Press / Newsroom

Wood, we come into close contact with it daily. Children play around on wood floors, and wood furniture plays an important role in our work and sleep habits as well. To keep this natural material from aging prematurely, it’s important to protect it effectively against ultraviolet (UV) radiation. At the same time, people want to retain the look and feel of natural wooden surfaces, but the transparent protective coatings that are currently widely commercially available often contain harmful chemical compounds. To avoid using these substances, the Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging IVV and Naturhaus Naturfarben GmbH are working together to develop a formula that provides harmless, transparent and 100 percent organic UV protection for wood.

Working together to expedite technological innovations in the fields of battery cell and semiconductor technology: That is the aim of a comprehensive international collaboration program funded by the Korean Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE). The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, with eight of its institutes, is their partner in Germany. On Wednesday, the collaboration was sealed with a letter of agreement and the opening of a coordination hub.

In an effort to further develop the portfolio of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft in both subject-specific and commercial terms and ensure the research organization’s future viability, the executive board has adopted a package of measures involving the partial closure of the Fraunhofer Center for International Management and Knowledge Economy IMW and the elimination of the center’s independence. The remaining departments are to be integrated into the Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research ISI. In addition, the Fraunhofer Institute for Technological Trend Analysis INT is to be integrated into the Fraunhofer Institute for Communication, Information Processing and Ergonomics FKIE. These decisions are subject to the approval of the senate of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft.

Outer space has never before seemed so close, with spaceflight hovering within reach. To enhance the competitiveness of European space transportation systems, researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT are developing innovative manufacturing technologies for rocket components in the ENLIGHTEN project. The researchers will be presenting their results at the Hannover Messe (Hall 2, Booth B24) from April 22 to 26, 2024.

There is a high demand for AI solutions in industrial applications. These solutions need to be efficient, trustworthy and secure in order to be used in series production or quality control, for example. However, the new possibilities opened up by generative AI also raise questions. Can users rely on what a chatbot says? How can vulnerabilities in an AI model be detected early on during development? At the Hannover Messe 2024, the Fraunhofer Institute for Intelligent Analysis and Information Systems IAIS and the institutes of the Fraunhofer Big Data and Artificial Intelligence Alliance will be presenting two exhibits and several use cases centering on trustworthy AI solutions.

Allaying anxieties, emphasizing potential — with their KI-Studios (AI Studios), experts from the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering IAO are bringing workplace artificial intelligence to life. Their KI-Infomobil (AI Infomobile) will be appearing at the Hannover Messe from April 22 to 26. Guests are welcome to visit Fraunhofer at Booth B24 in Hall 2 to learn how AI technologies work, where they can be used, and how they can make people’s work easier.

Climate-friendly fuel cell systems, which are set to power machines such as vehicles in the future, are still rare and expensive these days. There are several reasons for this, including the complex and costly process used to produce bipolar plates — a key component in electrolyzers and fuel cells, which are needed for many hydrogen systems. The Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology IWU has now taken a major step toward lower costs and mass production of bipolar plates by introducing an innovative sys-tem for roll embossing: BPPflexRoll. The Fraunhofer researchers will be presenting one component of the system at the joint Fraunhofer booth in Hall 2, Booth B24, at Hannover Messe 2024 from April 22 to 26.

Change at the top of the Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics IML: As of April 1, Prof. Alice Kirchheim is taking over the Material Flow Systems department at Fraunhofer IML, along with the Chair of Material Handling and Warehousing at TU Dortmund University. Kirchheim, a scientist with outstanding experience in automation in intralogistics, will also be a valuable addition to the institute in Dortmund thanks to her expertise relating to the digital transformation and the use of AI in logistics. She is succeeding Prof. Michael ten Hompel, who is retiring after 24 years as the institute director at Fraunhofer IML and the holder of the same chair.

Fungal mycelium as a construction material, ecofriendly concrete and smart recycling solutions pave the way for climate neutrality.

The weapons available for fighting dangerous bacteria are losing their edge, and life-threatening infections are increasingly resistant to treatment. There are hardly any substitutes available so far, making it high time someone took action.