Our diet is about to go green Food for everybody — from the sea 2 2 | 3 Our energy Where it comes from How we can secure Prof. Clemens Rohde, Fraunhofer ISI Breast cancer: hunting down cells in the blood stream New diagnostics — faster, more efficient, safer for patients “We are well-positioned in terms of applied research!” An interview with Bärbel Bas, president of the German Bundestag

3 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine Editorial Prof. Reimund Neugebauer In the long term, we may also be able to unlock nuclear fusion’s great potential as carbon-free energy source. Just 1 gram of deuterium-tritium fusion reactor fuel can release as much energy as burning 11 tons of coal. The USA is already exploring a number of promising approaches here, which we in Germany are well-placed to support with our expertise and new technologies. It’s not in spite of this crisis, but because of it that Germany must focus more on research and innovation in order to compete at a global level. Because after all, sustainable in- novations in the energy sector are the best way of increasing productivity and safeguarding sustainable value creation, prosperity and competitiveness in the long term. Sincerely, Reimund Neugebauer President of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft — Learn more about the main research topics of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft: Prof. Reimund Neugebauer on LinkedIn Innovation: the key to solving the energy crisis Energy is the overriding concern in Europe these days. Re- newable energy will not only play a vital role in making our industry and society carbon neutral, but it will also be im- portant in ensuring the security of Germany’s energy supply. To ensure our competitiveness and technological sovereignty in the long term, we must increase our domestic energy pro- duction. However, we will only succeed in this if we can accel- erate the expansion of renewable energies such as wind and solar power, as well as ramping up the implementation of a hydrogen economy so that we can decarbonize our industry. The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft has been driving strategic research advancements in various fields of climate innova- tion for decades. For an example of our outstanding energy research, look no further than the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE’s high-efficiency solar cells, which have already set multiple world records. Most recently, in May, Fraunhofer ISE managed to increase the efficiency of their best solar cell to date to 47.6 percent, thanks to a new anti-reflective coating. What’s more, the costs of photovol- taic technology have been reduced by more than 90 percent since 2010. With a wide variety of possible applications in industry, transportation and the power and heat generation sectors, hydrogen also represents a crucial component for achiev- ing climate neutrality in the medium term. According to a recent Fraunhofer study, the global share of hydrogen in end energy consumption will reach between 4 to 11 percent by 2050. However, if hydrogen is to achieve widespread use as an energy source, then it must be produced through cli- mate-neutral processes, at economically viable prices and in sufficient volumes. Now, an initial milestone on the road to a hydrogen economy has been reached, with the recent launch of the National Action Plan for Fuel Cell Production H2GO. The project, which is receiving 80 million euros in funding from the German federal government, is a combined effort by 19 Fraunhofer institutes to develop a highly scalable industri- al production process for fuel cells, primarily for use in heavy goods vehicles in road freight. Under these conditions, H2GO is sure to help scale up fuel cell production and smooth our transition to the “Hydrogen Republic of Germany.” 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

3 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine 26 We will live more sustainable, digital lives, in our homes and in business! Bundestag President Bärbel Bas believes that with the help of new technologies, the energy transition can be done 30 The inner workings of complex networks The more multifaceted networks become, the more prone they are to faults and breakdowns. Quantum computers can help make them more resilient 32 Airmail 2.0 Secure remote control for drones 35 Knowledge relay, episode 6 Prof. Waidner, how well prepared are Germany’s critical research and industry infrastructures in terms of cybersecurity? 50 A network of miniature assistants A new generation of microimplants is here to make life easier for people with functional limitations 70 Feathered air force Vultures will soon take to the skies with an early warning system for ecological cluster crises 76 Detecting breast cancer cells in the bloodstream A novel diagnostic method is putting an end to long, painful waiting periods — and it is much less physically demanding for patients. 74 Photo & Fraunhofer High-tech sensors may make self-driving vehicles a reality, but they take up a lot of room inside the car. Fraunhofer researchers have found a smart solution 76 Detecting breast cancer cells in the bloodstream A new method gives certainty without the delays 78 Resilient networks and fortified systems A newly developed software is here to help protect the European gas network 79 Fraunhofer on the road Since war broke out in Ukraine, the European Union has produced 24 percent of its power from solar and wind plants — more than ever before. According to the calculations from a recent study by Ember and E3G, this allowed the member states to save around 99 billion euros on costly gas imports. 24 58 Emotions: a passion project A new technical assistant is set to help autistic people get a feel for feelings. 54 Front-row seats for all Cultural events in the virtual world 58 Emotions: a passion project Making everyday communication in the working world easier for people with autism 60 Fungi foundations Building materials supplied by nature 64 A case for Detective Quantum? Maintaining security of supply in spite of interconnected energy sys- tems with millions of influencing variables 66 Carbon-fiber recycling meets papermaking Old carbon fibers become new products thanks to a technology from paper manufacturing 68 Fraunhofer worldwide 70 A feathered air force to patrol the savanna An innovative animal transmitter system can give an early warning if something is not right in the ecosystem back to page 1 y r a r b i L o t o h P e c n e i c S / r e n s s i e m h c s G e v e t S , i l e r u t c i p n a p / e k h c s z t a n n y S l i e n K , c i v i r K ž a j t a M , h c s r i K é r d n A , a p d / k e h t o t o h p / l e h c s t u r T s a m o h T , n n a m r e t a R s a n o J : t n e t n o c o t o h P 5 ; o t o h p k c o t s i , a p d / k e h t o t o h p / l n e H r e d n a X i , n n a m r e t a R s a n o J : s o t o h p r e v o c k c a b d n a t n o r F

Another chance for old tires The process of retreading old tires saves over 60 percent of the CO2 emissions when compared to the manufacturing of new tires with a similar quality level. This is primarily due to the reduced raw material and energy requirements. These fig- ures come from a recent study conducted by the Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety and Energy Technology UMSICHT on behalf of the Allianz Zukunft Reifen AZuR (future alliance for tires) network and funded by the German Federal Environmental Foundation (DBU). In Germany, around 570,000 tons of old tires end up as scrap every year, and most of them are incinerated or broken down into rubber granules and dust. Retreading them is a far more environ- mentally friendly option, but this alternative is rarely used. “The problem is that people generally do not trust retreaded tires,” explains Christina Guth, who coordinators the AZuR network. How- ever, as the study indicates, retreaded tires can last for just as many miles as new tires with a comparable quality level. And the research shows Mobile food check k c o t S e b o d A / s l l e c x i p - g o r a m , o t o h p k c o t s i l l a / a v e s t i a Z a n i r e t a k E , , D 3 k c a J k c a B l i n a n o d a b a : s o t o h P Don’t have a dog to sniff test your ood for ripeness and quality? Then Fraunhofer researchers have the solution you need. 3 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine Recycled tires are just as good as new ones and much more environmentally friendly. that there are many other benefits to the recycled tires. “If we used this process on a larger scale, we could save huge quantities of crude oil, rubber and steel,” says Ms. Guth. What’s more, the retreaded tires cost less than new ones. However, if consumers are to be won over, they will need to be better informed regarding the environmen- tal and economic advantages of recycled tires. How can we tell if the flesh of an avocado is rotten under- neath its thick skin? In the future, a small, mobile scanner system will provide quick answers to this question; the device is being developed at the Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems IPMS. The system will also make it possible to check for quality, ripeness and freshness without any need to touch the produce. Being quite small, these devices can be integrated into tablets or — perhaps in the future — even smartphones. The scanner’s compact size is made possible by micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS), but it still delivers high-precision measurements. The data the device collects undergoes a chemometric analysis either on site or online, so that specific characteristics can be identified. This allows the system not only to declare whether the foodstuffs are ripe and fresh, but also to check that correct mixing ratios were applied in the food processing step. The devices will also facilitate rapid inspections for incom- ing and outgoing goods and targeted selection in recycling and reuse processes. Ultimately this means that decreas- ing product freshness can be detected at an early stage throughout the entire supply chain, which will in turn reduce food waste. back to page 1 7

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 München, 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, Beate Strobel Editorial assistants: Dr. Janine van Ackeren, Mandy Bartel, Dr. Katja Engel, Meike Grewe, Robert Grill, Sirka Henning, Tim Schröder, Mehmet Toprak and Yvonne Weiß Layout and lithography: Vierthaler & Braun Cover image and cover story photography: Jonas Ratermann Nutrition article photography: André Kirsch Printed by: Zeitfracht GmbH, Nuremberg © Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft e. V. Munich 2022 Fraunhofer in Social Media: @Fraunhofer www.facebook.com/ fraunhoferde www.instagram.com/ fraunhofergesellschaft www.linkedin.com/company/ fraunhofer-gesellschaft www.youtube.com/ fraunhofer ) 2 ( o t o h p k c o t s i , a p d / y a M k n a r F : s o t o h P 3 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine Safer e-scooter mobility There are almost as many accidents involving e-scooters as mopeds and motor scooters. Fraunhofer researchers used crash test dummies and com- puter simulations to investigate how to improve safety for e-scooter drivers. In 2020, there were 2,155 e-scooter collisions in Germany. R esearch teams at the Fraunhofer Institutes for High-Speed Dynam- ics, Ernst-Mach-Institut, EMI and for Mechanics of Materials IWM have joined forces in the HUMAD project to analyze the typical sequence of events in common accidents and identify the associated injury risks. They also tested the suitability of a variety of helmets and protective equipment. The researchers found that even at a seemingly low speed of only 10 km/h, a collision at a 90° angle puts an enormous acceleration stress of 170 g on the human body. Conventional bike helmets and protective gear reduce the severity of the impact, but do not offer total protection in collisions with hard objects. Dr. Jörg Lienhard, who oversees mat- ters relating to lightweight construction in the Component Safety and Lightweight Construction business unit, explains: “Protective gear often uses plastics with a type of honeycomb structure. Our tests in the laboratory showed that materials with a TPMS (triply periodic minimal surface) structure could offer much better protec- tion against kinetic effects.” The TPMS is a remarkably “airy” and open structure that allows for particularly effective dis- tribution of kinetic energy across the surface while reducing the pressure on individual impact areas. This concept originates from the field of biomimetics, meaning that is inspired by nature — insects’ chitin exoskeletons and others like starfish ect. have a similar structure, for example. TPMS helmets and protective gear could be manufactured via 3D printing, using many different kinds of materials. Thanks to the flexibility of 3D printing processes, safety-related components can be individually manufactured in line with the specific needs of each application and its typical risks — and with direct light processing (DLP), they can now be manu- factured in large batches. back to page 1 9

3 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine Using the energy we have more efficiently: Lisa Neusel and Prof. Clemens Rohde of Fraunhofer ISI are betting on the growing power of networks in the industry sector. back to page 1 11

3 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine 3 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine “The answer to that question is an unequivocal ‘yes.’ With the right control system, you could actually have grids that only use converters; even in the worst-case scenario, they would do enough.” Dr. Philipp Strauß, Fraunhofer IEE back to page 1 13

3 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine 3 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine continues to function as normal for a period of time afterward, thus activating the instantaneous reserves, which then stabilize the grid. “We wanted to find ways of controlling these power converters within an integrated grid system. Is there any way they could be used to absorb major grid faults?” asks Dr. Strauß, who is coordinating the entire project at Fraunhofer IEE. Can the technology fulfill the research- ers’ hopes and do enough to stabilize Germany’s power grids? “The answer to that question is an unequivocal ‘yes.’ With the right control system, you could actually have grids that only use converters; even in the worst-case scenario, they would do enough,” reports the researcher. The new control system can even coexist with the current systems — and this will be an important point if renewable energy is to replace fossil power plants on a step-by-step basis. The researchers have even designed the necessary control procedure for c u r rent st abi l i zat ion. These grid-forming power converters with digital electrical inertia are already required in maximum-volt- age applications and large-scale power converters in the transmis- sion system. However, although plans are in place to integrate converters into the distributed grid as well, this will require further research. One tricky issue here is how the con- verters interact with existing protective technology — the last thing the researchers want is for the new power converters to create new problems. The energy transition cannot happen without the digital transformation Ensuring grid stability is no mean feat — but the dig- ital transformation is capable of much more. In many quarters, it’s seen as the key to achieving the energy transition, reducing our dependency on fossil fuels and alleviating the worst effects of the climate catastro- phe. “The digital transformation has picked up speed significantly at the various grid levels, particularly in maximum- and high-voltage grids,” reveals Dr. Marijke Welisch, managing director of the Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence Integrated Energy Systems CINES. “But with all the discussions around price increases and gas supply problems, the issue has been relegated to the background. And that’s disastrous. After all, practically every aspect of the energy system transformation relies on digital tech- nology — without extensive digitalization, the energy “In the future, the value of energy will be dependent on the data associ- ated with it.” Study: “The Digital Transformation of the Energy System — 14 Theses for Success,” by the Fraunhofer Cluster CINES transition cannot be achieved in time.” One of the reasons for this is that the energy system is becoming very com- partmentalized, due to the proliferation of photovoltaic plants, heat pumps and electric vehicles, etc. However, the grids cannot simply be expanded at random. Likewise, as it now consists of millions of plants instead of a few very large power stations as in times gone by, it would be almost impossible to control the system without digital intelligence to monitor the external influencing factors and divide up the signals. The time needed for the energy transition is another sticking point. Many processes can only run quickly and efficiently if they are run by digital means. “There is a great deal of new equip- ment and network components in need of approval. However, if the approval applications end up on the relevant official’s desk as a fax, that’s not effective, and it’s not appropriate for the times we live in. The digital transformation absolutely has to happen here too,” comments Manuel Wickert, head of the cluster’s research team for digital transformation. In “Digital Transformation of the Energy System — 14 Theses for Success,” a study published at the end of September 2022, the researchers in the cluster outlined a number of theses on the subject; each one is accompanied by a summary of the key facts for policymakers and spe- cific recommendations for action for the energy sector. “We started by analyzing project scenarios: What might a completely digitalized energy system look like in five years time? What about a completely analog one? Or a system that maintains the status quo? Using these sce- narios as a basis, we combined trends from the energy sector and the digital transformation, and looked for areas of overlap,” explains Dr. Welisch. This process allowed the researchers to identify five key focus areas: data economy, energy systems integration, power plant communications, cybersecurity and grid operation and planning. When it comes to the data economy, it is essential for grid operators to have sufficient data for power trading and planning related system services, such as instantaneous reserves. Because after all, uncertainty increases the costs of com- pensation. This is why the first thesis states that in the future, energy’s value will be dependent on the data associated with it. This is best explained using an exam- ple: There was a solar eclipse on March 20, 2015 and it was not clear how this natural phenomenon would affect the generation of solar power — as such, compensating current was provided at very high prices. The more meteoro- back to page 1 15

3 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine 3 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine “Russian gas was cheap. Now it will take us until at least 2030 to really get back on course.” Prof. Bruno Burger, Fraunhofer ISE back to page 1 17

the preparatory work that allows for quick implementa- tion of solutions today. “We already set up 30 pilot networks more than 13 years ago. They generally consist of 8 to 15 companies and a technical energy consultant that link up for a period of 2 to 3 years with the goal of implement- ing energy efficiency measures in areas like heating and cooling, lighting, air compression, process optimization and operational workflows, so as to reach a specific energy saving target,” explains Lisa Neusel, a research fellow at Fraunhofer ISI. The foundation of this initiative is a net- work management model developed during the pilot phase of Fraunhofer ISI’s “Lernende EnergieEffizienz-Netzwerke” (learning energy efficiency networks) project: This uniform standard makes it possible compare the networks’ energy saving successes in a scientific manner. The tool the researchers developed for the model records various details, such as the amount of CO2 saved by a particular measure, the category the measure belongs to and how much it cost. The companies also engage in a moderated discus- sions, which is a vital factor for the networks’ success. “Regular peer-to-peer discussions help the businesses involved to quickly learn where they can save energy,” Ms. Neusel points out. The German federal government was quick to adopt this impressive network model: In 2014, it joined forces with 22 industry associations and organizations to create the “Initiative Energieeffizienz- und Klimaschutz-Netzw- erke” (energy efficiency and climate protection networks initiative). The initiative now comprises 346 networks and over 3,000 companies. Since 2014, the process of 3 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine “We have been wondering how to get companies to consider the question of energy efficiency at board level for quite some time. Now, unfortunately, Putin has done it for us. Energy has gone from a typical secondary issue languishing in a corner to a strategic priority.” Prof. Clemens Rohde, Fraunhofer ISI implementing the steps proposed in the initiative has been supported by annual voluntary monitoring conducted by Fraunhofer ISI and the adelphi research and consul- tation institute. Now, finding ways to save energy quickly is a more topical subject than ever in the initiative. The networks help the companies to reduce their energy consumption and mitigate the effects of energy price increases within the space of four weeks, through practical, low-investment measures that can be implemented in the short term. “The best option here is a change in the way a company con- sumes energy, i.e., measures that can be adopted without any large investments,” explains Prof. Clemens Rohde, a business unit head at Fraunhofer ISI. Prof. Rohde estimates that depending on the company, short-term measures can achieve savings of around 5 percent. “However, in the medium term,” the professor continues, “companies must take a strategic approach to this issue. We have been with Fraunhofer ISE’s MorphoColor® coating, solar modules will no longer be a threat to architectural aesthet- ics — instead, they will come in a blaze of brilliant colors. Space can al- so present an issue where you would least expect it: at offshore wind farms out to sea. However, there are obsta- cles like nature reserves and shipping routes to contend with. “There is no other country apart from Germany that has set such high targets in pro- portion to its size, while having so lit- tle space available for offshore wind energy,” says Dr. Martin Dören- kämper, group manager at the Fraun- hofer Institute for Wind Energy Sys- tems IWES. “Currently, the available surface area could produce between 50 to 60 gigawatts at peak capacity, but the expansion goals set by policy- makers call for at least 70 GW.” Of course, the wind farms could just be built closer together, but then they would block each other’s wind and become less efficient. The big ques- tion is how far can you push it? Re- searchers at Fraunhofer IWES hope to find out. In the research project X-Wakes, they are simulating wind flows under various different condi- tions, using a conventional weather model that they have expanded to represent a wind farm. back to page 1 19

3 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine 3 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine wondering how to get companies to consider the question of energy efficiency at board level for quite some time. Now, unfortunately, Putin has done it for us. Energy has gone from a typical secondary issue languishing in a corner to a strategic priority.” Saving energy is important. However, using the energy we generate in the most con- sistent way possible may be even more important, as consistent energy use brings a double advantage. Not only does it have a positive effect on companies’ balance sheets, but it also improves grid stability. And that’s a big plus, because although fluctuations don’t do the power grid any favors, they are an inherent part of wind and solar energy. Making our energy requirements more flexible could be at least a partial solution here. “The companies can use the market platform to find various services that will help them commercialize their energy flexibility.” Can Kaymakci, Fraunhofer IPA However, this will require incentives, such as energy balancing markets, for example. These markets are attrac- tive for large-scale energy consumers such as aluminum or paper manufacturers, because they can save a great deal of money if they bring their systems on- and offline in accordance the grid’s needs — which will also stabilize the electricity grid. However, to do this, companies need to know what opportunities for energy flexibility their business offers, and grid operators and companies must communicate with each other. Luckily, researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA and their partners in the project SynEr- gie have developed an energy synchronization platform that can make this happen. “The platform is divided into two subplatforms, one for production companies and the other for offering and procuring market services,” explains Can Kaymakci, a Fraunhofer IPA scientist. The company version shows businesses the various measures they can adopt to make their energy requirements more flexible. It analyzes data from companies’ machinery, identifies areas that offer dynamic energy flexibility in production processes and infrastructure, and shares this information in a standardized way. While these processes can be fully automated, most companies prefer to have a human as the final decision-making authority. Options for creating energy flexibility include delay- ing production start times and adapting machinery back to page 1 21

3 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine the theoretical flexibility shown in our calculations and assigning it to individual vehicles that are actually avail- able.” An initial pilot project is running in a neighborhood of the city of Suhl in Thuringia and plans are in place to conduct a larger pilot in Erfurt. The team are also work- ing to create a shared area charging model for an entire city district. Rather than taking place under controlled lab conditions, this project is being carried out in the real world — and now, the researchers’ vision is gradually coming to life. A ‘self-aware’ energy system? increasingly complex situations. The ideal outcome of this research is to achieve security of supply without increasing the cost of the entire energy system. The second key area is cognitive energy system technology, which covers everything that is connected to the grid, from inverters to the photovoltaic systems themselves and the energy consumers. The last factor is the cognitive energy sector, meaning the problem of how to bring this fluctu- ating, decentralized energy to the market. Here, the researchers are investigating what kind of new business models would be needed, for example, to account for the interactions between consumers or producers and public utility companies. “We hope to create cognitive energy systems that will make an energy supply based on renew- able energy possible, secure and affordable.” André Baier, Fraunhofer IEE That’s not the only dream now becoming a reality, as climate activists’ hopes of seeing a rise in the share of solar energy are also coming true. Many people are installing rooftop photovoltaic systems on their houses in preparation for winter — in fact, almost every mod- ule on the market has been bought up. However, with every new set of solar cells and every new electric car connected to the grid as a power storage unit, the energy system becomes more decentralized and complex. And that means it is also much harder to manage. “It’s not as easy to match up generation and consumption as it used to be,” confirms André Baier, a project manager at Fraunhofer IEE. “What we really need now is a high degree of automa- tion, including artificial intelligence, so that in future, we will be able to coor- dinate complex processes with each other in real time.” The Bundesverband für Energie und Wasserwirtschaft BDEW (German federal association for the energy and water sectors) is clearly thinking along the same lines, as it hopes to make the energy sector a leading market for artificial intelligence. And that is an important goal for Fraunhofer IEE as well. That is why the institute is bringing its expertise to bear in various related research initiatives, such as IC4CES, alongside other stakeholders from research, industry, society and politics. Their mission is to give the energy system an “awareness” of the state of its systems, so that it can control them autonomously in the future. “We hope to use artificial intelligence to create cognitive energy systems that will make an energy supply based on renew- able energy possible, secure and affordable,” says Mr. Baier. The researchers are focusing on three key areas here: The first key area is cognitive energy grids, namely a grid that has the ability to guarantee energy security even in To demonstrate the potential of artificial intelligence, the researchers turned to the example of energy trading, specifically wind energy. “We were able to show that artificial intelligence can automatically make any energy that is generated available on the market, and achieve results that are just as good as human sellers, or even better in some cases,” affirms Mr. Baier. The research team is using a variety of artifi- cial intelligence approaches here, such as supervised learning, whereby the sys- tem makes decisions based on a controlled data set that is used to train it. This is a good fit for applications such as predicting wind and solar energy generation. By contrast, in reinforcement learning, the system runs in a strictly controlled environment, such as a group of power supply lines with a specific operating load. If one line breaks down, the system will detect this and attempt to find the best way of distributing the corresponding quantity of energy across the other lines. If this is not possible, the system must then disconnect individual lines or reduce the amount of power coming from them — which can also be accom- plished using AI-driven approaches. Although artificial intelligence is already fit for use in prediction applications, more research is needed in the field of automated grid control. This is because the AI solutions that exist currently are still black box systems — meaning the researchers do not know how AI engines come to the decisions they make. However, Fraunhofer and the University of Kassel plan to change this over the coming years. Awareness is on the rise everywhere; our awareness of energy, and the energy system’s awareness of itself. — Could artificial intelligence protect our energy grids from cyberattacks? Scan here for the podcast: back to page 1 23

3 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine The German Future Prize has been award- ed by the German president since 1997 to honor technological innovations that have definite potential for practical application and represent a signif- icant advancement on current levels of prog- ress in research and technology. The prize is worth 250,000 eu- ros and is awarded annually. The compact and powerful inner workings of the ChargeBox. Dr. Thorsten Ochs, Thomas Speidel and Stefan Reichert (from left to right) proudly present the technology they developed together. and developed a new kind of power electronics with multiple converters that adjust the voltage gradually and so enable faster and safer charging. To create this tech- nology, they are using innovative semiconductors made of silicon carbide, which have been the subject of research at the institute for several years. ADS-TEC took charge of the storage battery and the integration and industrialization processes and scaled the ChargeBox up to mass production in 2020. A new produc- tion location was set up specially in Saxony, creating several dozen jobs. Over 1,000 systems have been shipped to Europe and the USA so far, and the order books are filling up nicely. “Due to the rapid increase in the volume of electric cars on the road, there is huge growth potential in the fast charger market alone. We expect to produce around 5,000 fast charger stations per year, which is why we have further increased the capacity of our production facility in Dresden,” Mr. Speidel tells us with pleasure. A key component for a resilient energy supply Besides offering faster charging for electric cars, the ChargeBox has a far bigger future ahead. As a key com- ponent in future power grids, it has significant potential to help make our energy supply more resilient. While in the past, energy generation has been based on projected capacity and consumption forecasts, the fluctuating availability of renewable energies is making it increas- ingly difficult to meet volatile energy demands in good time and cover peak loads. Consequently, local storage solutions are gaining importance as buffers that offer flexibility. ChargeBoxes could potentially also be used in industry or private households to temporarily store power from photovoltaic systems or heat pumps and supply it when needed. If connected to virtual power plants in an intelligent network, they could provide a promising solution to the energy supply problems that are currently causing such concern. This forward-thinking innovation won ADS-TEC Energy and Fraunhofer a place among the three nominees for the 2022 German Future Prize. — Scan here for the podcast: back to page 1 25 z n e d u P r a g s n A / e z i r P e r u t u F n a m r e G : o t o h P

3 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine 3 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine Ms. Bas, we’re coming to the end of a difficult year. What gives you hope for 2023? There is a strong sense of solidarity in Germany. It’s much stronger than we often believe. Our general public is very engaged. And our country is proving itself capable of action. Even when it comes to making difficult decisions and saying goodbye to old certainties, such as in security, defense or energy policy. Our skilled workforce is extremely well trained and we have an innovative industry sector — partly because we are so well positioned in terms of applied research. And yes, I am talking about the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft specifically here. How can research help us overcome challenges? We obviously need new technologies for the energy transition. And when it comes to combating climate change, research plays a major role. We’re all currently dealing with the war in Ukraine. The most important thing in this regard is determined, political leadership. When it comes to defending ourselves against cyberattacks or safeguarding criti- cal infrastructure, research plays an important role. Before I was elected president of the Bundestag, as deputy chair of my SPD parliamentary group, I was responsible for the areas of health, petitions, edu- cation and research. So of course I know that even outside of the current crises, research is becoming ever more important. The Fraunhofer Institute for Microelectronic Circuits and Systems IMS in my constituency of Duisburg is doing outstanding work. What is more dangerous for our society: the crises, or people’s fear of the crises? We know fear is a bad advisor. It paralyzes us and leads us to make mistakes. Optimism gives us the power to solves problems and overcome crises. That especially applies with regard to Ukraine. Putin’s propaganda is deliberately trying to spread fear and divide Ukraine’s supporters. We can’t let ourselves be intimidated. On German Unity Day, you said: “Our country has the skills to drive major transfor­ mations.” What skills are these — and how will our country transform in the next ten years? In ten years’ time, we will be living more sustain- able, digital lives, in our homes, in business and in travel. I am confident that we will handle this transformation well. In my speech on German Unity Day, I looked back on the upheaval in our recent past: both the decades of structural change in the area I come from, the Ruhr region, and the upheaval that the East Germans overcame after reunification. These two cases show that our coun- try is capable of a lot — when we pull together and support those that are hit particularly badly by the upheaval. We have so many brilliant minds, and so much creativity, flexibility and imagination in Germany! Which future­oriented field would you like to see Fraunhofer focus on? As president of the Bundestag, I must refrain from making public recommendations on matters that fall under the responsibility of the education minis- ter. But since you brought up my speech on German Unity Day, I will say this: Due to my work in eastern Germany, I know the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft will soon be opening a new location in Lusatia. I think that’s exactly the right approach, given the require- ment for a structural transformation. As far as I’m aware, at that new location, they will be carrying out research into topics surrounding energy, among other things. Of course, there is also a lot of work being done in that field at the other Fraunhofer institutes. It’s clear to see that’s exactly the type of research we urgently need at the moment. In his final speech as president of the Bundestag, your predecessor, Wolfgang Schäuble, said: “Politics is about more than just scientific knowledge — and after all, scientific knowledge is certainly not the same as a democratic majority.” Will science be more important in the future? And how can research help you as the representative of the democratic majority to take action more quickly? Yes, I believe research will become increasingly important for our society, and its significance has become more visible during the pandemic. Wolf- gang Schäuble was correct — scientific evidence cannot replace the struggle for a political majority. It’s all about weighing up each side, and about val- ues and interests. Parliament and the government need to use scientific findings to help them make, and take responsibility for, political decisions. During the pandemic, we’ve been able to clearly see what that looks like in practice. As part of the political process, scientific findings on the corona- virus had to be weighed up against factors such as citizens’ rights to freedom. That’s where political responsibility comes into play. You visited Ukraine in the spring, spend­ ing 12 hours on a night train, sometimes even wearing a helmet and protective vest; what was that like for you as a woman born in 1968, part of the post­war generation? a p d / 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 back to page 1 27

3 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine Always on the ball On her inaugural visit to Poland, the Bundestag president visits a social facility in Warsaw for Ukrainian refugee children — and demonstrates her talents as a left-wing soccer player. Train journey into a war zone “I can honestly say that for those 12 hours on the night train, fear was my traveling companion,” reported Bärbel Bas after her journey to Ukraine. Horrific images Priest Andrij Halawin showed his Berlin visitor photos of the atrocities committed in Bucha. “We have an innovative industry sector — partly because we are so well positioned in terms of applied research. And yes, I am talking about the Fraunhofer- Gesellschaft specifically here.” Bärbel Bas We are all shaped by our own background. For this reason, I certainly don’t see myself as “one of them up there.” At the same time, of course I know that’s how many people perceive me. I’m also very conscious that I have now joined the ranks of the privileged in our country. When I hear expressions like “you people up there” or “you Berlin types,” it worries me. This distance is not good for our democracy. That’s why I support the concept of citizens’ assemblies. This is a new way for people to participate, whereby randomly selected citizens from all walks of life, and with the widest possible range of backgrounds, discuss a political problem and then present their recommendations to the Bundestag. I believe that this format can reduce the perceived distance between parliament and the people. For me, it’s also very important that I spend as much time as possible at home with the people of Duisburg. On the soccer field, at street festivals, in the community gardens, in the local bar or on visits to local businesses. Those are places where I can talk to people on equal terms and without barriers. Having this closeness with our citizens is very important to me. Voss-Tecklenburg. I enjoy thinking back on those games, and these days I am delighted to see her successes and remember our encounters on the field. You always played on the left wing on the field. What did you learn from soccer that you were able to bring to politics? Perseverance, determination and, above all, team spirit and taking pleasure in what I do. Win together, lose together. Of course, in poli- tics you sometimes have to assert your position against others, but there’s got to be a sense of solidarity, whether on the field or in parliament. You drive a Harley Davidson Low Rider S. Why does this motorcycle appeal to you — and what would it take for an electric vehicle to pique your interest? To be honest, I do like to feel the horsepower when riding my Harley. On the other hand, e-cars can now imitate a classic motor. You asked me earlier about where I would like the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft to direct its focus. If you could develop something in that area, I might be convinced to try an e-motorcycle. You used to play soccer for KBC Duis- burg, where current national trainer Martina Voss-Tecklenburg was a teammate of yours. What was she like as a player? I had the opportunity to play alongside her twice. I saw that as a great honor — especially since I wasn’t in top form at the time, to be honest. I only have good memories of Martina What do you hope people will say about Bundestag President Bas at the end of her period of office? Ask me again in three years’ time. What will Bärbel’s friends say about her? She’s still the same Bärbel we’ve always known. 60 square meters That’s the size of the president’s office — “which is bigger than my Berlin apartment,” jokes Bärbel Bas, “my home is just 42 square meters.” back to page 1 29 , s e c i v r e S o t o F E K N U F / n a c z Ö n i t t e r y a H , a p d l l i a / n e t S s a e r d n A , a c a b A / m r o f n i r k U / o l v a P t u m h a B , k e h t o t o h p / l n e H r e d n a X i : s o t o h P g a t n n o S m a D L I B / k c i n r a t S s l i e N , e t a v i r p , g a t s e d n u B n a m r e G h t o b / n r e d a S n o v a l l l e t S , t h c a h c S g n n n e H i

system back online,” says Dr. Fehling-Kaschek. “Simulat- ing these kind of situations can take hours and hours of computing power, and those figures are only getting higher.” She sees quantum computing as a chance to optimize these kinds of simulation tasks. She and a num- ber of project partners are now exploring how this might work using the IBM Quantum System One in Ehningen near Stuttgart, a quantum computer that has been exclu- sively available to the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft and its partners as of 2021. Try it out, rethink, try again So, how do you go about working on a quantum com- puter? First, the team worked with the University of Freiburg to translate the network they wanted to simu- late into a kind of “quantumese.” In quantum computers, information is stored in the form of qubits. Quantum cir- cuits between these qubits allow quantum computers to understand their tasks. Because today’s quantum systems do not have enough qubits for the EMI team’s large-scale problems, the scientists first had to reduce the network in question to a small number of parameters. They made this task easier using a workaround whereby they divided the problem up into smaller subsections, putting the transfer of information between the individual “nodes,” i.e., the parameters, in one section and the fault and its effects into another. “While quantum computers can already map the first section quite well, we have found that simulating the parameters relating to a fault still requires more research,” reports Dr. Köpke, who shares joint respon- sibility for the project with Dr. Fehling-Kaschek. Now, they need to rethink and try again. For their next step, the researchers plan to test a different approach that will reduce the complexity even further. However, testing and thinking flexibly will not get them off the starting blocks, so long as their research is hindered by the limits of the hardware. “To simulate a realistic number of nodes using our current approach, we would need many times the amount of entangled qubits,” explains Dr. Köpke. “And that’s still a long way away.” Despite this, they have no intentions of waiting idly, as Dr. Fehling-Kaschek has made clear: “The only way to bring the application stage any closer is to try things out now and keep on doggedly pursuing our course.” However, the two researchers fully agree that even today, just the opportunity to conduct research on a quantum computer has taught them an enormous amount. I n just a few years, quantum computers could change the world — to some extent at least. Certainly, the process of working on quantum computing and its possible fields of application will change the professional world. In fact, the transfor- mation has begun already, or at least it has in Dr. Mirjam Fehling-Kaschek and Dr. Corinna Köpke’s experience. “The project brought together a lot of people that had almost nothing in common before that. Now, we are working more closely together across not just depart- ments, but also institutes, and everyone is benefiting from all these different perspectives and forms of expertise,” reports Dr. Köpke. Even though it may be some time yet before quantum computers can solve practical problems, the collaborative research process is an advancement in itself. Since 2020, Fraunhofer researchers have been looking for concrete problems that could be solved more quickly and efficiently with quantum computers. The conventional computer is reaching its limits Dr. Mirjam Fehling-Kaschek, physicist at the Fraunhofer Institute for High-Speed Dynamics, Ernst-Mach-Institut, EMI was instantly sure: “I have to give this a try!” She and her team have been working to evaluate the resilience of critical infrastructures using simulations. But as energy, telecommunications and water supply networks reach ever more intricate levels of complexity, the computing power needed to map them grows higher and higher. “We study network scenarios that often involve more than 10,000 parameters — from potential cascade effects and repair times to the optimal sequence for bringing a k c o t S e b o d A / a v o k h s e p : o t o h P back to page 1 31

T he idea is simple, and pretty compel- ling. It was just the technology that had proved tricky — until now. In Malawi, one of the poorest countries in the world, many areas are cut off from access to medical care during the rainy season. Drones are therefore used to deliver drugs, blood reserves and other life-saving supplies. Flying distances of up to 40 kilometers across remote, hilly ter- rain, the drones are operated remotely by pilots via a mobile communication network. However, this is where conventional mobile communi- cations technology falls short. Network losses occur frequently, just as they do when traveling by train or car in Germany. The drones are then forced to switch to expensive satellite communications technology. As part of the collaborative SUCOM project, experts from the Fraunhofer Institute for Telecommunications, Heinrich Hertz Institute, HHI in Berlin as well as the Hessian drone manufacturer Wingcopter and two other companies have therefore come together to develop a highly reliable mobile communications module that comes integrated in the drone. Drones now take off from four airfields in Malawi. At each air- field, a “remote pilot” enters the current route into the system and defines the waypoints that will guide the drone. One click is all it takes to send the flight details to the drone. The data needed to make this happen is sent by the remote pilot to a server in Cape Town, from where it is transmitted to the SUCOM module and then on to the flight controller on the drone. A second click launches the drone. While in transit, the drone is monitored continuously by the remote pilot in real time. If a critical situation arises, such as an approaching aircraft or helicopter, for example, the pilot can intervene manually via the system. The drone is also equipped with satellite technology, which can be used if the DSL connection fails. On the down side, radio communication between the drone and the ground-control station via satel- lite is slow and expensive. As part of the SUCOM project, Tom Piechotta’s team at Fraunhofer HHI r e g i l e S o c l a F : o t o h P “Just because your mobile phone connection drops when driving or when traveling by train does not necessarily mean that the same applies to a SUCOM drone.” Tom Piechotta, Fraunhofer HHI This success was based on intensive research into the reasons why connections drop. “Among experts, there are several hypotheses about why autonomous drones that communicate via a mobile communication network drop connec- tion so often,” explains Tom Piechotta, who is coordinating the SUCOM project. One possible explanation is insufficient network coverage. Another explanation is that when flying at high altitude, the drone has access to too many cell towers and keeps switching between radio cells, which can cause the connection to drop. However, in collaboration with his team, Tom Piechotta found that it is the communication protocols typically used by the drones that are causing issues. They are not robust enough to handle fluctuating data rates. As a result, some data packets take longer to transmit, while others are lost altogether. For the SUCOM module, Tom Piechotta and his team devel- oped a new set of communica- tion protocols that are better able to withstand erratic data streams. The drone stays con- nected, even if the data rate fluctuates. “For com- parison purposes, we equipped a drone with a commercial DSL system and our own SUCOM module,” he explains. “With the conventional module, the connection kept dropping, whereas the SUCOM module maintained a steady connec- tion.” For Piechotta, this clearly demonstrated that when it comes to drones, connection loss is not solely down to insufficient network coverage. There’s more to SUCOM. To ensure the rapid transfer of data between the drone and the server in Cape Town, customizations were made to the server hardware and software. The connection is now so fast that the drones in Malawi are able to communicate with Fraunhofer HHI back in Germany in almost real time. 170 milliseconds is all it takes for a data packet to make its way from the drone to Berlin via the server in Cape 3 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine have succeeded in making communication via DSL sufficiently stable to all and to eliminate connection loss. Once airborne, the drones are continuously monitored by remote pilots in real time. back to page 1 33

3 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine Knowledge relay Prof. Michael Waidner, how well prepared are Germany’s critical research and industry infrastruc- tures in terms of cybersecurity? back to page 1 35

3 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine Knowledge relay Prof. Michael Waidner, how well prepared are Germany’s critical research and industry infrastruc- tures in terms of cybersecurity? back to page 1 35

specific objectives on behalf of nation-state attackers. There is no indication that the situation will improve in the near future. On the contrary, as war rages in Ukraine and economic conditions worsen for many people around the world, the rate of cyber- attacks is liable to increase. High risk of cyber espionage Outside of Germany, various nations have reported cyberattacks on critical infra- structures, some carrying serious conse- quences for the local population. In 2015, a Ukrainian power supplier was the victim of an attack by a Russian group — presumed to be directed by the state — which resulted in a power outage that affected more than 200,000 people and lasted several hours. In 2021 the American pipeline operator Colonial Pipeline was the victim of a ransomware attack. The attack targeted the company’s administrative systems; however, Colonial Pipeline also shut down its pipelines as a precaution. This resulted in a shortage of gasoline, and a state of emergency was declared in 17 states. To date, there is no record of a success- ful cyberattack against Germany’s “critical infrastructures” as defined in the Critical Infrastructure Ordinance of the German Federal Office for Information Security BSI (BSI-Kritisverordnung) — according to this definition, if these infrastructures were to break down, there would be dramatic, lasting consequences for more than 500,000 people. German law prescribes strict reg- ulations for these infrastructures’ cyber- security systems and, as a result, they are comparatively well protected against commonplace cyberattacks that target multiple victims at once. For this reason, it is unlikely that one of Germany’s critical infrastructures will break down due to a random wave of ransomware attacks. However, there is a high likelihood that cybercriminals directed by a foreign state could successfully carry out an attack on critical infrastructures in Germany. As Wolfgang Wien, vice president of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Germany reported T I S r e f o h n u a r F : s : o o t t o o h h P P Prof. Michael Waidner heads up the Fraunhofer Institute for Secure Information Technology SIT and the National Research Center for Applied Cybersecurity ATHENE. in June 2022, there are indications that Russian and Chinese groups have already infiltrated some of Germany’s critical online infrastructures in order to steal data or plant malware. Similar traces have been found in the USA and Australia. This means that the likelihood of cyber espionage against critical infrastructures is very high. I con- sider cyber sabotage to be just as likely or unlikely as sabotage by conventional, kinetic means. The political considerations should always be paramount, as opposed to the tools used to commit the sabotage. We must be more ambitious The cybersecurity situation may appear bleak, but it is in no way hopeless. How- ever, we need to become more active and ambitious overall. The cybersecurity situation in many German companies, government admin- istrative bodies and scientific institutions is still far behind the latest technological developments. There is not enough moti- vation or willingness to invest — not to mention a shortage of staff. The latter is particularly dangerous in Germany, because here, people still believe that the best way to protect ourselves is to do everything ourselves. Other countries have a much greater reliance on service providers and cloud providers. Implementing general recommendations for basic IT protection, 3 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine such as the recommendations by the BSI, would block a large proportion of the attacks that succeed today, at least for the time being. Likewise, much could be achieved if the scope of the definition of critical infrastructures given in the BSI-Kritisver- ordnung were to be expanded significantly It is also important that we in Germany take expeditious action to modernize our cybersecurity architectures. Implementing zero-trust architectures is obviously a vital step here. Until now, many organizations have based their cybersecurity systems on the idea that there is some kind of trust boundary between their own systems and those on the internet, meaning that every- thing within their system is trustworthy, while everything outside of it is suspicious. This boundary is protected by firewalls and VPNs. The reality, however, is completely different. Cyber-attackers are almost always able to infiltrate these internal systems, which makes this boundary pointless. This means that our defenses need much more extensive and granular structure. And we are lagging behind other countries here too. For example, the U.S. federal govern- ment has mandated that all federal agencies must implement a zero-trust architecture by the end of 2024. What is the most prac- tical way for companies, government authorities and scientific institutions to implement zero-trust models? This exact question is currently one of the most important research topics at my institute and the National Research Center for Applied Cybersecurity ATHENE. In the next issue: What will the IT research institution of the future look like, and what form will New Work take in the scientific field? back to page 1 37

3 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine Feeding the world Elke Böhme of Fraunhofer IMTE in Lübeck helps product developers in the food industry source the right algal ingredi- ents for their culinary creations — which range from beer and bacon to ice cream. back to page 1 39

This fi e powder made from microalgae packs quite a punch. Dr. Ulrike Schmid-Staiger of Fraunhofer IGB has perfected the art of cultivating algae. More protein? Or more carbohydrates, perhaps? Not a problem. “Compared to terrestrial plants, our algae contain around ten times the amount of valuable nutritious substances.” Dr. Ulrike Schmid-Staiger Fraunhofer IGB 3 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine T he United Nations has calculated that on No- vember 15, the world’s population reached the eight billion mark, meaning that it has doubled in only 50 years. Although the growth rate has significantly slowed in recent years, predictions show that the population will rise to 8.5 bil- lion by 2030, and 9.7 billion by 2050. More people mean less arable land, less drinking water and less food per head of population. Now, with the climate crisis, these shortages are noticeably worsening. Desertification, a process whereby soil deteriorates to the point where the landscape becomes a desert, claims a worldwide acreage the size of Bavaria each year. Within the past 40 years alone, one-third of all fertile land has become unusable — the result of excessive crop cultivation and overgrazing. What’s more, our food requirements are set to grow by around 70 percent between now and 2050, estimates the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenar- beit (GIZ) GmbH (German society for international col- laboration). However, certain aquatic organisms — quite unjustly relegated to a niche existence in the agriculture and food industry, particularly in Europe — could be of help here: algae. Algae have as much protein as the soybean, are rich in valuable nutrients like fiber and minerals, and contain vitamin B12, which can otherwise only be found in ani- mal products. This superfood does not require fresh water or land. It grows sustainably in the sea, or can be cultivated as single-celled microalgae, normally in enclosed facilities. Tiny but mighty Dr. Ulrike Schmid-Staiger is group manager for Algae Biotechnology at the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB in Stuttgart. For 25 years now, she has been perfecting the cultivation of mi- croalgae in photobioreactors — transparent water tanks that supply the tiny organisms with light, CO2 and nu- trients until they grow to form a thick green soup. Dr. Schmid-Staiger currently devotes most of her time to the marine Phaeodactylum tricornutum, which can generate particularly large quantities of omega-3 fatty acids, and to Chlorella vulgaris, which feels most at home in ponds and brackish water and stands out thanks to its high protein content of around 50 percent. When suspended in water, neither alga is detectable to the naked eye. “Compared to terrestrial plants, our algae contain around ten times the amount of valuable nutritious substances,” declares Dr. Schmid-Staiger with pride. Every single cell contains the same rich mix of nutrients. Terrestrial plants, on the other hand, also have roots, stalks and leaves. The substances contained in the cells vary in the different parts of a back to page 1 41

3 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine Dr. Stephanie Mittermaier of Fraunhofer IVV is still feeling her way toward finding the right amounts. Before a food goes for tasting, she always samples it herself. Algae have a high protein content of up to 50 % and a rich mix of fiber, fats, vitamins and minerals. back to page 1 43

3 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine the kernel. If I put the kernels through a crushing mill, this exposes the endosperm, which I can use right away. However, in seaweed, the proteins and carbohydrates are deeply embedded in the cell wall, so extracting them re- quires a number of steps. my testers and our trained panel of institute colleagues,” she says, laughing. In the long term, she can envisage making a good vegan fish substitute by combining algal and plant proteins. The algae’s fishy flavor could even be an advantage here. However, the color still presents a problem. Anyone for green salmon fillet or green cod? No, thanks. “We will probably lean more toward tuna fish. We could achieve a brownish color, but white is not a possibility.” This is because the algal pigments are either proteins themselves, or are so closely bound to the proteins that they cannot be removed without caus- ing damage. Up to now, microalgae have been sold in tablet form as a food supplement for the most part, while consumers and food indus- try stakeholders are more familiar with multi-celled marine macroal- gae, or seaweed. Most people will have seen this in sushi, where nori, a savory/sweet seaweed, is used to wrap up rice and fish. However, while seaweed has been a dietary staple in the Asiatic world for centuries, Europeans are still dubious about this superfood. It is rarely served in the form of a salad or soup. Yet even consumers that avoid sushi have probably already eaten algae without realizing it, as alginates and carrageen are common food additives. Alginates are often used as a gelatin substitute, while carrageen is added to products such as cream to prevent flocculation and ensure even fat distribution. Just like their smaller algal counterparts, seaweeds have a high protein content of up to 50 percent and feature a rich mix of fiber, fats, vitamins and minerals like zinc, iron, selenium, potassium, calcium and especially iodine. They are usually grown on long ropes under the sea. Seaweed farming is extremely sustainable, as it only uses resources that are already naturally available. However, it does present one disadvantage: Seasonal and climatic fluctuations mean the quality and amount of nutrients the seaweed contains can vary. In addition, processing macroalgae into food products is more difficult than processing their one-celled cousins from the reactor. Seaweed sausage? “Tasty” say the food testers Dominic Wimmer, Project Manager for pilot plants at Fraunhofer IVV, explains: “In barley or wheat, carbo- hydrates and proteins are simply stored in the center of However, the color still presents a problem. Anyone for green salmon fillet or green cod? No, thanks. The dried seaweed leaves must first be ground to a fine powder in order to break the cells open as much as possible. Then, to release the valuable nutrients they contain, Mr. Wimmer mixes the seaweed powder with additives such as enzymes harvested from snails that consume and digest algae. He also enlists the aid of hydrochloric acid and a sodium hydroxide solution. The powder is first steeped in water multiple times; the mixture is then warmed and stirred. The nutrients gradu- ally leach out into the surround- ing water, which is then repeat- edly centrifuged, that is, separated into solids and a rich aqueous solution by means of a centrifuge. This process allows Mr. Wimmer to achieve a yield of up to 90 per- cent when extracting proteins from seaweed. He has used these proteins to make prod- ucts like vegan sausages — with great success. The seaweed sausage was an even bigger hit among food testers than its equivalent meat-based product. Living for seaweed Mr. Winner “is crazy about seaweed,” as he says him- self. The qualified master brewer spent several years as a food industry consultant before moving on to a role as a process engineer at Fraunhofer IVV. Since then, he has been working on a range of projects based on the use of seaweed as a food. One of the products he developed from seaweed was a healthy alternative to salt, which he used to flavor snacks like chips and peanuts; he has also exper- imented with using algae in bread, meat products, soups and sauces. However, his attempts to eradicate seaweed’s fishy flavor have been unsuccessful so far. “Either we will get used to it, or I will have to keep looking for a way to remove it ,” he says, laughing. “There is so much goodness in seaweed. There’s no doubt that it’s an important source of nutrition for humanity. I think it offers amazing oppor- tunities for the food industry,” he says with conviction. And the food industry is increasingly taking the same view. The market for vegan products is growing rapidly. According to the Federal Statistical Office of Germany, back to page 1 45

3 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine have only been willing to accept substitute products if they imitated the original as perfectly as possible.” This is why Mrs. Böhme uses red dulse as a natural colourant in vegan burger patties, for example. Its color changes from red to brown in the hot pan — just like beef does. Workshop participants are regularly surprised to be faced with seaweed ice cream. “Most of them don’t expect seaweed to be able to taste like walnut,” she says. “To be honest, we were surprised too.” Mrs. Böhme and her col- leagues also taste their algae in their unprocessed forms, so they can introduce indus- try product developers to the full diversity of their flavors. The mildly savory sea spa- ghetti, or Himanthalia elon- gata, has been going down particularly well. “We just boil it together with normal spa- ghetti. This requires less salt, and is a healthier meal con- taining more dietary fibres”, says Mrs. Böhme. She is convinced that eating habits can be changed. It’s just a question of increasing people’s contact with substitute products. After all, it worked for her: The food specialist has now started using seaweed more often in her own home cooking. What’s her favorite? “Nori, for its lovely dark purple color. And its wonderful umami flavor.” Dinner is served: sea spaghetti entwined with its more familiar wheat-based counterpart. It’s a healthy, less-sodium meal. the country saw a 62 percent increase in the production of foods like vegan sausage and schnitzel between 2019 and 2021. Giving up meat is a trend seen mainly among teenagers and young adults. Compared with the general population, twice as many 15–29 year olds are vegetarian (10. 4 percent) or vega n (2.3 percent). A further 25 per- cent describe themselves as flexitarians, that is, they only eat meat occasionally, while 44 percent want to reduce their consumption in the future, mainly for climate protection and animal welfare reasons. A recent study by Boston Con- sulting Group has confirmed that alternative protein sources also have a central role to play in food security. The amount of capital invested in this area has increased from 1 billion dollars in 2019 to 5 billion in 2021 — an annual growth rate of 124 percent. Mrs. Böhme is con- vinced that eating habits can be changed. It’s just a question of increasing people’s contact with substitute products. However, ma ny food industry product developers still have no clear concept of how to use algae as a raw material. Elke Böhme and her team at the Fraunhofer Research Institution for Indi- vidualized and Cell-Based Medical Engineering IMTE in Lübeck are giving them some guidance. The food special- ist hosts regular algae workshops to show stakeholders from the agriculture and food industry the range of ways in which these marine plants can be used. She is also occasionally contacted by companies that want to do “something with algae.” She then tells them about the different types of algae, and describes their features and possible applications. A tasting session is always part of the program. “If workshop participants can taste, smell and feel the products, it makes it much easier to develop their own ideas,” says Mrs. Böhme. Walnut-flavored seaweed The range of possible applications is vast. Mrs. Böhme has already integrated algal extracts into muesli bars, bar- becue sauce, spreadable pastes, beer, lemonade and gin. “Right now we’re working on a vegan bacon, using red dulse seaweed for its savory umami flavor. We’ve devel- oped a special procedure to bring out the flavor even more effectively,” she says. She also mentions an algae that, when fried, tastes just like bacon. “Of course, its appear- ance and consistency are different. Up to now, consumers ) 4 ( o t o h p k c o t s i : s o t o h P back to page 1 47

1 billion tons of soy and corn are used as feed world- wide every year. 3 The area of arable land used to grow soybeans is now three times the size of Germany. 3 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine 70 % About 70 percent of all agricultural land worldwide is used for livestock farming. 320 m i l l ion ton s Increasing meat consumption Global meat consumption has more than doubled over the past 20 years, reaching 320 million tons in 2018. 1300 1200 1100 1000 900 800 700 600 500 400 300 200 100 One hectare of arable land can produce about 3.5 tons of soybeans per year. However, the same mass of microalgae can be produced with just 20 square meters of surface space and the protein content is much the same. 10,000 m2 (1 ha) 3.5 tons soybeans 20 m2 3.5 tons of seaweed The amazing algae A glass of milk a day for healthy bones? That’s ancient history. There are many types of algae with a much higher calcium con­ tent. They also contain an abundance of other minerals, as well as plenty of vitamins, fiber, proteins, carbohydrates and fats. (All concentrations given as mg/100 g) , ) Z G I ( t i e b r a n e m m a s u Z e a n o i t a n r e t n l I r ü f t f a h c s l l e s e G e h c s t u e D 5 . 3 5 1 . 1 0 . 6 1 . 1 2 . 3 0 . 1 1 1 Sea spaghetti Sea lettuce Whole milk Beef sirloin steak Spinach Bananas Lentils Legend: Calcium Potassium Magnesium Sodium Iron , 1 2 0 2 s a l t a h c s i e l F : s e c r u o S / l l i r G t r e b o R j , t c e o r P n u o N : s n o i t a r t s u l l I f o y t e i c o S l a y o R . e g d i r b m a C . d e h t 6 . s d o o F f o n o i t i s o p m o C s ’ n o s w o d d W d n a e c n a C c M i . l a t e A R e c n a C c M , e c n a r F , n o i t i r t u n o t y h P e d t u t i t s n I e f l i h r e g n u h t l e W , ) D C C N U ( n o i t a c i f i t r e s e D t a b m o C o t n o i t n e v n o C s n o i t a N d e t i n U , 2 2 0 2 s t c e p s o r P n o i t a u p o P d l r o W O N U l , 3 9 9 1 ; y r t s i m e h C back to page 1 49

Complex functionality in a tiny capsule: The microimplant consists of an eight-layer circuit board. plexity involved: While it only takes two microimplants to alleviate tinnitus, restor- ing movement to a patient’s arm and hand requires up to twelve. Inductive and adaptive charging In the treatment for tinnitus, the patient is given one implant for each ear. These stimulate the cochlea via the round win- dow, modulating auditory nerve activity and “dampening” the phantom noise that makes everyday life so wretched for approximately ten million people in Ger- many — and prevents them from sleeping well at night. Gastrointestinal motility disorders can occur after abdominal sur- gery in diabetic or paraplegic patients. The treatment involves placing implants at strategic points in the gastrointestinal tract, where they each collect data on the activity of one section of the patient’s system and then send this information to a central control unit. This unit analyzes the data and instructs the corresponding implants to stimulate the entire intestinal tract, ensuring that the digestive process runs as smoothly as possible. Partial restoration of a patient’s grip- ping function is a particularly complex challenge. However, scientists have suc- n g i s e d d l i W : s o t o h P 3 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine ceeded in restoring as many as eight hand movements by means of a microimplant network that can stimulate up to twelve of forearm muscles in a coordinated way. The patient controls their hand movements via an eye-tracking system whereby certain set movements of the eyes, eyelids and head send commands to the central control unit, which then sends the corresponding instructions to the network of implants. “Developing this network has given rise to several concurrent advantages,” explains Roman Ruff, electrical engineer and group manager at Fraunhofer IBMT. One of the examples he gives is improved biostability. “We integrated the sensors and actuators directly into the device’s housing to avoid the need for fragile cable connec- tions.” The implants interact with each other via wireless and infrared signals instead. Because they are linked to form a network, they can also be used to treat complex processes within the body and stimulate larger organs. The Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS has developed a highly miniaturized applica- tion-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) for the implants. The ASIC can detect and pass on biosignals from areas such as the arm muscles or the stomach and intestines, and also trigger the electrical signals required to stimulate them. However, the issue of energy supply is causing a hold-up in the bioelectronics development process. Batteries take up a lot of space and require regular replace- ment — and for an implant network where each individual device consumes different amounts of energy depending on the load applied to it, this is a particularly expensive process. The INTAKT cluster is opting for inductive charging instead. This means that the central control unit can reliably supply the network of implants with energy, 24 hours a day. In each of the three applications described above, the patient can wear this base station either as a cuff around the arm or abdomen, or as an ear wearable device. “This external energy supply ensures that the implant network will remain stable in the long term,” stresses Prof. Hoffmann. “What’s more, the energy supply is adaptive, i.e. each indi- vidual implant receives the exact amount of power it needs and no more.” In case of emergency, the implants include a battery for buffer storage; this is also charged via the inductive system at regular intervals. In its research, the innovation cluster also considered the social, legal and ethical implications involved in this kind of human-technology interaction. This included challenges such as designing the platforms and control systems in such a way that not only are they suited to the specific application area, but they can also be operated easily and securely by both doctors and patients. There is also the question of what ambient data the eye-tracking system should record, process and store. Prof. Hoffmann mentions the example of wearing the eye-tracking glasses when visiting a sauna. “While at the sauna, the patient has to be able to grip things in order to get dressed and undressed, or spread out a towel. But what about the privacy rights of the other visitors?” These are, of course, questions to which there are no straightforward answers. Initial preclinical tests and trials with experimental users have already demon- strated that the applications developed thus far by the INTAKT cluster function as they should. Nevertheless, there is still a long way to go before these devices can actually be implanted in the human body. The microimplants have already been reduced to just the size of a thumbnail, but the Fraunhofer IBMT coordinator still believes there is room for improvement when it comes to miniaturization. This is why it is vital to attract industry partners, so the INTAKT cluster’s achievements can progress even further. INTAKT collaboration partners: Fraunhofer IBMT, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg Univer- sity Mainz, University Hospital Heidelberg, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Fraunhofer IIS, University of Mannheim, TU Ilmenau, GeSiM Gesellschaft für Silizium-Mikrosysteme mbH, inomed Medizintechnik GmbH, Soventec GmbH, Wilddesign GmbH & Co.KG, IL Metronic Sensortechnik GmbH, Glück Engineering GmbH, Würth Elektronik GmbH & Co.KG, VARTA Microbattery GmbH, Heraeus Medical Components, CeramTec-ETEC GmbH and CTC advanced GmbH back to page 1 51

H arnessing crises as a catalyst for growth: Without the pandemic, digital transformation would never have achieved the major breakthrough it has. Remote work and vir- tual doctor appointments would still be a long way off. Now the war in Ukraine and the climate crisis, which this summer’s scorching heatwaves finally brought to the fore again, are putting our way of life to the test. With no real experience of food scarcity, we in Germany have long dismissed food short- ages experienced in other regions. Now, basic foodstuffs are even becoming more expensive in Germany, with some supermarket shelves remaining empty for periods. Demand for products such as fertilizer is high, and supply chains are fragile. Everything is interlinked: If energy supplies drop, containers such as glass bottles cannot be produced. It’s time to rethink agriculture, food pro- duction and food distribution. But the good news is the required technology is already available. We just need to start using it on a larger scale. And avoid getting bogged down in pointless angst. Standoff debates like “eco versus conventional” do not help. Instead, both from an ecological and geopolitical perspective, we can agree that the best solution is to grow local products with as much resource efficiency as possible, and to consume them directly within the same local region. This applies right across the board — whether in Upper Bavaria, Australia or Africa. I believe that the following three trends will revolutionize our food supply: Smart farming: Subarea management makes it easier for farmers to accurately determine and control what they sow, irrigate and fertil- ize, when and where, and in what quantities. Advanced GPS-controlled technology also helps in controlling weeds and pests, while self-propelled hoeing robots are being rolled out to compensate for labor shortages. What’s more, pesticide usage can be significantly reduced. Satellite images document the prog- ress of individual harvests — and can even be used to provide reliable economic anal- yses, such as the yield forecasts for Ukraine provided by BayWa subsidiary VISTA this summer. For countries with difficult climate con- ditions, smart farming opens up the possibil- ity of reducing dependence on imports. 3 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine “The best solution is to grow local products with as much resource efficiency as possible, and to consume them directly within the same local region.” Prof. Klaus Josef Lutz has been chief executive officer at BayWa AG since 2008. He drove the diver- sification and internation- alization of the company, which was founded in 1923, while also preserv- ing its historical roots. Prior to that, in his role as managing director, the 64-year-old restructured a number of companies, not least the media house Süddeutscher Verlag, which publishes the newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung. Since 2021, Prof. Lutz has been president of the Chamber of Com- merce and Industry for Munich and Upper Bavaria (CCI). The Munich native stud- ied law at Ludwig-Maxi- milians-Universität München (LMU) and qual- ified as a lawyer in 1987. In 2013, Prof. Lutz was appointed honorary professor for cooperative management by the Technical University of Munich (TUM). back to page 1 Regardless of climate, it is worth questioning whether today’s cultivation methods and growing areas, crop rotation and storage techniques are viable for the future. One result of geoscientific analyses could be that we see more soybeans or sorghum growing in German fields in the future. Agrivoltaics: Agrivoltaics allows us to kill two birds with one stone. Using arable land for electricity production reduces land con- sumption while simultaneously increasing productivity in crop cultivation. Here is one example from Gelsdorf in Rhineland-Palat- inate, where BayWa r.e. and the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE have initiated a research project. Photovoltaic modules installed high above the treetops provide targeted shade for apples, protecting them from heavy rain, hail and frost. The electricity they generate can be used directly for electric, self-propelled agri helpers or for irrigation technology. Alternative proteins: Alternative plant-based or cell-based proteins are becoming increas- ingly attractive as a supplement to traditional meat, fish and dairy products. They can often be produced locally and all year round. A good example is the Berlin-based start-up VEgg, which produces a vegan egg, complete with shell. A young man from Austria, who I met at the Future Food con- ference we organized in early 2022, has taken it a step further. His company, Kern Tec, produces baking ingredients and oils from apricot and cherry pits that would otherwise end up as garbage. We are literally talking about leftover food here, but in more inves- tor-friendly terms, this is referred to as upcy- cling and zero waste. What are the risks facing the revolution in food production and supply today? Two factors could weaken its momentum. Firstly, our complacency and lack of foresight. And sec- ondly, I have deep concerns about the regula- tory obsessions of German and European authorities. An entrepreneur can win over any number of supporters to their project — but all it takes is just one official to stand in their way, and bring innovation to a grinding halt. It’s good to have an intermediary like the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft in your corner, as is the case for V Egg co-founder Verónica García-Arteaga. 53 s e g a m i o g a m i / m u g r a / r e g r e b n E s a m o h T : i o t o h P

3 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine Not alone, but together: The goal is to enable virtual proxies to interact at events. “We’re developing technology for the YouTube of the metaverse.” Dr. Frank Dittrich, Chemnitz University of Technology; initiator and project coordinator of SocialSTAGE-VR from research and the arts are currently working to make this vision a reality. The goal of the proj- ect is to record cultural events — such as plays, operas and concerts — in 3D and project them on- to a virtual stage. With the help of a VR headset, the public can experience the event live from their own homes. The project’s main focus is on creat- ing a visual and auditory experience that is as realistic as possible, and has a social component, too. By using avatars as digital proxies in virtual space, the aim is to enable guests to talk, laugh and enjoy the event together. A large number of photos were used to create a virtual 3D copy of the auditorium at the Chem- nitz opera house, forming a stage for the initial pilot studies. In order to show live events there in the future, the visuals and audio of the stage must be recorded and reproduced to give viewers the most realistic experience possible. This is where the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits back to page 1 55 y d a e R , R V - E G A T S a l i c o S : s n o i t a r t s u l l I e M r e y a l P

tor. The idea for SocialSTAGE-VR came to him during the first coronavirus wave in 2020, when holding live events became impossible and the industry was look- ing for alternatives. “Up to that point, many areas of the cultural sector had only dabbled with digitaliza- tion,” says Dr. Dittrich. “This placed many at a real disadvantage during the pandemic.” Berlin-based electropop band MIA. released their album “Limbo” right at the beginning of the pandem- ic, and had no opportunity to perform it live due to the first lockdown. The band made do with a stream- ing event. Looking back, bassist Robert “Bob” Schütze feels that while this was “pretty successful”, it only scraped the surface in terms of the technological possibilities. “Virtual reality offers art- ists and fans so many new opportuni- ties. That doesn’t mean it will replace live concerts, but it’s an exciting addi- tion to them.” “I see SocialSTAGE-VR more as an extra opportunity for the culture in- dustry to distribute its content much further and in a much different way than before,” explains Dr. Dittrich. Av- atars also open up the world of concerts to people that cannot generally attend for a variety of reasons — for example, people with medical conditions, and people who are unwilling to travel, who find the music too loud or who don’t feel like jostling their way to the stage through a crowd. Avatars that wave, clap and wink at each other “We want to develop a solution for people, rather than making people adapt to the technological possibilities.” Dr. Joachim Keinert, electrical engineer and head of the Computational Imaging and Algorithms group at Fraunhofer IIS, Erlangen “Attending via an avatar allows peo- ple to be present not only spatially, but socially too,” adds Dr. Dittrich. Plans are underway to enable these artificial likenesses to reflect real gestures and facial expressions using rec- ognition technology built into the VR headsets. The idea that these devices will become a must-have tech- nology in the near future “is what we’re betting on with SocialSTAGE-VR,” says Dr. Dittrich. He believes virtual reality will permeate the working world first, with office workers of the future using VR headsets to work on screens that do not exist in reality, or meeting colleagues that live and work far away up close and personal in the virtual world. In addition, Dr. Dittrich expects a further technological boost to be sparked e M r e y a l P y d a e R , R V - E G A T S a l i c o S : s n o i t a r t s u l l I 3 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine In 2018, only 17 percent of Ger- mans surveyed could see them- selves using a VR headset. By 2021, this number had risen to 41%. (Bitkom, 2022) According to fore- casts, revenue from VR content in Germany will increase from 40 million euros (2019) to 280 million euros (2024). (Deloitte) At 79% the most com- mon use for VR technology in Germany is play- ing computer and video games, fol- lowed by movies (67%), travel ex- periences (63%) and music con- certs (41%). (Bitkom, 2022) off by the vision of a future metaverse, a virtual world where people will also meet in non-work contexts, for instance to go shopping or attend cultural events together. Fraunhofer IIS is also working on other projects that focus on making cultural events accessible vir- tually. For Dr. Keinert, however, SocialSTAGE-VR has a special status due to its focus on the user experience: “The project is about developing an optimal solution for people, rather than making people adapt to the technological possibilities.” This means the goal is to make the technology so easily accessible that it can be used by any event organizer and any end user, for any kind of cultural event — from the New York Met to the Wacken heavy music festival. Project initiator Dr. Dittrich is thinking big: “We’re developing technology for the YouTube of the metaverse.” Arriving on a virtual bus full of fans Meanwhile, MIA. bassist Mr. Schütze is excited about the many untapped creative possibilities for artists that the SocialSTAGE-VR project presents. For example, fans could go on stage or into the backstage area as avatars. Or customize the event to their own pref- erences using various audio channels. The hours before the event — usual- ly taken up with travel and waiting around — could also be transformed into a social event, such as with a virtual fan bus or a digital “meet and greet” with the artists. “It’s not about fooling the audience into believing it’s real, but rather pushing physical boundaries and discovering new dimensions,” he em- phasizes. “It’s the only way to create a product that can take its place alongside live entertainment.” MIA. are finally touring again in November, with 26 performances on real-life stages in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, in front of real live audiences. But after that, Mr. Schütze definitely wants to continue his involvement with SocialSTAGE-VR. He abides by the credo that it’s better to get in on the act early, rath- er than follow a trend later. “25 years ago, we were one of the pioneers of German pop. Now we’re daring to do that again on a whole other level.” back to page 1 57

3 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine I s that person smiling at me — or showing me their teeth? Are they narrowing their eyes because they are laughing — or are they angry? In Germany, roughly one person in 100 has trouble interpreting and evaluating their own feelings and those of others. This is just one aspect of the challenges faced by autistic people on a daily basis. Depending on the individual, the inability to under- stand feelings can not only interfere with a person’s private life, but also seriously hinder their ability to enter the working world. Dr. Mathias Vukelic, a cogni- tive neuroscientist and neuroergonomics expert from the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering IAO, is hoping that the results of the UFO project will make it easier for autistic people to interact with others in everyday life, specifically in a professional context. In order to minimize the obstacles impacting communication, the project team is developing a virtual, secure training environment, which is accessed through virtual reality (VR) glasses. Within this environment, the first step is to measure brain signals and other physiological responses from the users — such as changes in brain and heart rate activity, and the skin in response to sweat secretion — using various neurophysiological sensors. The next step is then to “translate” the physiolog- ical responses into tactile feedback in the form of physical sensation, whereby the emotions are relayed to the user via a special wristband or glove emitting frequency patterns or vibrations. “With the tactile feedback, the initial goal is to enable the user to classify their own feelings into positive and negative categories,” says Dr. Vukelic. Even simply classifying feelings in this way tends to be an impossible task for autistic people, he tells us. But, he adds, because this forms the basis for also dealing with more complex feelings in social interac- tions further down the line, such as fear, anger or joy, it remains the primary focus at this stage. But how much pressure will they apply in the next step, in order to signal either a positive or negative feeling? This remains a matter of research for Dr. Vukelic and his team. “Our aim is to develop a cali- bration procedure that feels pleasant for each individual person”, says Dr. Vukelic. Feeling emotions According to Dr. Vukelic, the idea of using tactile interfaces for human-technology interaction is not a new one for the team. For example, blind people can already get from A to B more easily thanks to a vibrating navigation belt with a built-in compass. “What we are considering now is whether someone can also use the tactile sense to learn to perceive emotions and how to process them; in other words, to acquire a sense for emotions,” continues Dr. Vukelic. The method of measuring brain signals and providing feedback to influence a person’s own brain activity could even extend beyond autism and help with illnesses such as depression or anxiety disorders, for instance. “We want to design technology in such a way that it can really support people, give them assistance when they need it, and, in doing so, address their individual needs and foster their individual abilities.” It is this philosophy that has driven Dr. Vukelic’s work at Fraunhofer IAO since 2015. After studying biomedical engineering with a focus on neural engineering and earning his doctorate in neurosciences and behavioral sciences focusing on brain-computer interfaces, Dr. Vukelic has headed up the Applied Neurocognitive Systems department since 2021. He and his depart- mental team are researching how humans and tech- nology can work together efficiently. Dr. Vukelic’s objective here is to establish “applied neurosciences as a new research discipline, so they can be utilized for the benefit of applied human factors and ergo- nomics.” The goal is better understanding — in both directions Alongside Dr. Vukelic and his team from Fraunhofer IAO, the UFO project also has the support of the Department for Teaching and Learning with Intelli- gent Systems (LLiS) and the Department of Vocational Education focused on Teaching Technology (BPT) at the University of Stuttgart, as well as the Univer- sity’s Institute of Human Factors and Technology Management (IAT). On the development and industry side, Sensovo GmbH, a start-up supplier of wearable technologies equipped with tactile feedback, NIRx Medizintechnik GmbH, a manufacturer of neurosen- sors, and auticon GmbH, an IT consulting firm that employs autistic people as IT consultants, are also participating in the project. In the long term, Dr. Vukelic hopes that his “passion project” will enable autistic people to use technology to interpret the feelings of others, as well as their own. But the development of a corresponding VR module could not only allow autistic people to tap into the feelings of other people, but also do the reverse. And so technology — the very thing we often describe as emotionless — would ultimately provide the key to greater understanding and greater sensitivity in inter- actions with others. Dr. Mathias Vukelic, Fraunhofer IAO, preparing an EEG (electroencephalo- graphy) test. “We want to design technology in such a way that it can really support people.” Dr. Mathias Vukelic back to page 1 59 O A I r e f o h n u a r F / k a y s r a P a l l i m d u L , i l e r u t c i p n a p / e k h c s z t a n n y S l i e n K : s o t o h P

3 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine A wide network of thread-like fungi: Mycelium can colonize organic material and break it down. back to page 1 61 k c o t S e b o d A / k o o s m o d u : o t o h P

Mushrooms at work: The substrate is colonized by the mycelium and becomes firm. The mycelium is killed off at the end during a drying process. 3 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine The construction and real estate industry is responsible for 38 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions. Vieres has experimented with various substrate components and fungus types to identify the opti- mal combination in terms of thermal conductivity. Although the research project was small in scale, it is already evident that mycelium material can at least compete with fiberboard when it comes to thermal insulation. In comparison to polystyrene — to date, the most commonly used material in building insulation — the fungus-based material does not perform so well. However, Ms. Vieres is optimistic. “I think it’s definitely possible that we could improve thermal conductivity further by using other base substances and processing methods.” Mycelium insulation would also offer other benefits. For instance, its ecological footprint is likely to be remarkably small. In contrast to stan- dard composites, the fungus-based material can simply be recycled or composted when a building is demolished. Once automated and energy-effi- cient production is possible, it could also be manufactured relatively cheaply; after all, the raw materials are waste products. “We are testing many different kinds of waste materials, but prioritizing those produced in the locality, as this gives a certain level of resource security,” says Ms. Krayer. The two researchers have already presented the material to industry stakeholders in workshops; mostly to the construction industry, but car man- ufacturers and packaging companies have also expressed interest. “The participants were allowed to submerge the material in water or try to set it alight or break it,” recounts Ms. Krayer. “You need to have the fungus-based material in your hand and experience it to understand its potential.” However, it also became clear during workshops that in order to assess how useful the new build- ing material will be, the industry urgently needs definite information on its characteristic values — such as its stability, fire behavior and hydropho- bic properties. “We want to focus on this in fol- low-up projects,” says Ms. Krayer. But although many questions remain unanswered, she can at least report that: “We’ve made a start.” Houses built from mushrooms on the Moon and Mars? At the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), mycelium has already been used to manufacture bricks. These are not only significantly lighter than classic bricks made from clay or lime and sand, but much more durable too. The NASA space agency is researching whether houses made from mushroom material could be used for future set- tlements on the Moon and Mars. This is because fungal spores take up hardly any room n space transportation, but could be revived with water at their final destination and grown around a scaf- fold, for instance. Back on Earth, the US start-up Ecovative has already built an entire tiny house using board insulation made from dried mush- rooms. The “Tiny Mushroom House” is waterproof, fireproof, free of chemicals and fully compostable. They’re Smurf houses for people, in a way. Within Fraunhofer, multiple institutes are also researching innovative solutions in this area, from many different angles. These institutes have already joined forces to create an internal collaborative project within Fraunhofer. Their aim now is to drive research in this area together. Getting connected, and growing as a result: That’s a strategy for success we can learn from mushrooms. Fungi have been on the planet for over 800 million years. If all the fungal threads present in the top 10 centimeters of the soil on Earth were con- nected, their length would equate to half the diameter of our galaxy. Penicillin and many other antibiotics are the metabolic products of fungi. More fungi than ants: After plants and bacte- ria, fungi constitute the third­largest biomass on Earth. back to page 1 63 o t o h p k c o t s i / k n a r f o t o r , o t o h p k c o t s i / z d o g r a e g , k c o t S e b o d A / k c i l b r e l a t i g d i , k c o t S e b o d A , T H C I S M U r e f o h n u a r F : s o t o h P

3 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine Fraunhofer IOSB-AST’s re- searchers are shining a light on another use case in the EnerQuant project. They are developing a model that will show how a small airport’s e-vehicle fleet could be pow- ered by as much self-gener- ated solar energy as possible, while taking various differ- ent factors into account. — Listen to the podcast to find out more: To demonstrate this, Mr. Halffmann and his colleagues tested a simplified fundamen- tal model on multiple systems at the same time. To conduct their calculations, they used the 27-qubit IBM Quantum System (which is lo- cated in Ehningen in Baden-Württemberg, and exclusively available to Fraunhofer and its partners), other IBM systems in the USA and a quantum annealer, which, while it may come out on top with its 5,000 qubits, is only suitable for very specific optimization tasks. Soon, they will also expand their arsenal to include a quantum simulator based on ultra-cold atoms. Developed at Heidelberg University, the sim- ulator uses “qudits” for its calculations. From the qubit to the qudit In contrast to qubits, which can hold any state between 0 and 1, qudits can take on the values 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 and more, as well as all the superpositions in between. This means that they can be used to process more data with fewer units of information. “In addition to modeling, benchmarking different quantum computers and comparing them to conven- tional computers is another important goal for our project,” emphasizes Mr. Halffmann. However, the classic problem of working with quantum computers still remains: Today’s systems are nowhere near offering the number of qubits and the high level of connectivity required to create complex models. That meant that the research team had to think flexibly and mathematically reformulate the model right from the start so that it required as few qubits and as low a connectivity level as pos- sible. “It worked so well that we were able to make significant improvements to the process of transferring our virtual model to physical qubits,” the mathematician reports. This achievement will also form the basis for sub- sequent stages of the research process — and there are many of those left to go before the team reaches the point of practical application. It is particularly important to have good part- ners when working in this field, as the Ener- Quant participants know very well. Fraunhofer ITWM is teaming up with its sister institute Fraunhofer IOSB’s institute branch, the Insti- tute for Advanced Systems Technology (AST) to work on the modeling, while Heidelberg University is providing the quantum simula- tor prototypes. A start-up called JoS QUANTUM GmbH is working to make the algorithms more advanced, as well as supplying the software platform where the collective results are being pooled. This platform will be used to make the results available to the industry sector once the project is complete, where they will hope- fully contribute to Germany’s future security of supply. k c o t S e b o d A / 9 t s e r r o F : o t o h P According to the German Federal Network Agency, the German grid has 219,536 power stations. back to page 1 65

3 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine 3 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine C arbon fiber-reinforced compo- nents are commonly in use as a strong but lightweight mate- rial in all manner of applica- tions — for example in the transport sec- tor, wind turbines and sports equipment. But what happens to these components when they come to the end of their life cycle? Up to now, the answer has usually been: nothing. The Fraunhofer Institute for Casting, Composite and Processing Technology IGCV aims to change this — using wetlaid non-woven technology. As with cellulose fibers, the process allows carbon fibers to be separated in water, aligned and then drained. This produces rolls of non-woven fabric that can be reused, for instance, in the automotive sector. The materials we know as carbon are composites consisting of carbon fibers embedded in a polymer matrix. Up to now there have been very few options for recy- cling these composites. “This year we have a g loba l c a rbon f iber c apac it y of 170,000 tonnes. Only around a twentieth of that will be recycled,” claims Michael Sauer of Fraunhofer IGCV. Indeed, thermal and chemical processes for recovering carbon fibers from the polymer matrix do exist. But the majority of these carbon fibers are too short to be used as part of established processing methods. However, with wetlaid non-woven technology, shorter fibers are easier to handle — as such, the previously unusable portions of recycled carbon fibers can now be har- nessed as a raw material. This also helps to reduce the CO2 footprint of the material. “Because so much effort has been put into the production of the fiber, it makes sense to reuse this valuable commodity,” says Violetta Schumm, from Fraunhofer IGCV. The wetlaid non-woven machine works in a similar way to a papermaking machine, but with one crucial difference — it pro- cesses recycled carbon fibers, not paper fibers. Mr. Sauer and Ms. Schumm, a materi- als scientist and a textile scientist respec- tively, now operate the one and only papermaking machine in the Fraun- hofer-Gesellschaft. During construction of this machine the pair was able to draw on a wealth of existing expertise from the paper industry, but they did also have to solve certain specific problems relating to their use of recycled carbon fibers. Mr. Sauer describes the challenges: “It is basi- cally a waste product, with differing fiber lengths, contamination, and fibers that are “This year we have a global carbon fiber capacity of 170,000 tonnes. Only around a twentieth of that will be recycled.” Michael Sauer, Fraunhofer IGCV often tangled and hard to disperse.” In order to produce a homogeneous non-woven fabric despite the difficult source material, the wetlaid non-woven machine at Fraun- hofer IGCV was designed to be especially flexible and robust. This means it can handle a wide range of fiber lengths and also cope with large disparity in fiber lengths within one batch. To prevent the electrically conductive carbon fibers from short-circuiting the system, the machine is completely enclosed. The non-woven fabric that is produced from the recycled carbon fibers on the wetlaid non-woven machine can be used in various applications. Even structural components such as engine hoods and undercarriages can be created from a composite made from recycled carbon fibers and a polymer matrix. “Our prod- ucts outperform any new glass-reinforced component. Even though we are using such short carbon fibers, they are carbon fibers nonetheless,” adds Mr. Sauer. One advantage is that the fabric can be adjusted to meet precise requirements. Not only can the thickness and density of the material be specified; the electrical conductivity can too. The latter depends on the orientation of the fibers, as conduc- tivity is much higher along the length of the fiber axis than it is across it. It is thus theoretically possible to achieve an infinitely variable level of conductivity in the finished material — from isotropic non-wovens formed by distinctly inter- secting fibers, to virtually parallel fibers. The current challenge with this is actually orienting the fibers accurately. In the long-term , it is hoped that plant technology can be used for more than just manufacturing non-woven fabric from waste products that would otherwise be useless. Another focus is developing prod- ucts that contain minimal binding agent. This means that the constituent materials remain free-flowing and can be integrated more easily into normal production pro- cesses in place of existing materials. In comparison to a traditional paper- making machine, the Fraunhofer IGCV machine is relatively small, measuring 61 centimeters wide and having a maxi- mum processing speed of 30 meters per minute. This allows the researchers to work even with small quantities of sample fibers. “The good thing about the machine is that an industry customer can come to us with their new fiber material, and we can test its processability within a day,” says Ms. Schumm. Although the focus in plant technology is on the processing of carbon fibers, the machine can basically handle any fiber material. In addition to recycled carbon fibers, Ms. Schumm and Mr. Sauer have also processed cellulose and various polymer fibers. During the coronavirus pandemic, the papermaking machine at Fraunhofer IGCV was used to manufacture FFP2 face masks. — Scan here for the podcast: V C G I r e f o h n u a r F / r y a m h o r t S n a i t s i r h C : s o t o h P back to page 1 67

3 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine AUSTRIA Smart timber transport Researchers at Fraunhofer Austria Research GmbH are working toward consolidating goods transport opera- tions and implementing an intelligent network to move cargo efficiently and in a sustainable manner. To this end, they have developed transportation containers that can be used collabora- tively across transport networks, as part of a pilot project called Smart Tim- ber Logistics. These special containers are intermodal, and so are suitable for use on roads, railways and waterways. Various sensors and a GPS ensure that the container is “smart,” while the built-in weighing technology prevents overloading and facilitates re-loading. The containers can transport both tree trunks and other wood products, such as wood chips, which helps avoid empty runs. Container loading and transport are controlled via a market- place and an open IT platform, which suggests the best transport route — from the forest to the processing plant — depending on ecological fac- tors and costs. With smart timber logistics, it is possible, in an example region, to shift 30,000 of the current 100,000 tonnes of transport volume from the road onto the railways. Truck journeys to re-loading points have been signifi- cantly reduced thanks to this innovative container. NEW ZEALAND Making green hydrogen industrially viable New catalysts make water electrolysis more sustainable and more efficien designed for AEM electrolysis, which guarantee a rapid and reliable oxygen evolution reaction. Crucially, these cata- lysts do not contain rare precious metals such as iridium, but instead are based on nickel and manganese — two readily available and inexpensive metals. The researchers hope to accelerate the mar- ket introduction of AEM electrolysis — a young technology that brings together the advantages of the processes com- monly used up to now — and establish it as a viable industrial solution. Green hydrogen obtained through electrolysis from renewable energy is a key technol- ogy in the energy transition. Scientists from the Fraunhofer Insti- tute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials IFAM are col- laborating with other scientists from the University of Bayreuth and three New Zealand universities on a project named HighHy, which aims to estab- lish a resource-efficient and cost-effec- tive method for water electrolysis. To do this, the project team are develop- ing highly active catalysts specifically What is the most appropriate course of action? A digital platform helps with decision-making. FRANCE Fighting epidemics effectively AIOLOS, a Franco-German collabora- tive project, represents a bid to learn from the coronavirus pandemic. The researchers are developing a digital platform that enables early detection of new epidemics triggered by respira- tory pathogens, monitors their spread and simulates different intervention options to assist decision-makers in determining the appropriate interna- tional response. The Fraunhofer Institutes for Trans- lational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMP and for Algorithms and Scientific Computing SCAI are leading the proj- ect together with the French pharma- ceutical company Sanofi, supported by a number of other industry partners. The multidimensional platform is designed to integrate real-time data from a wide range of sources — pri- marily from the healthcare sector, but also from text and media analyses, demographic and mobility data, and even wastewater analyses. Artificial intelligence models then use this data to develop plausible epidemic scenar- ios, which are displayed on a dash- board. The findings are intended to help private and public interest groups put in place scientific, economic and political provisions and introduce effective countermeasures. back to page 1 69 k c o t S e b o d A , s e g a m i p d d / o n a b a F a i i l i c e C , ) 3 ( o t o h p k c o t s i l l a / e r i o N t e B , c i j a B n a v I , k r a m y a k s c O : s o t o h P

T oday is Conchita’s first ever flight with a backpack. Taking a dive, she swoops close over a group of visitors to the Tierpark Berlin zoo. The female vulture has been fitted on the back and chest with an animal sensor that contains a camera for taking aerial photographs. And soon, the addition of built-in artificial intelligence (AI) will allow the photos to be evaluated and the result sent to a sat- ellite in real time, in the form of a short text message. These messages could be combined with GPS data, so that vultures flying freely around the savanna could send a text such as: “Many dead zebras on the ground, please investigate immediately.” Vultures are often the first to discover dead animals . By eating carrion, they prevent the spread of wildlife diseases from dead to l iv i ng a n i ma l s . Within the ecosystem of the savanna, the vultures act as a kind of s a n it a r y p ol ice force. But they also a r e i n d i c a t o r s o f change. For instance, they might show that water and animals are suddenly present again in an otherwise dry area. Or conversely, if vultures no longer fly over a certain area, it could be a sign that the wildlife popula- tion has collapsed. The outbreak of an animal epidemic may be evident from a large number of bodies within a small area. Until now, researchers have had to manually analyze small amounts of data to get this information. Some animals have already been fitted with transmitters, also known as tags, but at present, these devices only store GPS and acceleration data. Not only that, but measurement data is only transmitted to the researchers when a bird happens to be flying over an area with a cellular network. Now, a new generation of miniature transmitters is set to provide a significantly improved data basis for vulture research and the conservation of their ecosystem. As part of the joint project GAIA-Sat-IoT, researchers from W Z I - z i n b e L i , g n i l l i w Z n a J ; c i v i r K ž a j t a M : s o t o h P “It is a genuine early warning system that can be used to rapidly identify hot spots such as disease outbreaks, poisonings or other changes to the ecosystem.” Nina Holzer, Fraunhofer IIS 3 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS have been working together with the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (Leibniz-IZW) since the beginning of 2022 to develop an innovative animal transmitter system that contains significantly more sensors and indicates environmental changes at an early stage. One component of this system is attached to the vulture’s back and collects data on its position and acceleration, among other things. The other module contains the camera and sits on the bird’s chest, facing forward . The two components work closely together. Nina Holzer is heading up the GAIA-Sat-IoT project, which falls under a collaborative Fraunhofer IIS initiative focused on using arti- ficial intelligence, IoT technology and satel- lite communications in species protection and wildlife research. The manager of the Multimodal Human Sensing group con- siders it essential “that AI processes the data directly on the sensor, so that no cloud con- nection is required. This makes it a proper early warning system that can be used to rapidly identify eco- logical cluster crises, i nc l u d i n g d i s e a s e outbreaks, poisonings and other changes to the ecosystem.” Jürgen Ernst, chief engineer at Fraunhofer IIS, developed the test tag for the maiden flight in Berlin zoo. Conchita’s test flight demonstrated that the new tag fits and that the camera is correctly positioned on the bird’s body for landing. This means that, in the future, vultures will not only be able use the camera to take the most incredible photographs of their flights in the air, but also to capture images of animal carcasses in the savanna. All Ernst has to do now is to adjust the shutter speed of the camera lens to the vulture’s own speed as it swoops down. The researcher is also interested in the amount of additional sensors that could fit into the small tag. Animal welfare is paramount, of course, so the sen- sors must not weigh more than 100 grams. Innovative back to page 1 71

3 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine Getting their vultures in a row: Falkner Manuel Sembritzki from Tierpark Berlin (left) and Dr. Jörg Melzheimer from Leibniz-IZW. Readjusting tag settings on a laptop: Head engineer Jürgen Ernst (left) from Fraunhofer IIS fine-tunes settings for the vulture’s tag. “We are developing a technology that can also drive internet-of-things communications in industry.” Florian Leschka, Fraunhofer IIS The group led by Nina Holzer is working to ensure that AI computing requirements on the chip are as small and energy-efficient as possible. On the other hand, Felix Kreyß and his team at Fraunhofer IIS intend to distribute various different AI algorithm computing operations across several tags. He is head of the SyNaKI subproject, which aims to leverage synergies between natural and artificial intelli- gence in swarms. If several vultures with transmitters are in the same location, the AI can work separately on the individual tags. This makes use of all of the tags’ process- ing power, meaning that the AI algorithm does not have to limit its prediction accuracy. The SyNaKI approach involves building an ad hoc network as soon as vultures gather, for instance, around a carcass. The individual tags will then be dynamically assigned particular tasks. Mr. Kreyß is already considering how the technology could be used on other animals. When many animals of the same species come together, it makes sense to distrib- ute tasks to different transmitters. “AI offers a number of advantages for health monitoring of grazing animals, such as its ability to detect unusual behavior, or give an early warning of when an animal is about to give birth,” relates Mr. Kreyß. Vultures may certainly be effective PR agents for this new, cost-efficient AI, but Mr. Leschka has other areas of appli- cation in mind. “What we are developing is a technology that can also drive internet-of-things communications and the use of sensor-based artificial intelligence in industry.” The advantages of analyzing data in real time on the sensor, without a cloud connection, could enable value creation in new fields of application — for example, logistics, avalanche warning systems and health monitoring that involves where sensitive patient data which cannot be processed in the cloud; not to mention traffic control systems and ensuring optimal soil irrigation in agriculture. back to page 1 73 W Z I - z i n b e L i , g n i l l i w Z n a J ; c i v i r K ž a j t a M : s o t o h P

Photo & Fraunhofer 3 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine Go into the light Cars already have many autonomous features — from cruise con- trol to ensure that the vehicle maintains the correct distance from the car in front to lane assist systems for keeping the car away from guard rails. Attention assist warns fatigued drivers to take their coffee breaks when they need them, while parking guidance makes it easier to slot your car into a space. And in a tight spot, some cars can even hit the emergency break. To make these features possible, car manufacturers have incorporated large numbers of cameras and sensors into the vehicles at various different points. However, if cars are to some day make their way through traffic safely without a human hand on the wheel, many more sensors will be needed in order to replace human drivers’ vision and hearing. A key technology in this context, besides camera systems and radar, is high-resolution LiDAR (light detection and ranging) sensors; by using lasers, this technology can create an extremely precise 3D map of the vehicle’s surroundings at lightning speed. But how can we fit all these high-tech detectors into our cars? A research team made up of scientists from five different Fraun- hofer-Gesellschaft institutes have found a smart solution for this space shortage. “We’re integrating radar and LiDAR sensors into headlights, seeing as they are there already anyway — and what’s more, they’re the best place for ensuring optimum transmission for optical sensors and light sources, as well as a dirt-free environ- ment,” says Tim Freialdenhoven of the Fraunhofer Institute for High Frequency Physics and Radar Techniques FHR. “We’re also working on combining the data from radar and LiDAR systems. This will create a lot of added value, especially when it comes to reliability.” The Smart Headlight project team is currently building a prototype and they have already applied for a patent. back to page 1 75 k c o t S e b o d A / k k c u l y k n u i : o t o h P

3 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine “Tumor cells in the blood are extreme- ly difficult to detect.” Dr. Neus Feliu Torres, Fraunhofer IAP quickly and easily check whether a treatment that the patient has recently started is working successfully. In this case, there will be a decrease in the number of tumor cells that the test detects flowing through the patient’s veins. If the treatment is not working as hoped, the patient’s doctors can then switch to a different type of treatment without losing valuable time. The liquid biopsy in itself is not a new procedure, although it is not yet a standard tool for cancer diag- nostics. The procedure has not been used for breast cancer detection at all until now. There are two main reasons for this: “Unlike other somatic cells, tumor cells in the blood are only present at a ratio of one to one million,” explains Dr. Feliu Torres. “This makes them extremely difficult to detect.” To track these fugitive cells down, the Catalan-born scientist and her research team have developed special magnetic nanoparticles that can be used to enrich the tumor cells. As soon as the cancer cells absorb these particles, they can be basically be gathered up into a concentrated group using a magnetic field. However, just knowing that there is a tumor somewhere in the body is of limited help to the patient’s physicians. Their next step is to determine exactly where the carcinoma is located. To do this, the scien- tists are using fluorescent particles that will bind specifically to the surface of the tumor cells detected in the blood. If one of them lights up, the researchers know that it is a cell from a breast tumor. The particles glow so brightly that very few cells are needed for tumor detection. In current liquid biopsy methods, the magnetic nanoparticles bind to the surface of the cancer cells. However, these surfaces offer limited space, and in order to exploit the full potential of cell typing, there must be room for both the magnetic particles and the fluorescent particles. “We are developing magnetic nanoparticles that will be absorbed by the cancer cells. Then we will be able to use the entire cell surface for characterizing the tumor cells,” explains Dr. Feliu Torres. As the tumor cells circulating in the blood vary from patient to patient, it is by no means sufficient to use just one type of fluorescent particle. This is why the team uses up to 18 different types of binding particles to track the tumor cells. This new way of conducting liquid biopsies could soon make the detection of breast tumors more precise and specific, as well as more efficient, cost-effective and above all, faster than the classic method of tissue biopsy. This could ultimately allow patients to gain the most important thing of all: more life. Statistically, one in eight women will develop breast cancer during their lifetime. on average, 79 out of every 100 women affected are still alive 5 years after their diagnosis; after 10 years, the number drops to 67. Certainty is just a pinprick away Tissue removal is a minimally invasive surgical pro- cedure but it can still cause pain, and is even asso- ciated with certain risks. The new method, however, requires nothing more than a pinprick — the patient only needs to provide a small blood sample. And the new technology is also expected to create advantages for the treatment stage. For instance, it can be used to back to page 1 77 y r a r b i L o t o h P e c n e i c S / r e n s s i e m h c s G e v e t S : o t o h P

Fraunhofer on the road Düsseldorf Nuremberg Munich 3 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine Düsseldorf November 14–17, 2022 Medica/Compamed The leading international trade fairs for the medical sector Munich November 15–18, 2022 electronica The leading international fair and conference for electronics Munich November 23, 2022 Fraunhofer Investment Forum (hybrid) High-tech founders in search of capital meet investors Nuremberg March 14–16, 2022 Embedded World International trade fair and conference for embedded systems As of: October. Changes may occur due to the pandemic. Please keep an eye out for information from the event organizers. Fraunhofer magazine The magazine for people who shape the future Would you like to get the Fraunhofer magazine in your mailbox as soon as it comes out — for free? Order it online directly at https://s.fhg.de/of 2 2 | 1 Stronger support for hydrogen Energy transition Ocean-powered War, energy crises, climate change What can artificial intelligence do to help? 2 2 | 2 This is not an egg Our diet is changing radically. What does the future taste like? | | Verónica García-Arteaga, Fraunhofer researcher and start-up founder Protection and security A new era, new challenges, new solutions Reflecting the times we live in Caroline Schweitzer, managing director of the Fraunhofer Segment for Defense and Security VVS, at the International Aeronautical Exhibition in Berlin How safe are the autobahns? Bridges at the breaking point: A sensor system to detect defects “Changes that affect 83 million people.” An interview with German Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture Cem Özdemir Quick, safe, objective coronavirus monitoring How Fraunhofer’s mobile laboratory measures viral load »Cybersecurity will be an ongoing task« German Federal Minister for Digital Infrastructure Volker Wissing back to page 1 79 3 | 22Breast cancer: hunting down cells in the blood streamNew diagnostics — faster, more efficient, safer for patients“We are well-positioned in terms of applied research!”An interview with Bärbel Bas, president of the German BundestagOur energyWhere it comes fromHow we can secure Prof. Clemens Rohde, Fraunhofer ISIOur diet is about to go green Food for everybody — from the sea