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  • New president’s spokesperson / 2024

    Monika Landgraf is moving to Fraunhofer

    Press Release / March 13, 2024

    © Markus Breig, KIT

    From May 1, 2024, Monika Landgraf will head the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft’s Science Communications section, which comprises the Science Policy, Press and Media, Corporate Media, and Multimedia and Brand Communications departments. The journalism graduate will also take over as Fraunhofer press officer and report directly to Prof. Hanselka in her role as the president’s spokesperson.

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  • Pooling expertise, leveraging synergies / 2024

    Integration of Fraunhofer FEP's Microdisplays and Sensors business unit into Fraunhofer IPMS

    Press Release / March 07, 2024

    Das Geschäftsfeld Mikrodisplays & Sensoren des Fraunhofer FEP, das in das Fraunhofer IPMS integriert wird, entwickelt OLED- und µLED-Displays.
    © Fraunhofer FEP, Foto: Claudia Jacquemin

    The Microdisplays and Sensors business unit at the Fraunhofer Institute for Organic Electronics, Electron Beam and Plasma Technology FEP will be integrated into the Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems IPMS with retroactive effect from January 1, 2024. Both institutes are closely connected, particularly within this business unit, and share infrastructure at the Dresden site. By pooling expertise and streamlining structures, we anticipate the creation of synergies that will strengthen the research field, expedite development and thus benefit customers and partners.

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  • Sustainable logistics / 2024

    Optimal shipping carton utilization

    Research News / March 01, 2024

    Mithilfe der Optimierungssoftware CASTN erhalten Versandunternehmen ein optimal auf ihre jeweilige Auftrags- und Artikelstruktur abgestimmtes Kartonset.
    © Fraunhofer IML

    Products ordered online are often shipped in oversized cartons. The size of the overall package is frequently much larger than its contents. For example, a fragrance bottle is shipped in a shoebox-sized package, which has padding to fill the empty space. This is not sustainable. Helping to combat this issue is the CASTN optimization software created by the Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics IML, which puts together the optimum order-to-carton combination for each customer’s order. Clever algorithms calculate the best carton utilization based on the item and order structure.

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  • A systems change in automotive architecture / 2024

    A supercomputer on wheels

    Research News / March 01, 2024

    Symbolbild Kabelbaum: Die zentrale Verwaltung benötigt weniger Kabel, wodurch in der Herstellung Materialaufwand und Kosten sinken. Das Fahrzeug wird insgesamt deutlich leichter.
    © iStock

    Modern cars are packed full of electronics. Managing all the computers and assistance systems is a complex task, and the cable harnesses increase the weight of the car. In the joint research project CeCaS, Fraunhofer researchers are working on a systems architecture based on the idea of managing all electronic components centrally from one computer platform. This will make it easier to construct highly automated, connected vehicles. The core element of this Fraunhofer technology is an extremely reliable Ethernet backbone that works in real time.

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  • Electromobility / 2024

    Faster charging with diamonds

    Research News / March 01, 2024

    Fotos von freistehenden polykristallinen Diamant-Nanomembranen
    © Fraunhofer USA, Center Midwest

    Diamond is known for its outstanding thermal conductivity. This makes the material ideal for cooling electronic components with high power densities, such as those used in processors, semiconductor lasers or electric vehicles. Researchers at Fraunhofer USA, an independent international affiliate of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, have succeeded in developing wafer-thin nanomembranes from synthetic diamonds that can be integrated into electronic components, thereby reducing the local heat load by up to ten times. This helps to improve the road performance and service life of electric cars and significantly reduces battery charging time.

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  • Feathers replace petroleum / 2024

    Adhesives from feathers

    Research News / March 01, 2024

    Federn enthalten Keratin, ein wasserunlösliches Strukturprotein, aus dem sich Bestandteile von Klebstoffen herstellen lassen.
    © Fraunhofer IGB

    Adhesives are almost always based on fossil raw materials such as petroleum. Researchers at Fraunhofer have recently developed a process that allows to utilize keratin for this purpose. This highly versatile protein compound can be found, for instance, in chicken feathers. Not only can it be used to manufacture a host of different adhesives for a variety of applications, but the processes and end products are also sustainable and follow the basic principles underlying a bioinspired circular economy. The project, developed together with Henkel AG & Co. KGaA, addresses a billion-dollar market.

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  • The circular economy: Fraunhofer Waste4Future flagship project / 2024

    Revamped plastics recycling chain

    Research News / March 01, 2024

    Andreas Keller, Wissenschaftler aus dem Waste4Future-Konsortium am Demonstrator.
    © Holger Jacoby

    These days, the majority of consumable and everyday items are made from petroleum-based plastic. In Germany alone, some six million tons of plastic waste are generated every year. Approximately half of this is mechanically recycled into new materials; the rest is used for energy recovery. Incinerating this waste releases CO2, a greenhouse gas. So from a climate and environmental protection point of view, it is important to keep more plastics in the materials cycle. As part of the Waste4Future flagship project, eight Fraunhofer institutes are developing new ideas and processes to significantly improve the mechanical recycling rate for plastic materials.

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  • Fraunhofer-Präsident Prof. Holger Hanselka und der Bayerische Wirtschaftsminister Hubert Aiwanger (rechts) mit den Preisträgern des Hugo-Geiger-Preises 2023: Dr. Maximilian Lederer (Fraunhofer IPMS, Platz 1, Mitte links), Dr. Sascha Dick (Fraunhofer IIS, Platz 2, Mitte rechts).
    © Fraunhofer

    A new material for faster, energy-saving semiconductor memory, efficient 3D audio, and an innovative approach to early detection of cancer: Three next-generation researchers, one each from Dresden, Erlangen, and Leipzig, were awarded the Hugo Geiger Prize on February 28 for their dissertations in applied research. The prize is given out annually by the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy (StMWi) and the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft in recognition of outstanding applied doctoral work com-pleted in close collaboration with a Fraunhofer institute.

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  • Fraunhofer at the Hannover Messe Preview 2024 / 2024

    ReMatBuilt: How residual materials become high-performance construction products

    Press Release / February 21, 2024

    Betonbaustein aus rezyklierten Zuschlagstoffen und Reishülsenasche mit einer Reisstroh-Dämmung
    © Fraunhofer WKI

    When it comes to sustainable development, the construction industry faces great challenges. In the ReMatBuilt project, experts from the Fraunhofer Institute for Wood Research, Wilhelm-Klauditz-Institut, WKI and their partners are proving that the tasks associated with this can be solved with high-performance construction materials made of recycled and waste materials. They will be presenting their solutions to specialist audiences at the Hannover Messe Preview on February 21, 2024.

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  • Fraunhofer at the Hannover Messe Preview 2024 / 2024

    Total versatility: flexible test station with cobot

    Research News / February 21, 2024

    Die KI-gestützte Bildauswertung ist direkt im Kameramodul des Roboterarms integriert. Wenn die Analysesoftware Mängel entdeckt, benachrichtigt das System die Mitarbeitenden, die den Fehler beheben können.
    © Fraunhofer IEM / Janosch Gruschczyk

    Manually checking the quality of components or products in industry is labor-intensive for employees and error-prone on top of that. The Fraunhofer Institute for Mechatronic Systems Design IEM is unveiling a solution that provides total versatility in this area. In an it's OWL supported collaboration with ATM producer Diebold Nixdorf and software specialist verlinked, Fraunhofer IEM has created a combination of collaborative robot (cobot), AI-based image analysis and IoT platform. The system frees employees from having to perform visual inspections and can be incorporated into all kinds of testing scenarios. The Fraunhofer researchers will be presenting a demonstrator at the Hannover Messe Preview on February 21, 2024.

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Articles, conference contributions, research reports, studies, patents or utility models: Fraunhofer-Publica documents the publications and patents that result from the research activities of the Fraunhofer institutes.