“Stronger support for research!” An interview with minister Stark-Watzinger 1 2 | 4 We have the energy! Sun, wind, heat — ready for the transition Dr. Andrea Herbst, Fraunhofer ISI The cars of the future Mobility of the future More diversity on our roads From the heart Research with its finger on the pulse — new technology and treatments

4 | 21 Fraunhofer magazine Editorial Pioneers of change The future and the changes required to shape it successfully are part of our DNA at the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft. With almost 30,000 employees across 75 institutes, this world- leading organization for applied research is responding to the current challenges that industry and society are facing. These include issues relating to climate-neutral research operations, as well as aligning the organization’s focus with mission-oriented research that aims to address major socie- tal challenges, namely climate change, health and increas- ing the impact of the organization on industry and society. Already well-equipped with the expertise of its institutes, the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft is also creating the necessary conditions through the Fraunhofer Agenda 2030. With our high-profile service areas, we aim to guarantee excellence in knowledge transfer as well as participation in publicly funded, large-scale projects and research infrastructure. In view of the tasks that lie ahead of us and the growth in our volume of research topics and capacity over the past six years, in the future, the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft will bring in another research-focused executive board member so as to focus systematically on research infrastructure, con- struction, procurement, digital transformation and the development of a knowledge-management system. In relation to climate neutrality, the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft has itself pledged to become climate-neutral by 2030. To achieve this target, harmful greenhouse gas emissions will need to be reduced by at least 55 percent and offset through compensatory measures. By 2045, Fraunhofer will meet the challenge of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to almost zero. The establishment of a Fraunhofer living lab for cli- mate-neutral science is designed to provide organizational support for the implementation of this extensive transfor- mation process. Prof. Reimund Neugebauer research projects that will boost innovation in industry in the long term. For small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), Fraunhofer has launched the KMU-Akut program with a funding volume of 10 million euros. Alexander von Humboldt described knowledge and under- standing as the wealth of his native land, calling them a substitute for the goods that nature has provided in too meager a measure. Although he made this statement 150 years ago, in his work entitled “A Sketch of the Physical Description of the Universe,” it applies to the situation in Germany equally well in 2021. Germany’s “wealth” does not lie in raw materials, but in knowledge and understanding. Let us use this knowledge together to bring about organic change that is of benefit to everyone. After all, to borrow an expression from Alexander von Humboldt once again, ideas are only of use when they come to life in many minds. Sincerely, Reimund Neugebauer President of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft Applied research and its associated economic, ecological and social impact are the hallmarks of the Fraunhofer- Gesellschaft. To support the German economy during and after the coronavirus pandemic, this year, we are once again investing over 70 million euros of special funding in 30 cross-institutional and systemically important — Learn more about the main research topics of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft: Prof. Reimund Neugebauer on LinkedIn back to page 1 3 r e b u H d r a h n r e B / r e f o h n u a r F : o t o h P

4 | 21 Fraunhofer magazine 30 Deep dive: A micro-submarine sets out for the brain The fight against cancer and aneurysms has gained a new sol- dier: a tiny robot that transports medication through the body 32 Where is Emma? Close collaboration with Fraun- hofer has given the police a new tool in the search for missing persons 35 Knowledge relay, episode 3 When will Germany be able to generate enough renewable power to cover its primary energy demand? Prof. Hans-Martin Hen- ning responds 51 Using math to make diamonds shine Diamond cutting and polishing determine the gems’ value. A new software from Fraunhofer SCAI has optimized these processes 32 Where is Emma? Suddenly, a child vanishes. What now? Fraunhofer helps police search operations with a newly developed messenger app. 51 Glittering beauties Diamonds will only shine if cut and polished. Fraunhofer is using math to help out. 64 A voice from the business world The logistics company Dachser SE generates more than 5 billion euros in revenue. CDO Stefan Hohm is unlocking new opportunities for the sector through open logistics 66 Photo & Fraunhofer 2022 will see two different Fraun- hofer technologies blast off on space missions: an instrument that will measure the effects of climate change on the water cycle back on earth and the nanosatellite ERNST 68 The whole world is wearing masks Recycling the most used item of the pandemic 71 Fraunhofer on the road 47 percent of the German popula­ tion can already picture themselves buying an electric car, according to the social sustainability barometer 2021 (“Soziale Nachhaltigkeitsbaro­ meter 2021”) — despite deficiencies in the charging infrastructure. This representative study showed that around half of the respondents are ready for the transport transition. However, it must be affordable. 47 68 The whole world is wearing masks Every month, the world uses 129 billion face masks. Fraunhofer researchers have cracked the challenge of recycling them. 52 Avatars lend a helping hand to physicians Upping the pace in emergency situations: TEDIAS, a patient admissions system, makes use of patients’ wait times 54 Kevin pulls an all-nighter Want someone to evaluate PCR tests all night long? This mobile lab robot can do it — without making mistakes or getting tired 56 On the hunt for care fraudsters Detectives can often only scratch the surface — but thanks to a new software, that may be about to change 58 Solutions for a healthy heart Experts at Fraunhofer IPK and Fraunhofer IKTS hope to give patients a better future 60 Green light for phase 2 One of the pioneers of RNA ther- apy, Prof. Thomas Thum, has tested this treatment against heart dis- ease — with success 62 Fraunhofer worldwide back to page 1 a p d / s r e t u e R / n a m r e H s e v Y , o e n o c I , Y B - L M D / h c i r t t i D o i v l y S , y r e l l e c n a h C e t a t S n r e m m o p r o V - g r u b n e l k c e M , s s i e H z n e H i , t l r A s e n n a h o J : t n e t n o C ; o t o h p k c o t s i , t l r A s e n n a h o J : s h p a r g o t o h p r e v o C 5

Porcelain art from a printer Using an innovative 3D printing process, the Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS has succeeded in restoring valuable exhibits from the world-famous Dresden porcelain collection. This collection was established at the start of the 18th century by Augustus the Strong. For several years, he was the only person in Europe who knew the secret of how to produce this exotic material from China. This new method devised by Fraunhofer IKTS will make it possible to restore porcelain in a way that is more faithful to the detail of the original and makes it more durable than before. Currently, restorers must either man- ually fashion the necessary small parts from porcelain or switch to non-durable plastics if they want to use 3D printers. “It will now be possible to print materials that are of higher quality or even true to the original, such as porcelain,” explains Dr. Tassilo Moritz, who headed up the RestaurAM project at Fraunhofer IKTS. “The results are outstanding,” confirms Heike Ulbricht, a restorer at the Dresden state art collections (SKD). “This process has the potential to become an important addition to the restoration of valuable art objects made of porcelain.” She also hopes it will encourage digital communication between national as well as international art collections, since vase fragments need to be scanned prior to 3D printing. In future, museums could compare the resulting 3D data to similar damaged exhibits at other locations. The new process made it possible to perform a faithful reconstruc- tion of the broken trunk on the historic elephant-head vase. Low-friction motors and gear mechanisms can significantly improve energy and environmental auditing. As smooth as it gets Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology IWS are working on the development of motors and gears that are almost frictionless. Due to a reduction in friction and waste heat, improved ultra-hard carbon coatings should give electric bicycles more range per battery charge or help industrial machinery to operate more energy-effi- ciently, for example. The basic idea is that engineers add foreign atoms, such as boron, to the carbon layers in the motor, where there is already very little friction. The foreign atoms then combine chemically with certain lubricant molecules in the motor to generate super-lubricating interfaces during oper- ation. In comparison to today’s solutions, they are expected to reduce friction in the motor by half. The researchers estimate that lower-friction motors could save up to two terawatt-hours of energy per year in Germany alone, and therefore approx- imately 520 kilotons of CO2. This is approx- imately equivalent to the energy consumed by 800,000 two-person households annu- ally. The first super-lubricating motors from the “Prometheus” research project are expected to be used in production vehicles from 2025 onwards. 4 | 21 Fraunhofer magazine Editorial notes Fraunhofer. The magazine, magazine for research, technology and innovation. ISSN 1868-3428 (print edition) ISSN 1868-3436 (online edition) Published by: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft Hansastrasse 27c, 80686 Munich, Germany Editorial address as above Phone +49 89 1205 1301 magazin@zv.fraunhofer.de www.fraunhofer.de/magazin Free subscription: Phone +49 89 1205 1301 publikationen@fraunhofer.de Editorial team: Roman Möhlmann (responsible for content), Josef Oskar Seitz (editor-in-chief), Dr. Sonja Endres Editorial assistants: Dr. Janine van Ackeren, Mandy Bartel, Christine Broll, Meike Grewe, Sirka Henning, Michael Krapp, Dr. Monika Offenberger, Tim Schröder, Franziska Sell, Mehmet Toprak, Britta Widmann Layout and lithography: Vierthaler & Braun Cover image and “Energy” cover story photography: Johannes Arlt “In the right direction” photograph: Heinz Heiss Printed by: hofmann infocom GmbH, Nuremberg © Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft e.V. Munich 2021 Find Fraunhofer on social media: @Fraunhofer www.facebook.com/ fraunhoferde www.instagram.com/ fraunhofergesellschaft www.linkedin.com/company/ fraunhofer-gesellschaft www.youtube.com/ fraunhofer back to page 1 7 o t o h p k c o t s i , ) D K S ( s n o i t c e l l o c t r a e t a t s n e d s e r D , n o i t c e l l o c n a i l e c r o p / r e u a S n a i r d A , k c o t S e b o d A , l h s a p s n u / n o t w a L s i r h C : s o t o h P

4 | 21 Fraunhofer magazine to become a significant player in this changing global landscape and to further expand its technological sovereignty at a European level. We want to leverage the global visibility that Germany has gained through the development of the first mRNA vaccine to become the leading location for biotechnology internationally. However, we cannot generate this support for research through extra funding alone. By carrying out regular “I have experienced firsthand how and comprehensive impact reviews, we will also assess the effectiveness and efficiency of government measures in general and create new opportunities for growth. For the FDP — and for the why the new German federal government plans to further extend the sovereignty of Germany and Europe in this regard. We want to be able to overcome this crisis and future crises quickly and in a responsible manner. Research can help us to do so by identifying risks as early as possible, devising possible solutions in advance and putting these solutions to the test. My expectation is that research will continue to provide the basis on which we make evi- dence-based political decisions, even when under enormous time pressure in ongoing emergency situations. It is therefore very important to me to direct research funding towards making promising innovations fea- sible, starting with basic research, followed by applied research and extending to experimental devel- opment. An important prerequisite for this innovative strength is an openness to technology. Also, during the pandemic, we were able to find a scientific solution quickly because we were able to draw on relevant basic research. We therefore want to continue to pro- vide extensive support for self-initiated basic research that is driven by scientific curiosity. challenging it is to make research possible.” Bettina Stark-Watzinger My aspiration is for us to become world leaders and even attain Nobel Prize standard. Emerging green tech- nologies that provide climate-neutral energy sources and enable resource-efficient management will play a key role. I expect us to achieve scientific breakthroughs here in the coming years that will make Germany a global pioneer of technology in the areas of climate, energy and the circular economy. It seems like congratulations are in order: Now that the FDP is in charge of both ministries for the first time since 1965, you’re on good terms with the Minister of Finance. Why does research need increased financial support? In view of the challenges facing our country, such as digitalization, changing demographics and climate change, strong financial support is needed for increased innovation, competitiveness and climate-neutral prosperity. That is why we have ring- fenced a target of 3.5 percent in the coalition agree- ment. I would like this support to be used to achieve the scientific advances that we urgently need. We can also use it to create opportunities. I see a particular need for action in terms of achieving our climate and sustainability targets. Furthermore, international competition will continue to intensify in key technology areas such as artificial intelligence or quantum technologies. Germany needs to and wants s e g a m i o g a m i / k e h t o t o h p / l e h c s t u r T s a m o h T : o t o h P Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, too — climate protection and economic growth are not mutually exclusive. The transition of the energy and transport sector and the circular economy are once again the hot topics for our research institute in this issue of the Fraunhofer maga- zine. What do you plan to do to speed up the application and transfer of research findings to industry? Germany is in a good starting position. However, we need to significantly improve the link between science and industry and the transfer of results into practice. For me, this transfer is not a one-way street leading from academic research to industry, but a continuous loop. This means that those whose job it is to apply the research results at the end or to refine prototypes should be involved in the research process from the start. These people may be experts from industry but could also be professional users such as doctors, or private users, i.e. ordinary citizens. One area of priority will be the establishment and development of the German Agency for Transfer and Innovation (DATI), which fosters social and technolog- ical innovation, in particular at universities of applied sciences and in small- and medium-sized universities, in collaboration with start-ups, SMEs and social and public organizations, among others. We will continue to create innovative regions based on the British model and to avail of and expand the scope of activity provided for by national and European law. In this context, I am committed to a mission-based research policy that involves all stakeholders at an early stage, particularly the eventual users of the product. We will take advantage of the opportunities afforded by digita- lization and leverage the potential of data in a targeted manner. Federal innovation funding should be made consistently available for societal, social and ecological innovation projects. back to page 1 9

4 | 21 Fraunhofer magazine We have the energy! The energy transition can be done — and with solar, wind, hydrogen and geothermal power, there many ways of getting there. By Dr. Janine van Ackeren, Photos: Johannes Arlt back to page 1 11

4 | 21 Fraunhofer magazine back to page 1 13

4 | 21 Fraunhofer magazine at Fraunhofer ISE. This figure came from another study by Fraunhofer ISE. But in 2019, 76 percent of all solar cells and 71 percent of photovoltaic modules were produced in China. The basis for the study came in the form of a cost calculation tool developed by Fraunhofer ISE. The tool covers each in- dividual step in the manufacturing process, from raw silicon through wafer production right up to manufacturing the solar cells and modules. “We were able to clearly determine how much energy is required to manufacture a specific module and how big the ‘ecological rucksack’ is in various different countries,” explains Dr. Neuhaus. “The main thing that makes a difference here is the energy mix that the respective country uses. While China generates a large portion of its energy by burning coal, Germany now obtains more than 50 per- cent of the necessary power from renewable sources.” By contrast, the process of trans- porting the cells from China to Germany results in an emissions increase of only 3 percent. The carbon footprint will also vary depending on the type of solar cell. For example, manufacturing frameless glass-glass modules emits 7.5 to 12.5 percent less greenhouse gas than manu- facturing photovoltaic modules with backsheet films. If the much longer service life of the glass-glass modules is taken into account, then the reduction in CO2 emissions can even reach 22 to 27 percent. However, there is one thing that must be emphasized as a result of these studies. Of course, the manufacturing process means that solar cells are not entirely emis- sion-free, but these emissions are still 40 times lower than those produced when extracting and burning lignite. However, rather than contenting itself with theoretical studies, Fraunhofer ISE is also developing the technologies needed to maintain the rate of innovation. For ex- ample, by making the contacts in the cells thinner, the researchers have reduced silver consumption by around 20 percent and increased efficiency by 1 percent. The Fraunhofer spin-off HighLine is con- tinuing to advance this technology, while the ISE spin-off PV2plus has replaced the silver contacts entirely using copper con- tacts. With this approach, the amount of copper recycled in Germany alone would be sufficient to cover the future global de- mand for solar cell production. NexWafe, another company built on Fraunhofer ISE technology, is working on energy-efficient manufacturing of photovoltaic modules. Using an innovative production process, it has succeeded in manufacturing silicon wafers — the heart of every photovoltaic cell — far more efficiently than was pre- viously possible. As if on cue, an innovative technology that could reduce the “ecological ruck- sack” of solar cells manufactured in and the solar cells themselves would be 50 percent cheaper. Although the suitability of perovskite for use in photovoltaics was only discovered by accident in 2009, the metal-organic compound is already competing with the top-tier materials. “Today, perovskite solar cells have already reached a higher level of efficiency than most established tech- nologies — only monocrystalline silicon and GaAs (gallium arsenide) remain a bit more efficient,” enthuses Dr. Wagner. So what is it that makes perovskite so special? It’s produced from a solution that is very easy to handle and forms a very thin crys- tal film — 300 to 500 nanometers to be exact. By comparison, silicon is 180 mi- crometers, i.e. 180,000 nanometers thick. As such, the perovskite solar cells are very “Today, perovskite solar cells have already reached a higher level of efficiency than most established technologies.” Lukas Wagner, Fraunhofer ISE Europe even further has appeared on the scene — printed solar cells made from perovskite, a double salt that consists of one organic and one metallic salt and can be crystallized from a solution at room temperature. “The CO2 from the manufacturing of the glass substrate is the only emission produced when man- ufacturing perovskite solar cells — that’s only an eighth of what’s required for even the latest silicon technology,” reports Dr. Lukas Wagner, a scientist at Fraunhofer ISE. Perovskite solar cells also come with lower costs. A module factory in Germany would be 80 percent cheaper than a con- ventional silicon photovoltaics factory material-efficient to manufacture. “At Fraunhofer ISE, we’re developing printable solar cells that can be applied to a glass plate using a screen or ink-jet printer — roll-to-roll procedures can also be used,” Dr. Wagner explains. “Our vision is that we will use established processes from the vehicular glass industry for manufactur- ing perovskite solar cells, and so make them fit for mass production. This will allow the German glass industry to move into pho- tovoltaic manufacturing,” says Dr. Wagner. The EU project UNIQUE, which is led by Fraunhofer ISE and involves all the stakeholders in printable solar cells, is pushing the efficiency of these new back to page 1 15

4 | 21 Fraunhofer magazine 4 | 21 Fraunhofer magazine solar cells to even higher levels. The long- term objective of the project is to reach excellent efficiency at the module level, with rates of more than 20 percent. “Effi- ciency records are mostly set using mate- rials that are far too expensive to go on the roofs of houses. By contrast, we’re using inexpensive materials and employing processes that would be suitable for capac- ities of a terawatt and more — such as graphite contacts, for example,” says Dr. Wagner, whose research took second place in the energy campus (“Energie-Campus”) idea competition by a German foundation for energy and climate protection (“Stiftung Energie und Klimaschutz”) three years ago. In addition to the efficiency, the research- ers are also working on the stability of the perovskite solar cells. “The hot-spot test had the perovskite community seriously worried for a long time. But now, for the first time, we’ve shown that it’s possible to pass it,” reveals Dr. Wagner. In this test, the light to one cell is blocked — as can happen in real-life conditions due to fall- en leaves, for example. This sounds harm- less, but the cell then operates in reverse voltage and all the power flows through it, which can cause damage. With the highly stable contact layers used at Fraunhofer ISE, the printed solar cells were not only able to withstand the hot-spot test, but also to reach operation- al life spans of 10,000 hours — on a German roof, that would be the equivalent of ten years of continuous operation. Efficiency is a decisive factor for solar cells, but individual silicon solar cells can’t go beyond 29 percent — it’s the theoretical upper limit for efficiency, this high and no farther. However, if you connect two solar cells to create a tandem cell, it would the- oretically be possible to reach up to 40 percent efficiency. With three cells, this could even go as high as 45 percent. If you were to stack an endless number of solar cells one on top of another, then the abso- lute maximum efficiency would reach more than 85 percent. The reason is that while individual solar cells collect light of all colors, the light is split for tandem cells. It’s as if the work were divided up based on the different wavelength ranges. The top cell only “sees” blue light, the one be- neath only green, and so on, with each solar cell being optimized for its range of the spectrum. In the Fraunhofer lighthouse project MaNiTU, Fraunhofer ISE, the Fraunhofer Institute for Mechanics of Materials IWM, the Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Re- search ISC, the Fraunhofer Institute for Microstructure of Materials and Systems IMWS and the Fraunhofer Research Insti- tution for Materials Recycling and Resource Strategies IWKS are developing sustainable materials for tandem cells based on silicon and perovskite. This involves applying a layer of perovskite to a silicon substrate. “We expect these tandem solar cells to achieve high efficiency levels at low cost and with low resource consumption,” con- firms Dr. Goldschmidt. The first step was to screen possible materials to see if they would work in theory. “We took sustain- ability factors into account right from the outset — so that meant ruling out toxic materials like lead and materials that are not available in sufficient quantities,” said Dr. Goldschmidt. Some possible materials have already been identified and various different materials have also already been synthesized. “Things are going well, and I expect us to set a new record in the course of this project,” Dr. Goldschmidt affirms. In the long term, also Dr. Wagner hopes to join his perovskite solar cells together to form tandem solar cells. To date, silicon-based solar cells them- selves have been virtually unbeatable on an individual cell level when it comes to electricity generation costs. However, other solar cell types are becoming in- creasingly relevant. For example, flexible solar cells could be used to generate elec- tricity wherever silicon modules can’t be installed due to their rigid form, like the pillars on wind turbines, curved build- ing facades and — in the case of partially transparent cells — even on window panes, or as solar curtains that provide shade. This would become economical- ly viable once 10 percent efficiency is achieved. By comparison, silicon solar cells have currently reached around 25 percent efficiency. “If we succeed in transferring this efficiency of more than 10 percent from the lab to our roll-to-roll plant, industrial mass production would be within our grasp. The laboratory groundwork and the necessary modifica- tions to the plant were completed in 2021. We could revolutionize the production of flexible solar cells in 2022,” says Ludwig Pongratz, a scientist at the Fraunhofer In- stitute for Laser Technology ILT. He hopes that by 2030, the flexible solar cells could be on the market, making a significant addition to the energy mix in the form of greenhouses or solar awnings. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research IAP also hope to use large glass facade surfaces for electricity generation in the future. To make this vision a reality, stakeholders all along the value chain, from material and window manufacturers right up to housing companies, have joined forces in CoSoWin, a project funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs. Fraunhofer IAP uses nanoparticles to apply a coating to the window panes that collects light, conducts it to the front side of the glass pane and feeds it into an organic solar cell there. “The efficiency is only at 4 to 7 percent at the moment, which is very limited. However, we’re proceeding on the assumption that it will be possible to reach 10 percent,” says Dr. Armin Wedel, a department and research area head at Fraunhofer IAP. The wind Wind energy capacity must be increased by at least 9 gigawatts a year between now and 2030 in order to produce enough CO2- free electricity for Germany. To achieve these targets, increasing the size and capacity of offshore wind energy plants will be vital — as will optimizing plant operations and reducing downtime. back to page 1 17

4 | 21 Fraunhofer magazine Bearing our hopes: With rotor blades of up to 222 meters in diameter, wind energy plants need stable foundations. Dr. Benedict Preu from Fraunhofer IWES has a solution that can reduce the construction risks. back to page 1 19

4 | 21 Fraunhofer magazine A breath of hope: Dr. Andreas Menne from Fraunhofer UMSICHT hopes to make it possible to store hydrogen in the long term and transport it over long distances during importing. back to page 1 21

4 | 21 Fraunhofer magazine Geothermal systems When it comes to climate neutrality, most of the attention goes to renewable electric- ity generation. “However, the key to the energy transition is actually the heating transition,” Prof. Rolf Bracke, director of Fraunhofer IEG points out. After all, generating heat for the industry sector, district heating and buildings takes up 56 percent of annual final energy consump- tion. By contrast, generating electricity only takes 14 percent of the primary en- ergy. “If we want to be climate-neutral, we have to generate heat from renewable sources. Solar thermal systems will re- main a niche option due to the amount of space they take up. And there isn’t much room left for expansion in term of biomass either — we can only burn as much wood as we can regrow here in Germany. That just leaves geothermal heating,” says Prof. Bracke. The demand for space and hot wa- ter heating in buildings alone represents 31 percent of Germany’s final energy con- sumption. Although shallow geothermal energy is used in a significant proportion of new residential construction projects, with percentages well into the double-dig- it range, and medium-depth geothermal energy supplies many local heat networks in districts, there are few large-scale projects focusing on deep geothermal energy — because the effort involved is far greater. Instead of drilling a hundred meters down as for shallow geothermal energy, deep geothermal energy requires drilling down some thousands of meters, where the water reaches temperatures of 100 to 150 degrees Celsius and only remains in liquid form due to the high pressure. The amount of heat generated by deep geothermal systems would be enough to supply existing district heating networks. This is particularly important in densely developed cities, where it is not possible for every house to tap into shal- low geothermal energy. Deep geothermal energy is also a good option for industrial processes, greenhouses, bakeries and paper manufacturers, as they need more energy than residential buildings. “Deep geothermal energy could supply industrial process temperatures of up to 180 degrees, in combination with large heating pumps, for example — that corre- sponds to up to a third of the total indus- trial demand for heat,” says Prof. Bracke. It’s a combination that Fraunhofer IEG is exploring as well. The research team is working with Fraunhofer UMSICHT to develop a plan for switching a Hagen-based paper factory’s heat-intensive paper man- The heat energy stored in the earth’s crust can be used for heating, cooling and generating energy. ufacturing process to a deep geothermal system, complete with a large heating pump. Bio-gas will also be used to supple- ment any shortfall. “While the upfront costs of a deep geothermal system are much higher than systems that burn fossil fuels to generate heat, the operating costs only amount to 20 to 25 percent of the fossil systems. So, depending on the location, deep drilling will pay for itself in five to 15 years,” explains Prof. Bracke. That’s why RWE Power AG is considering a deep drill- ing operation. In conjunction with Fraun- hofer IEG, it is developing a geothermal power plant that could supply the Aachen region with renewable heat from 2029. It’s an important date, because the last RWE lignite power plant, which supplies Aachen’s district heating network, is due to shut down that year. The municipal utilities companies in Düsseldorf and Duisburg, as well as the Düsseldorf airport are also working with Fraunhofer IEG in the field of geothermal heating networks. Fraunhofer IEG is adopting an entire- ly unique approach in the Ruhr region, which is essentially built on a labyrinth of coal mines. “In Bochum, we intend to use the mines for seasonal heat storage, for industrial waste heat for example. We’re currently building a demonstrator in the form of a large concentrated solar power plant, which we’re using to heat the 20 de- gree mine water up to 70 degrees. Then, when needed, it can be raised to the district heating temperature of 110 degrees using a large heating pump. This approach, whe- reby we make use of easily available heat, could become the key to the heating tran- sition for metropolitan areas on the Rhine and in the Ruhr region,” says Prof. Bracke hopefully. The large heat pump from Fraun- hofer IEG is set for installation in 2022. Meanwhile, Fraunhofer IEE is campaign- ing for low-temperature networks. Instead of running at 90 to 120 degrees Celsius, these run at just 40 to 50 degrees. In collaboration with the German Energy Efficiency Association for Heating, Cool- ing and CHP (“Energieeffizienzverband für Wärme, Kälte und KWK”) and various European research partners, Fraunhofer IEE has produced a reference manual showing how these networks could be implemented under a wide range of dif- ferent conditions. “These low-temperature networks offer many advantages,” says Dr. Dietrich Schmidt, head of department at Fraunhofer IEE. “At these temperature ranges, usable waste heat and geothermal heat would be available in much greater quantities. What’s more, heat pumps and solar thermal systems are much more efficient at lower temperatures.” It also reduces the strain on existing pipes and minimizes transport losses. Across Europe as a whole, the potential savings amount to a total of 14 billion euros a year. If you set yourself high targets, then clear- ly, you must search for solutions in every nook and cranny — not only looking to the heavens for sun and wind, but also down below, deep within the earth. back to page 1 23

Dr. Andrea Herbst, Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research ISI 4 | 21 Fraunhofer magazine “An important signal for other sectors” 1 Are you optimistic about the success of the energy transition? I am convinced that the energy transition can be achieved successfully, despite the challenges that lie ahead. For the decades between now and 2030, it is vitally important that we set the right course for the future through renewable energies, infrastructure development, scaling of carbon-neutral processes to industrial level, heating transition and the retrofitting of buildings, as well as the electrification of road trans- portation. For this transition to be successful, politics, industry and society must work together as one. 2 Have you faced any challenges that seemed insurmountable but that you eventually managed to overcome? My research is focused on energy transition within industry. Process-driven emissions from the steel, cement and chemical industry account for a large por- tion of emissions, which result from chemical reactions in production processes. For a long time, reducing these emissions was considered technically challenging if not completely impossible. However, the development of hydrogen-based, carbon-neutral processes in the steel and chemical industry has shown that a signifi- cant portion of process emissions can be avoided in the future — provided we can succeed in building up the required production capacity. The use of carbon-neu- tral processes to develop these products can also send an important signal to other industry sectors right across their value chains and thus accelerate their transformation. 3 Do we need to change our way of thinking? It is important that we all rise to the challenges we are facing in the area of energy transition — be these technology-based, economical, social or environmen- tal. Furthermore, we must understand that concerted action is now necessary — pushing things down the line is no longer an option. back to page 1 25

4 | 21 Fraunhofer magazine “Our new state government has set the goal of covering our entire energy demand using renewable sources by 2035.” You once said that contrary to the sta- tistical possibilities, you got cancer. Revealing this was a direct appeal to young people to get vaccinated. Did having the illness change you? Yes, it did. I’m more humble, and more grateful. I now know the importance of family and friends, more than ever before. To this day, I’m still moved by the get-well wishes I received from members of the public. Our health is our greatest asset. I want to repeat my appeal: get vaccinated. Take responsibility for yourself, and for others. Did your own experience of bodily infirmity teach you anything how the political system deals with illness? I can only speak for myself here, of course — I received all the support that was possible, both in the hospital and the physical rehabilitation facility, and for that I am very grateful. So, of course, I am aware that our health system is good, but also that there’s room for improve- ment. Everyone has the right to expert treatment and excellent care, and we intend to keep cam- paigning to make this a reality. “Involved at the grass-roots level” is how you described yourself and other Minister- Presidents during a talk show recently. In what ways does the perspective of a state politician differ from the federal, Berlin-based view? In recent months, we have often had the impression that federal politics in Germany It feels as though we’re stuck in a loop. From the first to the fourth wave of the virus and from lockdown to the government’s “emergency brake” measures, everything seems to be on repeat. Ms. Schwesig, do you think Germany is capable of learning? Manuela Schwesig: We are still dealing with a dangerous virus. So unfortunately, we have to implement special protective measures to combat the coronavirus this winter as well. Certainly, some things should have been handled better in recent months. For instance, we should have picked up the pace for booster shots sooner, since vaccination offers the only route out of the pandemic, in my opinion. But I don’t believe there’s anything we could have learned from the past waves of infection that would have allowed us to get through this winter without any cases of or worries about the coronavirus. At the beginning of the year, we had a shortage of vaccines. Now, toward the end of 2021, we have a shortage of public willingness to get vaccinated. Why does it seem to be so difficult for some people to trust research? The vast majority of people have done every- thing they could to contain the pandemic. They followed the coronavirus regulations and got vaccinated as soon as they could. Frankly speaking, I have little understanding for the people who can get vaccinated, but haven’t done it yet. The facts convey a clear message. The rate of coronavirus infections among the unvaccinated is significantly higher, and the danger of serious illness is much greater too. It’s hard to explain why some people ignore these facts. What is completely unacceptable are the verbal attacks on the very scientists who have been advising us to the best of their abilities for almost two years now. What do you want from research? I think that research has already achieved great things in terms of the coronavirus. Developing more effective and safer vaccines in less than a year is a huge accomplishment and our most powerful weapon against the pandemic. Another important area is the development of medications that are effective against corona- virus. back to page 1 27 g n u t i e Z ­ d l i B / o b a G : o t o h P

4 | 21 Fraunhofer magazine Minister-President Schwesig has some words of praise for the Fraunhofer research group for Smart Ocean Technologies, founded in 2016, as well as the Digital Ocean Lab. 2014 Reaching for the scalpel Schwesig visits an operation room simulation at the German Heart Center Berlin together with school pupils as the Federal Minister of Family Affairs. The artificial heart survived the procedure. 2017 Mother of the people Schwesig hugs her son Julian before being elected as Minister President of the Schwerin state parliament, while her husband Stefan holds their daughter Julia. “All in all, I think the way that the Fraunhofer-Ge- sellschaft is getting involved in digital transformation in our beautiful state is fantastic.” a p d , ) 4 ( s e g a m i o g a m i , 2 0 0 7 7 6 9 2 / e d . z v s . w w w / / : s p t t h : e c r u o s — ” e v o L n e d d b r o F “ i m l i f R D G e h t m o r f e n e c s , n o i t c e l l o c e t a v i r p : s o t o h P Digital Ocean Lab, an underwater test site near the coastline where materials, modules and entire underwater systems will be tested, evaluated and optimized in a real-world setting. But researchers in Rostock are also looking toward the future of agriculture. The Fraunhofer Center for Biogenic Value Creation and Smart Farming is focused on developing innovative technology and methods for agri- cultural operations. People often complain about the amount of empty space in Mecklenburg- Vorpommern. But let’s take a moment to celebrate it. When you want to get away from it all during the winter months, where is your favorite place to go? I have lots of favorite places. I enjoy going to Schwerin with my family. A walk around the Pfaffenteich lake is great whenever I have the time. And I also love the little island the Hiddensee. 2021 Government selfie Re-elected as Minister- President, Schwesig takes a photo of the new ministers. The SPD had a clear victory in state elections in September, winning with 39.6 percent. back to page 1 29

blood within the aneurysm to clot, which prevents blood vessels from rupturing at this point. Instead of wire meshes, Bakenecker wants to place the robots inside aneurysms to prevent them from bursting. “Using these robots, we could also treat weak spots in blood vessel walls that cannot be reached with a catheter,” says Bakenecker. “At the same time, we are working on materials that will expand within the aneurysms, closing them off.” Steering through the arteries with precision In order to take the first step along the road to application, the physicist collab- orated with the department of radiology and nuclear medicine and the department of neuroradiology at the Schleswig-Hol- stein university hospital. The neurora- diology team used patient data to create a 3D model of a cerebral artery with an aneurysm. The researchers successfully used this model to prove that the robot can actually be steered through the arteries to its precise destination, like a micro-submarine. Even at 3 millimeters long, the robots are not small enough for the really big tasks, so the team is currently working on size reduction. The dimensions of the mini-submarines need to be reduced to mere micrometers if the robots are to bring therapeutic drugs to hard-to-reach places: to the eye, the inner ear or through fine blood vessels to tumors. “We want to make the robots out of a material that dissolves at its destination and releases the drugs in the process,” says Bakenecker. Prof. Buzug is thinking of even more dramatic possi- bilities. “We could also use the micro-robots to carry radioactive materials that can be activated and deactivated off directly to tumors, thereby enabling radiation ther- apy with few side effects. We can’t possibly envision the full scope of the technology just yet.” 4 | 21 Fraunhofer magazine “We could use the micro-robots to carry radioactive materials that can be switched on and off directly to tumors.” Prof. Thorsten Buzug, managing director of Fraunhofer IMTE E T M I r e f o h n u a r F : : s s o o t t o o h h P P Size comparison: The robot is lying next to a grain of rice. New, micrometer- sized robots. back to page 1 31

4 | 21 Fraunhofer magazine Where is Emma? It’s the stuff of nightmares — a child vanishing without warning. Thanks to close collaboration with Fraunhofer IVI, the police in Saxony have a tool to help direct searches in a more targeted way and quickly narrow down the search area. By Dr. Monika Offenberger I magine a winter without the coronavirus. People would watch the New Year’s Eve fireworks, raise a glass to the new year and share embraces. And before that, there would be all the get-togethers over mulled wine and stollen at the Christmas markets in Nuremberg or Dresden. Then, imagine a nightmare scenario strik- ing, right in the middle of the festive atmosphere: Lit- tle Emma has disappeared! She was just standing in front of the carousel with her bag of Christ- mas cookies, but now it’s as though she vanished from the face of the earth. You search, and call her name, but still nothing. So you reach for the phone and dial the emergency number. “A major advantage of MePol is that it connects smartphones with the internal computer infrastructure of our command and situation centers.” “A child missing in a large crowd of people is a typical incident for our task forces,” relates Jan Hent- schel, head of the informa- tion and communication department in Saxony’s police administration office. “In such cases, we send the next available patrol car there immediately and request a photo of the child from the mother. We send this to all the officers in the vicinity using MePol, the new police messaging app, along with a map that displays the child’s last known location. We can also use the map to show our officers’ current locations and the direction in which they are headed. In addition, the tool also allows us to estimate how quickly the child is advancing in the crowd and the radius in which they might currently be located. We conduct a targeted search within this area, and as a rule, the missing child is found quickly.” The Fraunhofer Institute for Transportation and Infrastructure Systems IVI in Dresden developed MePol in close cooperation with the Saxon police Y B - L M D / h c i r t t i D o i v l y S , e c i l o p y n o x a S , I V I r e f o h n u a r F : s o t o h P : s o t o h P force for use in standard police services. The Free State of Saxony provided approximately three mil- lion euros in funding for the project. To date, the app has been installed on 4300 smartphones operating within a specially protected IT environment and is administered by the Saxon police themselves. Comparing the old process with the new system effectively shows the extent to which the app has simplified the work of the state’s police force. “Previ- ously we spoke to the mother first, of course, and requested a photo of the child,” Hentschel explains. “But then we had to take the photo away with us in order to create a wanted poster for the public search. Next, we would send out a radio message w it h a shor t description of the person and details of the last known location. Our offi- cers had to remember this information or make notes.” Jan Hentschel, Police administration office, Saxony No photo? No map of the area? No auxiliary func- tions? And all this in the age of WhatsApp and Signal and all the rest? “As a police force, some of the data we work with is highly sensitive. This means that we must guarantee a high degree of data protection and IT security, so using a commercial service would be totally unacceptable for us,” counters Hentschel. The idea of developing their own communication service was conceived in 2019. On the one hand, it would need to provide the same services as commer- cially available apps, such as the ability to send and receive text and voice messages, images and videos, and to create groups so all members can keep each other updated at all times. On the other hand, however, it would also have to meet additional requirements specific to the police — for example, operations man- agement, real-time location display, compliance back to page 1 33

4 | 21 Fraunhofer magazine Knowledge relay energy to be met from renewable back to page 1 35

4 | 21 Fraunhofer magazine Knowledge relay Prof. Henning, when can we expect the entirety of Germany’s primary energy demand to be met from renewable sources? back to page 1 35

4 | 21 Fraunhofer magazine scenarios studied by all the authors assumed that primary energy demand will be significantly lower in 2045 than it is today, decreasing by 30 to 58 percent compared to the 2019 pre-pandemic figure of 3557 terawatt-hours. Electricity for warmth and mobility The most important reason for this assumption is that use of electricity for heating and mobility will increase signifi- cantly, which will be far more efficient in terms of energy consumption. So while a gas boiler, for example, can achieve a con- version efficiency of 100 percent at best, 1 kilowatt-hour of electricity can provide three to five times as much energy for heating via a heat pump. In addition to the direct use of elec- tricity, all the studies also reached the clear conclusion that certain uses — for example, industry processes, modes of transport that cannot run solely on batteries and power supply in areas with low solar or wind resources — still require material energy carriers such as hydrogen produced by means of renewable electricity, or liquid energy carriers and chemical raw materi- als produced using hydrogen. However, the studies differ significantly in their projections regarding the quantities and future import share of these energy car- riers. They also disagree on how much installed capacity will be required for the most important converters of renewable energies by 2045. If we take an average of the figures from the various scenarios, this would mean increasing installed capacity for photovol- taics (current value: 58 gigawatts) and offshore wind (current value: 7.8 gigawatts) by around a factor of seven, while onshore wind capacity would have to be tripled (current value: 56 gigawatts). In principle, the area necessary to facilitate this increase is available. All studies agree that the rate of reduc- tion in greenhouse gas emissions stipulated by the German Federal Climate Change Act can be achieved, but that it is a very ambi- tious target that requires a great deal of effort and quick implementation. The question of resources seems to me to be one of the most significant challenges. After all, if we are going to accomplish the energy transition on a worldwide basis, as we must, then we will need a huge amount of con- verters, storage devices and transport systems, which will in turn take enormous quantities of a wide range of materials (such as steel, glass, concrete, copper, and even rare earth metals). This is why the transition to circular value creation also plays a key role in the global energy transition. In the next issue: My question: What resource strategies are necessary for the global energy transition? back to page 1 37 Prof. Hans-Martin Henning is the director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE. All the studies agree: The rate of reduction in greenhouse gas emissions stipulated by the German Federal Climate Change Act can be achieved, but it will require a great deal of effort and quick implemen- tation. E S I r e f o h n u a r F : : o s t o o t h o P F

4 | 21 Fraunhofer magazine back to page 1 39 39

4 | 21 Fraunhofer magazine Mobility and Innovation Systems research unit. Together with his team, he tries to distinguish solid, future-oriented innova- tions from short-lived hypes. Slimming down for the future: Regard- less of the drive type, one simple rule applies. The lighter the vehicle, the lower its energy consumption can be. This is especially true of electric cars, as their heavy battery modules can be problematic when it comes to range. Fraunhofer ILT has developed a welding process based on lasers, whereby high-strength steel can be welded seamlessly and precisely, even in very small spaces. The steel is therefore thinner and lighter, but doesn’t lose any of its strength. “We’re working on a process in which metal and plastic are welded together. This can be used to manufacture load-bearing components that no longer “Mobility is about more than the proverbial concept of getting from A to B. When it comes to cars, there are factors that go beyond the purely objective.” Sebastian Stegmüller, Fraunhofer IAO require connecting elements. That makes them even more lightweight,” explains Dr. Häusler, head of the Micro Welding team. Dr. Häusler and his team also demon- strate the potential of innovative welding techniques for hydrogen-powered vehicles. Fuel cells are designed for use in trucks, transistors and other commercial vehicles. The high-speed welding process developed at Fraunhofer ILT can be used for tasks such as joining the 200 bipolar plates required for each fuel cell, with a heli- um-tight join of 1.4-meters in length for each plate. And it does so faster, more efficiently and more cost-effectively than traditional welding technology. Lightweight, sustainable and safe — this is what drives the Fraunhofer Institute for Wood Research, Wilhelm-Klauditz-In- stitut WKI. Scientists at the institute have been working with their partners HOBUM Oleochemicals GmbH and Porsche Motor- sport to develop the “Bioconcept-Car” for the Four Motors racing team. The Fraun- hofer WKI experts use the natural fiber flax as a substitute for the expensive carbon used wherever extreme strength is required in the racing world. The flax is processed into a textile-like fabric and then coated with a bio-based epoxy resin. The researchers procure the flax fabric from a supplier. This vibration-absorbing material can be used where the strength of carbon is not necessary, e.g. in the door area, seat suspension or roof lining. “Our project proves that natural fiber-reinforced plas- tics actually work, even under high stress,” explains Fraunhofer WKI expert Ole Hansen. There are also environmental advantages, as the flax plant binds CO2 and is grown in the region, which saves on long supply routes/lengthy shipping distances. Compact and connected As a rule, “cars don’t just need new tech- nology — they also need new concepts. They need to become more compact and be connected with other forms of trans- portation through smart technology,” says Monika Beck, who is responsible for Tech- nology Transfer — Wireless Microsystems at the Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems IPMS in Dresden. Electron- ics will play a crucial role in integrating cars into future transportation systems. Vehicles are already packed full of ECUs (electronic control units). These ECUs control areas that are critical for safety, such as the engine, gear shift, accelerator and brakes. A modern car will contain between 30 and 150 of these units work- ing together, and all are equipped with processors. However, in terms of supply, the automotive industry is dependent on a small number of manufacturers, but their processors are often too large for certain specific purposes. This is where Fraunhofer IPMS comes in. The institute has developed an IP core based on the open RISC-V architecture, which can be individually customized. “The biggest strengths of the open RISC-V architecture are its modularity and expandability. It enables us to design customized proces- sors,” Beck explains. However, the RISC-V processor also offers another very significant new feature. As the first processor designed for use in cars, it is also available as a safety variant. In this variant, the design is pre-certified as ASIL D ready in accordance with ISO 26262. This standard regulates the devel- opment of electronic systems for safety in vehicles, such as certain data streams that are designed to be redundant or predefined actions that are initiated after a component fails. A suitable processor can be used in safety-critical functions such as sensors to make them stable and failsafe. Self-driv- ing cars in particular must have completely reliable sensor systems. Connection with the outside world and rapid evaluation of data are crucial for these sensor systems. But the vehicles can’t complete all these tasks themselves, as they only have limited computing power avail- able. This is where edge computing, 5G and V2X wireless connections (Vehicle-to-X) play an important role (see article on pg. 46). Using additional sensors on the roads to support the vehicle’ own sensors is also vital for self-driving cars. For example, from an elevated position such as a street- light, cameras, LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) scanners and radar could mon- itor hazardous locations such as intersec- tions or specific sections of road. The system collects the incoming data and transmits it via 5G to a nearby edge cloud system, which analyzes the data using AI. This forms a picture of all the road users, including their individual speeds and distance from one another. The system analyzes the traffic conditions using deep learning, transmits them back to the vehi- cles using 5G and detects dangerous situ- ations. If, for example, a non-autonomous car is on a collision course with an auton- omous vehicle, the edge cloud system will detect the danger. It will send a warning via 5G to the self-driving vehicle, which can autonomously correct its course back to page 1 41

Dr. Karina Villela and Matthias Koch of Fraun- hofer IESE are working to intelligently connect very different forms of mobility, even in rural areas. — Cars of the future: Prof. Uwe Clausen takes part in our Fraunhofer Podcast: 4 | 21 Fraunhofer magazine Digitalized traffic control integrates cars, bikes, e-scooters and pedestrians into a comprehensive mobility solution. “The car of the future will be part of a holistic mobility solution and integrated into a complex transportation system,” confirms Prof. Uwe Clausen, Chair of the Fraunhofer Traffic and Transportation Alliance (see interview below). What about often neglected rural areas? The more options available, the more complex mobility becomes for passen- gers. Dr. Karina Villela, project manager for Digital Innovation Design at the Fraunhofer Institute for Experimental volved in the European EIT Urban Mo- bility initiative in order develop and share better solutions. In addition to the opportunities that digitalization opens up for us, cars need to be constantly re- imagined in terms of their full range of components, performance and features and should be designed to form an inte- gral part of sustainable, connected mo- bility. Does government need to regulate the market with bans and phase-out deadlines? I don’t approve of that. The role of gov- ernment should be to provide incentives for development, to give impetus and to create a favorable environment. That’s the only way to kick-start competitive innovation for future mobility. Ulti- mately, the winners will be the ideas and clever concepts that people really benefit from. Technologies that don’t work end up disappearing on their own. What role will comfort and infotainment play? A very large one. In the context of transportation, man does not live by usefulness alone. Fundamentally, comfort plays a huge role. And when it comes to electrically powered vehicles, we also need to address issues in a new way. Internal combustion engines sim- ply masked a lot of disruptive noises — the quiet electric motor is completely different. We have many ideas in this area, such as metamaterials, which are being developed at the Fraunhofer Institute for Structural Durability and System Reliability LBF. The ultimate goal is to integrate the car into the overall transportation system using 5G wireless technology and AI-driven software. Institutes such as Fraunhofer HHI and the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS are working on this very area. This interconnection will open up many exciting possibilities for more than just cars — there will be mobility service providers with completely new ideas, offering incredible levels of comfort. Just imagine the possibilities if you could use your self-driving car as a mobile office! Today, engineers and designers at car manufacturers need to set to work and develop these concepts. At Fraunhofer, we’re doing just that. One area your research focuses on is logistics. Are there technologies that play a role in private mobility? Definitely! Within the massive trend toward autonomous driving, there are solutions for both freight and passenger transportation and by carrying out projects in each other’s sectors, we and our partners are learning from each other. We’re seeing more online retail and innovative last-mile solutions, from packing stations to cargo bikes to auton- omous delivery robots. When private individuals want to buy or use a car, more logistics services in the consumer sector are allowing greater flexibility, for example in terms of vehicle size. Will the automotive industry remain the most important industry in Germany in the future? There are a lot of indications that it will — but as part of a far-reaching structural transformation. Car manu- facturers must see themselves as mobil- ity providers, and combine mechanical engineering, design, energy systems, software expertise and transportation systems to create an attractive package. back to page 1 43

4 | 21 Fraunhofer magazine Software Engineering IESE in Kaiser- slautern, is addressing this issue. To solve the problem, she has created a mobility platform as part of the Smart MaaS (Mobility as a Service) project, in collaboration with partners Fiware, Cleopa, DFKI and better mobility. All providers can post their services on the B2B platform, whether for mobility, infor- mation or otherwise. This includes taxi “We’re working on further developing cameras, lasers for LiDAR scanners and AI for radar, for use in traffic monitoring, for example. “We’ve even set up a new AI department.” Dr. Tristan Visentin, Fraunhofer HHI operators, shuttle bus operators, e-bike rental companies, public transportation or car sharing providers, hotels or provid- ers of tourist information. This ecosystem brings all stakeholders together on one marketplace — services, information providers and intermediaries. All this information is evaluated by a mobility broker. If a customer is looking for the best route for a particular journey, the broker immediately generates a suitable itinerary, including the best means of transportation and transfer options. “Cus- tomers can also specify in their inquiry whether they need their trip to be partic- ularly low-cost, comfortable or fast. This enables stress-free door-to-door mobility for passengers,” says Villela. She sees Smart MaaS as an opportunity for startups or small businesses with specialist services to promote themselves on the platform. As part of his KomMaaS project, Mat- thias Koch, senior requirements engineer at Fraunhofer IESE in Kaiserslautern, is concentrating on rural areas. Here, there are too few options for transportation, rather than too many. The basic idea is to make these few options more accessible and interconnected. That way, public buses could travel through small villages and help people without a car to get mobile. Together with partners, the team led by Koch has developed a suitable web appli- cation. If someone needs transportation, they first call the regional public bus service and tell them where they want to go. Alternatively, they can use a smart- phone app to indicate their need. The public bus planning team receives this request through the application, and plans accordingly. Providers can now optimally combine individual journeys to specific passengers into a complete route. In turn, the display unit in the public bus shows the driver where passengers are to be picked up or dropped off. In later stages of the planned development, anyone with a private car who is planning a trip to a nearby city will be able to offer other travelers a ride via KomMaaS. Koch and his team developed the web application with a focus on simple and efficient functionality. “We want to increase mobility for people who don’t have their own cars, and improve vehicle utilization at the same time. There’s always a social aspect to mobility and transportation, too. When developing networked mobility solutions, we mustn’t forget that,” says Koch. The public bus trips have already gone through practical testing. Meanwhile, some districts in Rhineland-Palatinate have become the first to signal their interest. All these solutions have one thing in com- mon: people don’t necessarily drive their own cars anymore, but rather choose the option that suits them best at a particular moment. According to the Fraunhofer research- ers, the car isn’t going to lose its special status. Sebastian Stegmüller believes there are emotional factors at play here. “Mobil- ity is about more than the proverbial concept of getting from A to B. When it comes to cars, there are factors that go beyond the purely objective.” Rather than holding less weight in the future, comfort, features and personal space will actually be more important. This opens up huge opportunities for car manufacturer to produce really innovative new solutions.” Fraunhofer researchers have already pre- sented a study for this strategy for the future, named Vision PI. The passenger cell is designed based on a shell principle and can be flexibly adapted to the individual needs of the passengers. During the day or while commuting in the morning, the passenger cell can serve as a mobile office for working and for video conferences, for example. The vehicle’s HMI (human-ma- chine interface) technologies connect seamlessly with devices such as tablets or headphones, thus enabling an integrated media experience. The route is selected and adapted automatically according to crite- ria such as network availability, traffic volumes and upcoming appointments. In the evening, in preparation for a relaxing drive home after work, the passenger cell transforms into a relaxation room with darkened windows and wellness features that appeal to all the senses. The use of high-quality materials increases the feel- good factor — think cozy lounge ambiance, rather than the more austere feeling of a cockpit. “While it’s horsepower we care about today, in the future we’ll be looking for equipment that can be personalized depending on the context, and high-qual- ity haptic features built into the car’s interior,” Stegmüller believes. “There’s a social aspect to mobility and transportation, too!“ If basic requirements are met such as compliance with social standards in regard to manufacturing, environmental sustainability and safety, there is nothing to prevent cars from remaining personal consumer goods. Prof. Michael Lauster, Director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Technological Trend Analysis INT is optimistic, in any case. “Cars have a long, bright future ahead of them. They continue to be one of the building blocks of individual mobility. However, with the trend toward using rather than owning, cars will serve as status symbols for only the rare few.” back to page 1 45

4 | 21 Fraunhofer magazine A tailback around a bend or objects lying on the freeway — road trans- portation is full of hazards that the human senses often only perceive once it’s too late. Vehicle-2-X communication, which transfers information between road users and between the road user and transportation infrastructure, will alleviate this issue in future. The Fraunhofer Institute for Open Communica- tion Systems FOKUS in Berlin has been develop- ing and optimizing this technology for several years to enable real-time information about acci- dents, construction works, congestion and other hazards to be exchanged between standalone and networked vehicles en route. Researchers at Fraunhofer are now aiming to make the network available for use by other road users via their smartphone. “Vulnerable road users (VRU) such as pedestrians, e-scooter users and cyclists have a high level of risk when it comes to sustaining injuries in city-center traffic. With our ultra-precise location technology, which can be integrated as a service into any app, we want to compensate for this issue and get users to their destination in a faster, safer way,” explains Dr. Ilja Radusch, Director of Smart Mobility at Fraunhofer FOKUS. The hope is that cyclists, among other road users, will be able to feel safer — currently, because of the dangers of road traffic, 44 percent don’t feel safe. Radusch and his team have developed an interface that allows smartphones to connect to the mobility network, which finally makes VRU “visible” within the digital vehicle communication system. For example, a pedestrian walking out from between two parked vehicles into the path of one or more moving vehicles can be easily detected. Approaching cars, bicycles and e-scoot- ers can receive advance warning about the poten- tial risk of collision, and pedestrians can be alerted of danger via smartphone. Computing outsourced to the cloud A Mobile Edge Cloud (MEC) is a basic requirement for rapid warnings. It comprises many smaller computing units located on cell phone masts or in phone boxes on the roadside and constitutes the interface that is used to connect to other vehicles as well as to the transportation infrastructure. An MEC is also indispensable for the continuous and exact pinpointing of cyclists and pedestrians. All computing work for safety functions is outsourced to the cloud, which is then accessed via cell phone network. This reduces the load on the smartphone and has a positive impact on its battery life. In some cases, smartphone GPS data is not precise and can be off by up to several meters. In congested traffic, this difference can be dangerous. Is a pedestrian actually walking right in the mid- dle of a road, or are they just sitting at a bus stop on the sidewalk? This “position error” is created when signals are blocked by buildings or cloudy skies. To improve position data after the fact, researchers at Fraunhofer FOKUS have developed an algorithm that allows GPS data to undergo a plausibility check and be corrected. Dr. Ilja Radusch explains why reliability is important for creating a high level of acceptance for such apps: “False positive events that occur when a collision warning is triggered in error, for instance, can lead to users switching off the system or deac- tivating individual functions. Thanks to algorithm tuning, we now have a tool that’s truly reliable.” What’s more, users can choose to sail through consecutive sets of green lights at the touch of the button thanks to highly precise location technol- ogy. Since the transportation infrastructure is part of connected mobility, an app can be used to reach a destination using traffic signal synchronization. This automatically selects a route with fewer stop lights. The app can also tell cyclists whether it’s worth pumping the pedals a little harder before the next intersection, or if they should reduce their speed a few hundred meters beforehand. Another important factor for app acceptance among the public is the safeguarding of data privacy — all position data is processed anonymously in every respect. The next step in ensuring that the ultra-precise location technology developed by the researchers is tried and true involves working together with industry partners to prove that it works. A pilot project in Hamburg allows citizens to try out the mobility network in a real-world street traffic setting for themselves. The Hanseatic city is actively providing support through traffic signal systems with appropriate interfaces, while industry part- ners are expanding Mobile Edge Cloud capabilities within the urban area and providing smartphone apps. The project presented demos in October at the ITS World Congress in Hamburg — the world’s largest event for intelligent transportation and the digitalization of transportation. 44 % of cyclists don’t feel safe because of the dangers of road traffic. — Take part in the project run by RealLabor Hamburg and try out Fraunhofer technology today in the port city on the Elbe: https://reallab-hamburg.de/en Info video about the technology: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v= KzalTVkMyUc&t=26s back to page 1 47 l e g r ü B s u a K l : n o i t a r t s u l l I

4 | 21 Fraunhofer magazine Mr. von Platen, how far can I drive an electric Porsche at the maximum legal speed of 250 kilometers an hour? You probably can’t drive anywhere at a constant top speed (laughs). Under normal driving conditions, a Taycan’s range is a good 350 kilometers, and with our new model, the Taycan GTS, you can reach over 500 kilometers. However, it’s not enough to look at this number alone. With the Taycan, we never aimed to become the world champions for range. What’s important to us is weight and driving dynamics, as well as a short charging time. We’ve set standards around the world with our 800-volt technology. The Taycan charges much faster than most other electric cars, from 5 to 80 percent SoC in 22.5 minutes. Your telephone numbers at headquarters still begin with “911” — however, this year you have delivered more Taycans than classic 911s. Is it time to bring your telephone system into a new era? And what number would you consider switching to? Actually, in terms of global deliveries, the Taycan was on par with the 911 for the first three quarters of 2021. We are pleased that the first all-electric Porsche has met with such a great response, especially since around 50 percent of people who purchase Taycans are already Porsche customers. That means, while we’ve struck a chord with our fans, we’ve also conquered a new target group, namely people who have never driven a Porsche before. We’re expanding our fan base with electric sports cars. Regardless of that, the 911 remains our icon. No other vehicle is more closely associated with our brand. That’s been the case for almost 60 years. That’s why “911” is still our first choice for our telephone numbers. Do you consider e-mobility to be the future? At Porsche, electromobility is the mobility of tomorrow. Our focus is on electrifying our models, so we are establishing an extensive range and a position of technological leadership here. For example, we founded the Cellforce joint venture with CUSTOMCELLS, a company that develops and manufactures high-performance battery cells. With Rimac, we also hold a stake in one of the most innovative e-mobility companies. Together with other automobile manufacturers, we launched high power charging as part of the IONITY joint venture, which is now picking up pace. By 2025, the num- ber of charging stations will increase from their current number of just under 400 to more than 1000. Additionally, we are working on an exclusive, Porsche-owned charging network. We also think it makes sense to pursue green e-fuels — these allow traditional combustion engines to operate with a CO2 output that is almost neutral. One third of the good 13,000 kilometers of highway in Germany has a speed limit. Or to put it another way, only 2 percent of German roads are free from speed restrictions. Meanwhile, according to a survey conducted this year, half the members of the general German automobile club (Allge- meiner Deutscher Automobil-Club — ADAC) are in favor of speed limits. Is this a bad time to be a sports car manufacturer? I am against speed limits in areas where it is possible to drive safely without putting others in danger. People should be afforded this level of personal freedom. Speed limits are often used as an argument for reducing the number of accidents. However, accidents are five times less frequent on federal highways than on ordinary roads. Statistically, highways are among the safest roads in the world. That is why Germany’s future traffic light coalition government has spoken out against the introduction of a general speed limit in their coalition agreement. What criteria will decide consumers’ choices when buying cars in ten years’ time? For our customers, the brand has always been the number one factor influencing their purchase. We can see that this trend is only intensifying. That is why we are putting a lot of consideration into the question of how the Porsche brand will remain unique and attractive in the future, for example, through emotional connections to the brand that you can’t get from other manufacturers. Of course, the aspect of sustainability is becoming all the more important. We want to be at the forefront in this area, as well. We will invest 15 billion euros in electromobility, digital transformation and sustainable production by 2025. Decarbonization is a central field of action in our sustainability strat- egy — and we’re setting ourselves some ambitious goals: Porsche aims to be carbon neutral across the entire value chain and vehicle life cycle by 2030. All of this will play a greater role in customers’ decisions in the future. G A e h c s r o P / z t e o r K l e a f a R : s o t o h P back to page 1 49

4 | 21 Fraunhofer magazine Valuable software Cutting and polishing have a decisive effect on a diamond’s value. OptiRough, a new software, helps to achieve the maximum sales prices for diamonds. By Michael Krapp R aw diamonds do not sparkle and glisten: They look like dirty stones. Only by cutting and polishing a diamond can you reveal its beauty and create a valuable jewel. However, some crucial questions must be answered first: How many gems should you cut from a single raw diamond? What shape and cut should you give them? And how can you get the highest possible carat value? Dr. Jan Hamaekers, Head of the Virtual Material Design business area at the Fraunhofer Institute for Algorithms and Scientific Computing SCAI, is seeking the answers. After being contacted by Dave Oste, direc- tor of Tensor Diamond Technology bv in Antwerp, he took up the challenge. It’s all about the money — and lots of it, since the answers to these questions massively influence the sales price. For example, most raw diamonds contain inclusions in the form of small mineral crystals. Depending on their size, they can reduce the value of the diamond. Alongside this, the selling prices for certain cuts on the diamond exchange and their day-to-day fluctuations must be taken into account. “Cutting and polishing raw diamonds to obtain the maximum sales price involves solving an extremely complex optimization problem,” says Dr. Hamaekers. As a math- ematician, he approaches the problem in terms of combinatorics: how many dia- monds should a single raw diamond produce, and with what faceting? When cutting a stone, the position, rotation, the various shape parameters and quality grade must be considered. Diamond price charts present yet another difficulty here. The price jumps in these charts mean that very small changes to the size or purity of a diamond, for example, have a considerable impact on the market price of the finished product. A complex optimization problem — and the solution According to Oste, a diamond specialist, the problem is: “Previous solutions only produced satisfying results as long as no more than one or two gems were cut from a single raw diamond.” Another problem with cut planning is that a rough diamond usually has many different inclusions that the cut diamonds should not contain. Therefore, software solutions need to effi- ciently handle this complexity, especially in the case of multiple stones. After reviewing various methods and analyzing numerous benchmark examples, Dr. Hamaekers and his team succeeded in developing a solution. “We combined sparse grid methods and genetic algo- rithms,” recounts Dr. Hamaekers. The sparse grid method is particularly well suited to efficiently solve high-dimensional problems.Incidentally, this mathematical technique has also already been the sub- ject of several fundamental papers by Prof. Michael Griebel, institute director of Fraunhofer SCAI. Genetic algorithms use the principles of evolution to constantly come up with improved solutions to optimization prob- lems. If you want to use genetic algorithms to solve complex optimization problems, a p d / s r e t u e R / n a m r e H s e v Y : o t o h P A small mistake in cutting can reduce the value of a diamond by half. Antwerp is known for having the world’s best gemcutters. the trick is to adapt them to the specific challenges of the problem at hand. The team at Fraunhofer SCAI integrated a module with a combination of these methods into the OptiRough software. Beyond anything else, the new algorithm takes into account that even slight changes to the carat weight can significantly affect the sales price of the diamond. “You stand to gain or lose tens, or even hundreds, of thousands of euros,” says Dr. Hamaekers. Not only does the program suggest an optimal solution, but — seeing as numer- ous other factors influence the process of cutting and polishing a raw diamond — it also provides a list of various promising candidates from the available selection of raw diamonds. This way, it comprehen- sively supports planning how to cut and polish the diamond. Oste gave the Fraunhofer program a positive report. “The Fraunhofer SCAI software has made it possible to signifi- cantly speed up and improve the difficult and often protracted planning phase that comes before cutting,” he says. “It works well when it comes to inclusions and also factors in combinations of two or more stones.” The team is now planning a fol- low-up project with additional software functions. back to page 1 51

The TEDIAS patient admission system should help reduce hospital waiting times in the future. 4 | 21 Fraunhofer magazine patient may have indicated that they have no further illnesses, yet they are taking antiarrhythmic drugs. In this case, the physician will get an alert to follow up further,” explains Langejürgen. In a stan- dard patient admission scenario, it takes roughly 45 minutes to attach measuring devices, input readings and record basic medical data — time the physician can now use for a more detailed consultation. Colleagues on the ward, in radiology, anes- thetics or the operating theater will also be able to access this information — and thus be freed up from tedious routine tasks. “We’re planning interfaces for common hospital IT systems,” continues Langejür- gen, who also confirms that TEDIAS will be an optional offering, with no obligation on the patient side. “Just as before, the previous procedure will still be possible in parallel. We’re not looking to replace the physician — we’d never be able to do that — we just want to support them in the best way possible.” In principle, the avatar solution will be very user friendly, and even those who are not digitally savvy should be able to access it easily. The virtual physician will be able to manage a dialog independently — and not just in German; in time, it will also be able to converse in English, French, Turkish, etc. Until the avatar solution is ready for use, patients will be given tablets to allow them to input their medical history data into TEDIAS using digital questionnaires. The input information will trigger certain pro- cedures in the hospital. For example, if a patient had a painful wrist after a fall, an x-ray exam would be requested. In the future, these procedures will be displayed transparently to the patient. “The patient’s strong involvement has a positive impact on their satisfaction levels, and on their trust in the clinic,” affirms Langejürgen. Rather than waiting passively for two hours in an emergency room, sitting apprehensively, full of concern about the possibility of being forgotten, or not being properly understood when finally called for admission, the patient will feel much better, and will have a clear sense that they are being looked after. The data that is collected as standard via digital questionnaires also offers the added advantage of being a lot more legi- ble than the often non-standard, hand- written information provided on paper forms. It can be compared, it’s comprehen- sive and the information it provides is of good quality — which are all important prerequisites for enabling automated forms of analysis down the line, for example using AI. The data could also allow physicians to detect the early signs of certain illnesses. Or it could be used to review successful treatments that were applied in the past to patients with the same symptoms, vital- sign readings, and medical history. The first TEDIAS kiosk is set to be tested at University Hospital Mannheim in sum- mer 2022. Langejürgen believes that rather than viewing this new technology as a cold and impersonal digital avatar, physicians should see it as an opportunity to focus more on their core work — which is to care for and look after their patients. back to page 1 53 k c o t S e b o d A : o t o h P

4 | 21 Fraunhofer magazine Up to 1.5 million PCR tests are carried out by German labs each week. A P I r e f o h n u a r F / z e B r e n a R i , E T I X E D 3 : s o t o h P Alone in the lab: This 3D visualization was created in the 3DEXPERIENCE Lab for start­ups using construction data from 3DEXCITE/Dassault Systèmes. back to page 1 55

“Our goal is to create a software system that the Dr. Henrike Stephani, Fraunhofer ITWM police can use inde­ pendently in their daily work in the future.” ply do not have the time to conduct me- ticulous inspections of a longer period. “That means the care service providers in question are only sued for a few weeks’ or months’ worth of fraud, even though ev- eryone in the court knows that the fraud has been ongoing for years,” explains Stephani, adding that the police cannot employ temporary assistants for the man- ual inspections, because the cases concern confidential patient data. The project, which is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, is divided in- to two parts: first, au- tomatic image recogni- t ion , a nd s e c ond , analysis of the content. Stephani and her team are responsible for im- a g e r e c o g n i t i o n . They use text recogni- tion programs in some instances, for example, to read sections of itin- eraries and service con- firmation documents. “This is very easy when it comes to printed text in the tables, such as addresses,” says Stephani. “But for the handwritten content, we have to find in- dividual solutions based on machine learn- ing. Handwritten time periods present a particular challenge, since the notation can vary greatly.” The next step is to com- pile the information. Then, the data must be assessed, which is something of a spe- ciality for Elisabeth Leoff. “We work close- ly with the police to learn what content is critical for the investigations. After all, our goal is to create a software system that the police can use independently in their dai- ly work in the future.” 4 | 21 Fraunhofer magazine in court. As Leoff puts it, it has to “com- ply with the requirements of the justice system.” Regardless of the artificial in- telligence system or algorithms used, the judge must be able to understand what data the analysis is based on and how the results came to be. Otherwise, the public prosecutor has no chance of convicting the perpetrators. The current project, which is concerned with building a prototype, will end in the beginning of 2023. However, the partners are confident that it will continue. “The police are highly dedi- cated collaboration partners, so we can safely assume that the project will continue and that the system will be ready to use in a few years’ time,” says Leoff. In the future, de- tectives will be able to carry out the entire process independently, from scanning the doc- uments to conducting analyses. The software is designed to be flexi- ble so that it can be eas- ily adapted to the requirements of the re- spective fraud case. For Leoff and Stephani, the project is very different from their usual tasks at Fraunhofer ITWM, both because it deals very closely with people and because it involves very personal information that requires a high level of protection, name- ly care data. Normally, Leoff’s projects see her im- mersed in the finance or insurance sectors, while Stephani generally focuses on issues relating to industry — for example, in one current project, she is applying automatic image recognition to identify tropical tim- ber that has been traded illegally. That is to say, developing a search tool together with the police in order to save thousands of working hours and fight crime more effec- tively is something very special indeed. — AI fights care fraud — the Fraunhofer Podcast. AI and legal compliance One challenge the project is currently fac- ing is that the data must be anonymized before the police can hand it over to the team at Fraunhofer ITWM, thus creating an additional hurdle for the data assess- ment. On top of that, Leoff and Stephani must make sure the data is being pro- cessed in such a way that it can stand up e n i l n O 1 F / y s k c o t S : o t o h P : s o t o h P back to page 1 57

4 | 21 Fraunhofer magazine A pain in the chest, difficulty breathing and an outbreak of sweat — panic! These are typi- cal signs of a heart attack, and coronary heart disease (CHD) is often the trigger. Now, new technology is set to help make this condition less life-threatening. CHD is caused by calcium deposits that constrict the coronary arteries. This creates a bottleneck, which doctors normally widen using a stent. But in many cases, a con- striction builds up in the arteries again, requiring further intervention. That is why minimally invasive cardiac surgery uses drug-coated balloon catheters in lieu of stent treatment. When the balloon is expanded, drugs are transported directly from its surface into the arterial walls, where immunosuppressants and cytostatic agents prevent the vessel from closing again. The problem is that even today, the process of coating the balloons with drugs is entirely manual. “It’s hard to believe,” says Gregor Dürre, a scientist at the Fraun- hofer Institute for Production Systems and Design Technology IPK. “The procedure is time-consuming and prone to error. There are hardly any specialists with the required expertise.” Together with his team, Dürre is researching how the process of coating the balloon catheters can be automated. At the moment, Fraunhofer IPK is developing an automatic coating machine together with partners InnoRa GmbH and Organical CAD/CAM GmbH. “This would allow us to reduce the rates of rejects and errors, massively increase the sale of bal- loons and guarantee process reliability,” says the researcher. Constructing the automatic coating machine is challenging. The aim is for the microscopic crystals in the drugs to point outwards in the same direction. This is the only way that the drug can quickly and reliably penetrate the cell walls and have as long-lasting an effect as possible. For this reason, parameters such as the thick- ness of the layers and the texture of the coating surface play a decisive role. “The balloon catheter needs to transport the drugs into the artery walls immediately. This must occur within a maximum of one minute so that the oxygen supply to the heart is not cut off for too long,” explains Dürre. After the drug has been dispensed, the balloon catheter is removed again. Factors such as kinematics, the pres- sure applied to the balloon, coating speed, the duration of the coating process and rotation speed impact the crystal structure and, consequently, the construction of the coating machine. The “balloon” part of the catheter is an extremely thin and fragile membrane, and must be coated while expanded. “That is very difficult. The smallest mistakes can lead to a fissure in the 20 to 80 micrometer-thin membrane,” says Annika Brehmer, a biotechnologist and colleague of Dürre. This is what makes constructing a coating unit so challenging. The balloon is stretched on a wire that is rotated by two motors, ensuring that it is coated evenly on all sides. The position of the coating head alters depending on the balloon membrane. An integrated surface measuring device takes care of quality control by constantly measuring the thick- ness of the layers. The coating process lasts three to five minutes. “In contrast to manual processes, this method allows us to constantly monitor the quality,” affirms Dürre. The prototype should be mar- ket-ready by the start of 2023. Putting an end to calcification — but how? The second-most common form of cardiac disease involves defective heart valves. When a heart valve no longer opens and closes as it should, it often needs to be replaced with an artificial valve. Currently, medical science is trending toward biological replacement — it has the advantage of not requiring patients to take blood-thinning drugs such as Marcumar. But compared to mechanical valves, bio- prostheses also have a drawback: They calcify quickly. Biological valves, which are made from the aortic valves of pigs or from the pericardial tissue of cattle, work reliably for a maximum of 15 years. However, crystalline hydroxyapatite is deposited on the valve leaflets, triggering the calcification process. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Tech- nologies and Systems IKTS hope to use new chemical pretreatments to stop these deposits from forming. They are working closely with the Institute of Applied Med- ical Engineering at RWTH Aachen Univer- sity and the Meshalkin National Medical Research Center in Novosibirsk, Russia. “The prostheses are normally pre- treated with glutaraldehyde. The fixation agent stabilizes the collagen framework of the prosthetic valve,” says Dr. Natalia Beshchasna, scientist at Fraunhofer IKTS. Dr. Beschchasna and her team chose peri- cardial tissue as the base material for their trials and stabilized it with molecules of the fixation agent. Instead of conventional fixation with glutaraldehyde, they used diepoxide and bisphosphonate. “Glutaral- dehyde binds well to collagen, but not to elastin, which is also a component of pericardial tissue. That’s why people are looking for alternatives. We decided to use diepoxide,” explains the engineer. The fixation was tested with and without added bisphosphonates — medications that affect the bone metabolism and are used to treat osteoporosis, for example. The results of the in vitro test suggested that diepoxides and bisphosphonates could be a highly promising alternative to glu- taraldehyde, thanks to their excellent tissue fixation properties. “Pericardial tissue tends to bind calcium ions, which in turn bind phosphate ions, thus encour- aging calcification of the prosthetic heart valve. Diepoxides and bisphosphonates can counteract this long-term complication and inhibit the reaction between calcium ions and phosphate ions,” says Dr. Besh- chasna. “The perfect prosthetic valve has still has yet to be constructed. We hope that our new chemical pretreatment will bring us one step closer to that ideal.” e n i l n o 1 F / y s k c o t S : o t o h P back to page 1 59

4 | 21 Fraunhofer magazine T hum has succeeded in achieving what many researchers only dream of. He managed to bring a therapeutic drug from the initial ideas stage right through to its use on human patients. The 47-year-old cardi- ologist still clearly remembers the day it all began. It was in 2005, and he was reading an article in the scientific journal “Nature” that described how miR- NAs perform regulatory tasks in the liver of mice. At the time, scientists believed that the numerous short RNA fragments found in cells were simply the break- down products of longer RNAs, i.e. genetic “waste.” Once he was gripped by the idea of developing a new therapeutic approach, there was no going back. A mere 15 years later, he held in his hands the first ever vial of an RNA drug specially developed for treating heart failure. In the interim, Thum has worked intensively on new RNA therapies, also at the Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine ITEM in Hannover, which he has been heading up with Prof. Norbert Krug since January 2021. One area of focus at the institute is pulmonary fibrosis. Pulmonary fi- brosis is a disease that causes a change in the lung tissue and the gradual hardening of the lungs. Thum hopes that RNA therapy can be used to treat the caus- es of this disease, which has thus far proved incurable. “In parallel, we’re now starting to research heart dis- ease at Fraunhofer ITEM, which has traditionally fo- cused on lung disease,” explains Thum, who also heads up the Institute of Molecular and Translational Ther- apeutic Strategies at the Hannover Medical School. Many variants of RNA can be found in the body. The best known type is messenger RNA (mRNA). Its structure contains a code that serves as a blueprint for proteins. As a COVID-19 vaccination, mRNAs offer the most hope in the fight against coronavirus world- wide. Thum is studying another type of RNA — non-coding RNA, which are RNAs that do not contain any blueprint for protein. “It is known by now that over 90 percent of human RNA consists of non-coding RNA,” explains Thum. “A lot of this non-coding RNA is involved in regulating important body functions.” More active in diseased hearts Shortly after reading the article about miRNA in mice, Thum began researching the role of miRNAs in car- diac tissue. He discovered that certain miRNAs are significantly more active in a diseased heart than in healthy tissue. In hearts where the connective tis- sue had undergone a pathological change, he found particularly high concentrations of miRNA-21. This led him to the decisive idea: Would it be possible to reverse the pathological change in the connective tissue by inhibiting this RNA? The breakthrough — anti-miRNA Working with a collaboration partner, Thum’s team developed an anti-miRNA that neutralized the patho- genic miRNA. This was the breakthrough. He was able to demonstrate that inhibiting the miRNA had a therapeutic effect. These sensational findings were patented by the working group and published in the renowned journal “Nature” in 2008. Pharma giant Sa- nofi is meanwhile testing anti-miRNA-21 in a phase-2 clinical trial in patients with kidney fibrosis. During their cardiac tissue experiments, Thum’s team came across yet another type of miRNA. Called miRNA-132, it stimulates pathological cardiac hyper- trophy, which eventually leads to heart failure. In this case, too, a positive, curative effect was achieved by inhibiting the miRNA. It was initially tested on cell cultures, and then in further preclinical studies. This means that anti-miRNA-132 has met all of the require- ments for use in clinical trials with heart failure patients. Around four million people suffer from heart fail- ure in Germany alone. In such individuals, the heart is abnormally enlarged and too weak to pump blood around the body. Patients complain of shortness of breath, water retention and weight gain. “In the last 20 years, little progress has been made in terms of treatment,” says Prof. Thum. According to data from the German Heart Foundation, more than 40,000 suf- ferers die each year in Germany. By founding the startup Cardior Pharmaceuticals in 2016, Thum was able to make the leap from work- ing in a lab to conducting a clinical trial in humans. Twenty-eight heart failure patients took part in the trial and the results are promising. “We have demon- strated that treatment using anti-miRNA-132 is safe and does not cause any side effects in other organs,” says Thum. “Furthermore, we observed an improve- ment in heart failure markers.” Following this positive result, fresh funding has been provided and the phase-2 study has been given the green light. It is due to begin in the first quarter of 2022 and will involve 280 pa- tients in eight countries. 4 million people in Germany suffer from heart failure. “We have demonstrated that treatment using anti-miR- NA-132 is safe.” Prof. Thomas Thum, co-institute director, Fraunhofer ITEM — RNA research as a beacon of hope, and more — Prof. Thomas Thum took part in our Fraunhofer Podcast: back to page 1 61 y r a r b i L o t o h P e c n e i c S , M E T I r e f o h n u a r F / r h o M f l a R : s o t o h P

4 | 21 Fraunhofer magazine ITALY It just keeps on going Carbon-fiber-reinforced plastics (CFRP) are light and stable, and they offer cost advantages in the long term — making them perfect for components in electric cars. The Fraunhofer Insti- tute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology IWU and its partners EDAG and INVENT have developed a CFRP- based vehicle frame including seat structures that can be re-used over a 30-year period and for a mileage of up to 1 million kilometers. The components are not recycled but rather processed and reused directly. In this “design for reuse” approach, the individual components are designed in such a way that they can be disassembled easily and reused Imagine if vehicle frames could simply be reused — with this new develop- ment from Fraunhofer IWU, that vision is becoming a reality. in a second or third vehicle. This intelli- gent, reusable platform for electric cars was developed as part of the EU proj- ect FiberEUse, under the coordination of the Politecnico di Milano university. NORWAY Detecting and avoiding pollutants in water Our drinking water is at risk of con- tamination by certain chemicals that are not only poisonous, but also par- ticularly long-lasting and mobile. This contamination can be irreparable, because these persistent, mobile sub- stances (or PMs for short) get through filters and withstand drinking water purification processes. PMs are often used in the manufacturing of func- tional textiles, but they crop up in the paper industry and pesticides too. In the EU project ZeroPM, researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Toxi- cology and Experimental Medicine ITEM are collaborating with 15 part- ners under the leadership of the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute to develop effective means of protecting humans and the environment. The Fraunhofer ITEM team aims to identify and characterize risks pre- Natural barriers in the water cycle, such as soil filtration, can’t stop PM substances. sented by PM substances, so they are creating models exploring how humans may be exposed to these sub- stances and how they then spread in the body. By assessing the risks of the toxic effects, the researchers hope to help develop prevention and remedia- tion strategies. At the same time, they want to contribute to efforts to detect and avoid new dangerous materials more quickly in the future. back to page 1 63 AUSTRIA Active retirement made easy The digital world is brimming with resources that would allow older peo- ple to determine how they want to live their own lives, whether it’s in their own homes or assisted living facilities. Open platforms are free software sys- tems that make it possible to link these digital technologies together — in a way that exactly matches the individ- ual user’s needs. The aim of the Vien- na-based project PlatformUptake.eu is to promote the development and acceptance of these platforms all over Europe. To this end, the Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Graphics Research IGD has analyzed and evalu- ated existing systems and set up a comparison portal that care facilities can use to find the optimal platform solutions for their residents. The ideal would be to have a secure, user- friendly digital ecosystem that would supply users with health care and social welfare services or preventative programs and that could be con- nected to the users’ own devices at home. Digital services do help, but they need to be compatible with each other. e n i l n o 1 F / 1 6 d n e t s e W / r e t t ä t s m U e w U , ) 2 ( k c o t S e b o d A , ) 2 ( o t o h p k c o t s i : s o t o h P

O pen source may already seem like old hat to some. At Dachs- er, we’ve been using numerous open-source components for software development for quite a while now. We use these components to develop our two transportation management systems for air and sea freight as well as for road logistics. Its success in areas as diverse as server operating systems, web and mail servers, databases and smartphone apps shows how open source has gained in importance. One of the reasons open source has estab- lished itself so successfully across various in- dustries is because of the advantages of stan- dardizing across companies. The case of Linux also shows that the modular operating system is being further developed by software devel- opers all over the world. This means that as users, companies do not become dependent on individual providers. Although there can be a high degree of divergence in terms of qual- ity and cost even with open source, platforms such as GitHub show that the opportunities clearly outweigh the challenges. The logistics industry also makes use of these advantages — though only to a certain extent. Until now, logistics companies have been trying to gain what they believe is a competitive advantage through proprietary, non-interoperable, standalone solutions. This involves considerable effort, and does not allow for the development of standards. Taking an isolationist approach like this today also pre- vents the pragmatic networking between partners and customers that is so urgently needed in the modern world. All market participants in this industry are therefore facing the same pain points. And this is exactly why the founders of the Open Logistics Foundation now want to rethink the “old hat” concept of open source for logistics. Selected software and hardware components are to be made openly available — free of charge — to all stakeholders in the supply chain. This will allow the retrieval of individ- ual use cases from the repository and thus create a directly applicable standard, which will benefit everyone involved. Each company E S r e s h c a D : o t o h P “All market participants in this industry are facing the same pain points.” Stefan Hohm Has headed up the IT and Development executive unit as Chief Develop- ment Officer (CDO) since January 2021, and is re- sponsible for IT, research and development, ideas and innovation manage- ment, contract logistics and company-wide indus- try solutions. Started out at Dachser 30 years ago as a dual-study student in Frankfurt, and was later responsible for the MIKADO warehouse management system. Took over management of the newly founded Erfurt branch in 2004 and the Hof branch in 2008. Established a central unit for research and develop- ment in 2016, in his capac- ity as Corporate Director at Dachser head office. back to page 1 4 | 21 Fraunhofer magazine can then build on the freely available compo- nents and focus their scarce developer resources on creating and developing their own USP. This helps to increase the level of excellence across the industry. The Open Logistics Foundation and the associated Open Logistics Foundation e.V. are driving the industry’s move from knowledge to action. It’s also very important to me personally to emphasize that this isn’t a private club. On the contrary, the foundation’s core principles are that it is neutral, independent and open to interested stakeholders from any field related to logistics. This combination of principles should make it possible to move away from classic competitive thinking in this specific field, i.e. to engage in “coopetition,” to create actual standards and to drive digitalization together. The technical platform, which enables the corresponding components to be made available to everyone on an open-source basis, builds on European legal standards and values, especially in terms of how the repository is operated. The Open Logistics Foundation also supports the selection of collaborative projects and the assessment of economies of scale. The Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics IML, and Prof. Michael ten Hom- pel in particular, made a huge contribution to getting the foundation off the ground — he was there from day one. Without his passion for collaboration in the logistics industry, Dachser, DB Schenker, duisport and Rhenus would never have come together to found the Open Logistics Foundation. I am especially pleased that the involvement of Fraunhofer IML will ensure that science, research and practice will continue to be closely interlinked in the future. The foundations have been laid. Now it’s up to the companies to establish a corresponding open-source mindset and iden- tify further use cases. This will only work if in 2022, companies really endeavor to live the communal spirit that we hope the Open Logis- tics Foundation will establish in the context of driving digital transformation in the logistics sector. We’re ready to make our contribution to the platform’s success, true to our motto: “Let’s get it done together!” 65

4 | 21 Fraunhofer magazine Photo & Fraunhofer Working hard in zero-G An astronaut once described his work on board the International Space Station (ISS) as follows: “Imagine that you want to unscrew the entire engine compart- ment of your car and put it back together again cor- rectly. Meanwhile, you’re all decked out in thick winter clothes, protective goggles, gloves and a full trekking backpack. On top of that, you’re doing the repairs on a pitch-black night, at sub-zero temperatures.” The ISS is certainly a fascinating place to work — and in 2022, Fraunhofer will contribute to Earth observation on- board two space missions. If all goes according to plan, a new type of measur- ing instrument will blast off for the ISS next February, where it will help measure the impact of climate change on our planet’s water cycle. The instrument was devel- oped by the Fraunhofer Institute for High-Speed Dy- namics, Ernst-Mach-Institut, EMI, and its spin-off Con- stellR, while the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering IOF and its spin-off Space- Optix helped develop specialized optics for the tool. This will be followed in July by the launch of the ERNST nanosatellite. Developed by Fraunhofer EMI in collab- oration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Optronics, System Technologies and Image Exploitation IOSB and the Fraunhofer Institute for Technological Trend Anal- ysis INT, the 12U CubeSat weighs just 20 kilograms and is only half the size of a crate of beer. Perfectly equipped with a cryogenically cooled infrared payload, it will detect rocket launches and so demonstrate to the Ger- man armed forces the capabilities of small satellites. Houston, we have a solution! back to page 1 A S A N / A S E : o t o h P 67

4 | 21 Fraunhofer magazine The coronavirus has brought out the creative side in some people — like Steffan Kraft for example. The illustrator from Wies- baden has come up with his own way of reusing disposable masks. department at Fraunhofer UMSICHT. The scientist and his team have developed the iCycle process, a procedure used for thermochemical material separation. “Plastics and other organic constituents are broken down using thermal decomposition and evaporated in an oxygen-free atmosphere. This method allows us to separate these ma- terials from the metals or fibers they contain. Contami- nants such as pollutants or pathogens are eliminated by the high temperature — ideal conditions for recycling medical masks efficiently.” For the purposes of this project, Procter & Gamble set up specific labeled collection bins in its production and research locations in Germany. It sent the used masks to the team at Fraunhofer for further processing. The team then treated the masks thermochemically in a special pyrolysis facility used for its research, converting them into pyrolysis oil. During the pyrolysis, the plastic is heat- ed in an oxygen-free environment, which breaks it down into molecular fragments. “The oil yield is high. It comes to about 50 to 60 percent. This oil serves as a base mate- rial that can be further processed by players in the chem- ical industry to obtain new raw materials for plastics and masks. When produced via chemical recycling, these have virgin-material quality, so they meet the requirements for medical products as they are,” says Dr. Auer, who is delighted with the success. In the next step, the scientists passed the pyrolysis oil they had just obtained on to their colleagues at SABIC. The SABIC team successfully used it as a base material for manufacturing polypropylene (PP) with quality levels equivalent to new substances. Finally, the specialists at Procter & Gamble processed the high-quality PP-polymer into a non-woven fiber ma- terial. The mask production had now entered a closed loop. The Fraunhofer researchers and their partners had completed project development and implementation in just seven months — from the mask collection phase all the way to production. They stuck to the closed-loop prin- ciple in every respect. There are three products of the iCycle process: a solid, an oil and a gas. The latter can be used to provide energy for the process itself. Genuine closed-loop recycling “It’s amazing that we managed to establish a genuine closed-loop recycling process, that we really are going from a used product back to exactly the same original product, without any loss in quality,” says Hofmann. “That is tremendously important, especially in the medical sec- tor and for hygiene products — and it can be achieved through chemical recycling.” Can FFP2 masks also be a part of this loop? Dr. Auer doesn’t foresee any difficulties there: “There’s nothing to say they can’t, because the advantage of the iCycle pro- cess is that you can also use it to recycle compound ma- terials that could not be recycled mechanically — because, of course, we break them down into their individual con- stituents. You don’t even have to remove the wire for the nose prior to recycling.” The team at Fraunhofer UMSICHT is now endeavoring to apply the principle of the process for face masks to hos- pital waste in general. “Mechanical recycling of medical waste has proved difficult due to the high hygiene stan- dards,” explains Dr. Auer. “But with our chemical process, we can provide products with virgin-material quality. That is a decisive advantage.” o e n o c I : s o t o h P — Watch how mask recycling is done in a video — the thermochemi- cal process: back to page 1 69

Fraunhofer on the road Hannover Berlin Cologne 4 | 21 Fraunhofer magazine Munich April 26–29, 2022 LASER World of Photonics The world’s leading trade fair for photonics components, systems and applications Cologne April 26–29, 2022 Anuga Foodtec International supplier trade fair for the food and drink industry Berlin April 5–6, 2022 hub.berlin Europe’s interactive busi- ness festival for movers and shakers in the digital world Hannover April 25–29, 2022 Hannover Messe The world’s leading industrial trade fair Berlin April 26–28, 2022 DMEA The leading event on the digital transformation of health care Munich Last updated: December. Changes may occur due to the pandemic. Please keep an eye out for information from the event organizers. Fraunhofer magazine The magazine for people shaping the future Would you like to get the Fraunhofer magazine in your mailbox as soon as it comes out? Order it directly at https://s.fhg.de/of 1 2 | 2 The Methuselah gene Our dreams of longevity are coming true The corona expert Portrait: Sandra Ciesek 1 2 | 3 The era of the founder New impetus for the economy What we’re really lacking Raw materials, supply routes, digital sovereignty Is everything fake? The digital world — A blessing and a curse “Modernization can only be achieved through research!” An interview with chancellor candidate Armin Laschet The relay of knowledge Fraunhofer researchers provide answers Dangers in drinking water How drug residues are broken down back to page 1 71 4 | 21“Stronger support for research!”An interview with minister Stark-WatzingerThe cars of the futureMobility of the futureMore diversity on our roadsFrom the heart Research with its finger on the pulse — new technology and treatmentsDr. Andrea Herbst, Fraunhofer ISIWe have the energy!Sun, wind, heat — ready for the transition