Press / Newsroom

On February 19, the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy (StMWi) and the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft awarded the Hugo Geiger Prize for the best dissertations in applied research. Three next-generation researchers, one each from Freising, Munich and Aachen, were chosen as the winners for their innovative ideas and applied doctoral work completed in close collaboration with a Fraunhofer institute. The Fraunhofer Founder Award was also presented for a spin-off with an active, successful market presence.

A concrete solution for pressing challenges: In the CYCLOMETRIC project, researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering IAO have devised a solution that allows companies to incorporate sustainability assessments and circular economy concepts into the early phases of development processes — right where there is the most leverage for ecofriendly design.

Researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT have teamed up with project partners to develop an AI module to help with laser material deposition. This technique is used to repair worn bucket teeth and other tools used in mining. The project partners include research organizations and companies from Canada. The Fraunhofer researchers will be presenting their solution at the Hannover Messe Preview on February 19, 2025.

On February 17, 2025, Constantin Häfner will take up his new position as Fraunhofer’s executive vice president of Research and Transfer. The Fraunhofer senate elected him to the board at its meeting on June 12, 2024. The renowned laser physicist has been the executive director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT in Aachen since 2019. With Häfner taking office, the executive board of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft will be complete.

“Fume events” occur when fluids such as engine oil or hydraulic fluid contaminate the air inside an airplane cabin via the “bleed air” used for air supply and conditioning. Measurements taken in flight do not allow for determination of whether the air quality on board is negatively affected as a result. With the Bleed Air Contamination Simulator (BACS), researchers at the Fraun-hofer Institute for Building Physics IBP can artificially simulate fume events on the ground, deliberately contaminating the air inside the testing unit with oils and deicing fluids and then studying the polluted air. The results can be used to make inferences about potential health risks.

A new UN report finds that more and more electronic waste, or e-waste, is being produced worldwide—recycling efforts are not keeping pace, though. Valuable raw materials are not being recovered and recycled. Research scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute for Factory Operation and Automation IFF are tackling this issue. In the iDEAR project, they are developing solutions for automated, nondestructive robotic disassembly of electronics for remanufacturing and material recycling that will help establish an advanced circular economy.

From immersive exhibitions to shows and gaming, experiences that involve all five senses and offer audiences an escape into a whole different reality are all the rage right now. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Telecommunications, Heinrich-Hertz-Institut, HHI are currently developing DOMEconnect, a platform that makes it possible to produce high-resolution immersive content and live-stream it to planetariums. This creates entirely new event formats spanning interconnected venues. Avatars also give attendees opportunities for interaction.

Microlenses applied to eyeglasses can help reduce growth-related worsening of nearsightedness (myopia), preventing potential long-term consequences. Microlenses also offer highly promising possibilities for intraocular lenses or compact microscopes. The Fraunhofer Institute for Microstructure of Materials and Systems IMWS has developed a new method known as laser swelling that can be used to produce these kinds of lenses individually and at low cost.

Creating a digital twin of a machine is already a highly complex undertaking. So how difficult must it be to do that with a human organism? Researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Experimental Software Engineering IESE are working on the possibilities, challenges and potential of digital patient twins. They aim to test medications on a digital “replica” in the future before a person ever takes their first pill. In this interview, Dr. Theresa Ahrens and Dr. Jonas Marcello, who jointly lead the Digital Health Engineering department at Fraunhofer IESE, explain the benefits and added value of digital patient twins.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering IAO in Stuttgart was the target of a ransomware attack on December 27, 2024, resulting in the impairment of certain systems and data. It is not currently possible to determine the precise extent of the damage.