Press Releases

On October 1, Prof. Miriam Unterlass is taking over as the director of the re-nowned Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research ISC in Würzburg. Having previously taught at the University of Konstanz and TU Wien, the chemist and materials scientist is bringing her expertise in the synthesis of new functional materials to enrich the portfolio of Fraunhofer ISC and the University of Würzburg, where she will hold the Chair for Chemical Technology of Materials Synthesis.

Plastic waste, harmful to the environment, has been increasing continually in Germany in recent years. Packaging generates particularly high volumes of waste. Plant-based coatings for paper packaging could provide a sustainable alternative in the future. In the BioPlas4Paper project, researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films IST and project partners have used a coating process known as plasma polymerization to create water-repellent and plant-based barrier coatings on paper, thereby im-proving the paper’s resistance to the effects of the weather.

Fraunhofer researchers and their partners have developed an innovative and eco-friendly method of producing soda, essential for a wide range of industries, in the Green Soda project. The process is based on bipolar electrodialysis of brine. Ion exchange processes and the addition of carbon dioxide result in green soda. The technology will also help to strengthen manufacturing in Germany as an industrial location.

Production of fine chemicals such as those used in pharmaceuticals is typically complex and laborious. An interdisciplinary team of Fraunhofer researchers worked together across different projects to devise a method modeled on a cascade, in which multiple successive stages of synthesis proceed without interruption. This is made possible through the use of novel catalysts in specially adjusted flow-through reactors. The new method makes the process of manufacturing drugs more efficient and conserves energy. In this way, the modular technology platform supports the production of pharmaceuticals in Germany as an industrial location.

A unique opportunity for Germany as a business location lies in deep tech and a strong innovation system of science and industry. Fraunhofer will be demonstrating its expertise in entrepreneurial technology transfer at the Bits & Pretzels innovation summit in Munich, which will be held from September 29 to October 1, 2024.

The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems shows promise in medicine, where they can be used to detect diseases earlier, improve treatments, and ease staff workloads. But their performance depends on how well the AI is trained. A new multi-task approach to training AI makes it possible to train foundation models quicker and more cost-effectively, with less data. Researchers are turning to this approach to compensate for the shortage of data in medical imaging — and ultimately save lives.

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. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research IAP in Potsdam Science Park are using this mycelium to develop a wide range of recyclable products, from wallets and insulation to packaging.

Parking spaces are in short supply at rest stops along Germany’s highways. Truck drivers are required by law to observe certain rest periods, so when they cannot find parking, they often simply park off to the side of an entrance or exit or on the shoulder, all of which are very risky. The result is rear-end collisions, sometimes with a deadly outcome. There is great pressure to take action, and quickly. This is where the SOLP project comes in: Re-searchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Telecommunications, Heinrich-Hertz-Institut, HHI are working with partners to develop an AI-supported prediction tool for truck drivers and shipping companies. The goal is to provide information on available parking spaces, both public and private, and make it easier to find parking.

More charging power, higher range, lower environmental impact: In the COOLBat joint research project, researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology IWU have teamed up with partners to develop next-generation battery enclosures for electric vehicles. The objective is to make the enclosures, a central component in any electric vehicle, lighter and cut the carbon dioxide emitted to manufacture them by 15 percent. The project partners aim to achieve this by combining individual systems, packing more functions into a smaller installation space, and using new heat-conductive materials and bio-based flame retardant coatings.

The new European Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) is intended to prevent goods marketed in the EU from contributing to the spread of deforestation. When a wood product is brought into the EU market, for example, there must be documentation of which types of wood were used to produce it, along with proof of their legal origin. Depending on the material, even the initial review of the declared type of wood is no easy task. Paper, for example, requires time-consuming examination by specialists. Now, a new AI-based analytical tool for determining wood types is being developed to simplify and accelerate this process. Researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics ITWM are working closely with the Thünen Institute of Wood Research to develop the automated image recognition system for large-scale review of declarations of wood type.