.

Sporting activities promote our health but can lead to injuries of the musculoskeletal system if not performed correctly. This often affects the cartilage in the joints. Untreated cartilage defects can lead to osteoarthritis at older age, for which there is currently no effective treatment.

The architecture and chemistry of the bark of the Canary pine effectively protect the trees from forest fires. Taking nature as a model, researchers at the Fraunhofer WKI, in collaboration with partners, have developed bio-based coatings for wooden components for interior and exterior use.

Due to crises such as the coronavirus pandemic or suspended trade agreements, supply bottlenecks occur time and again. Raw materials such as nickel, magnesium and rare earths, which industry needs to manufacture a wide range of products, are not always available — often for long periods of time. This is where a new Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft flagship project comes in.

The new UltraPLAS coating developed by Fraunhofer researchers has proven to be a ground-breaking solution to the challenges of primary forming processes. This advanced release and easy-to-clean coating is applied as a gradient layer using a cold plasma process and is suitable for materials such as tool steel, stainless steel and aluminum.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology ICT congratulates the Dutch company Aerospace Propulsion Products (APP), as part of the Ariane Group, on the successful first launch of the Ariane 6 rocket on the evening of July 9th, 2024 from the European Spaceport in French Guiana.

Continuity and expansion of Fraunhofer activities in Saxony-Anhalt: On January 1, 2025, the Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS will integrate the Center for Economics and Management of Technologies CEM in Halle (Saale).

One promising approach to save raw materials is to move from the low to the medium-voltage level in renewable energy power plants. The Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE sees a huge potential for savings with higher system voltages, especially in large PV power plants.

Invasive infections such as sepsis require immediate and targeted treatment. Experts from the Fraunhofer IGB and group partners have succeeded in establishing a reconceptualized detection principle that can make a crucial contribution to saving lives through fast, ultra-accurate pathogen identification. They have been chosen to receive the 2024 Stifterverband Science Prize for their efforts.

A team from the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research IAP has now developed a flexible and recyclable plastic film material based on polylactide (PLA) bioplastic and paved the way for its commercialization. Their efforts have earned the researchers the Joseph von Fraunhofer Prize for 2024.

Teams of experts at the Fraunhofer Institute for Structural Durability and System Reliability LBF are working intensively on EU regulations and the need for halogen free flame retardancy in specific applications.

Fraunhofer IMM is contributing to the precise lipid nanoparticle formulation using its knowledge of rapid mixing technology.

Together with chemical company Covestro Deutschland AG, Fraunhofer researchers have now developed a method that makes it possible to reclaim the substances originally used to make the polycarbonates.

Finding solutions to potential resource bottlenecks requires sustainable material design. New material compositions enable more environmentally friendly ship propulsion systems, more economical aircraft engines or even lighter electric vehicles.

Milestones for the clean and sustainable aviation of tomorrow: Clean Sky 2/Clean Aviation project "MFFD" shows potential of around 10 percent weight reduction and 10 percent cost savings in high-rate production.

The 5th Lightweighting Summit (geschaeftsstelle-leichtbau.de) of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Action (BMWK) will open on April 23, 2024 at 2:00 pm and will be dedicated to the topic of transformation technologies for the resource transition with several top-class keynotes, a diverse panel discussion and a subsequent pitch format of innovative research projects.

at 2:15 pm Keynote I: Resources transition: lightweighting as a factor for competitiveness Professor Dr.-Ing. Holger Hanselka, President of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft

Transport and trade on the ocean blue must be made much greener. This is the goal of the new €17 million European GAMMA project, where companies and researchers from Europe will develop and convert a bulk carrier to sail on climate-neutral fuels and green power.

Several Fraunhofer Institutes and the Brandenburg Technical University Cottbus-Senftenberg, under the leadership of Rolls-Royce Germany and other partners such as the research institution ACCESS, are collaborating on the future of hybrid electric flying.