Press / Newsroom

High-quality athletic shoes are usually made from a complex combination of materials. This has consequences for both production and recycling. In the ZiProMat project, Fraunhofer researchers have found another way. A sole made of programmable monomaterial performs various functions and is also made of the same material as the upper. The concept combines high-tech, sustainability and recyclability.

Green hydrogen is a key area of opportunity in the energy transition. However, the use of pipelines to transport this energy source is associated with a degree of risk. Research scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute for High-Speed Dynamics, Ernst-Mach-Institut, EMI, are developing a hydraulic simulation tool to assist with the planning of a resilient hydrogen infrastructure designed to safeguard energy supply.

While germinating, seeds must be supplied with sufficient water and protected from herbicides, as undisturbed crop development is key to ensuring stable and high yields. As part of the SeedPlus project, researchers from three Fraunhofer institutes have developed a biodegradable seed coating that features integrated water storage capacity and protection from herbicides to facilitate high germination rates.

Nitrous oxide is the third most significant greenhouse gas in terms of climate impact after carbon dioxide and methane. It is primarily generated as a result of nitrogen fertilization in agriculture. The Fraunhofer Institute for Physical Measurement Techniques IPM has developed a compact and cost-effective measurement system that detects nitrous oxide emissions from farmland directly in the field. The system will help make fertilization more efficient in the future.

Medical imaging devices such as endoscopes transmit their data via cables to monitors and hospital information systems. In collaboration with partners, Fraunhofer researchers in the OWIMED project are working to make data cables superfluous in the operating room of the future. The project team has developed a prototype for an endoscope that uses light to transmit the images from a laparoscopic procedure in the abdominal cavity.

At Booth 115 in Hall B2 at IFAT Munich 2026, the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft will showcase pioneering solutions for a sustainable water and raw materials management industry, ranging from the removal of heavy metals and rare metal recovery to recycling of wind turbines. In line with the motto Water, Energy, Circularity—Green Technology for a Resilient Future, eight Fraunhofer institutes will show how reusable materials can be extracted from wastewater, how key raw materials can be recovered from electronic waste and how linear processes can be turned into closed circles.

Seven key sectors, clear industrial policy priorities, and strategic recommendations for action: the Franco-German AI Dialogue sends a strong signal for sovereign, competitive, and trustworthy artificial intelligence in Europe. At the Franco-German Forum on Industrial AI, held at the French Ministry for the Economy and Finance, the final report was officially handed over to representatives of both governments. It demonstrates how Germany and France aim to jointly advance the development of a high-performing European AI ecosystem—in close collaboration with industry, research, and policymaking.

What can be done to maintain efficient, sustainable and adaptable industrial value creation in times of great global uncertainties? The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft will answer this question at Hannover Messe 2026. Under the motto “Innovations for our Future,” nine Fraunhofer institutes and groups as well as the Research Fab Microelectronics Germany (FMD) will present tangible solutions for promoting a resilient digitally networked industry from April 20 to 24. Journalists are very welcome to join the press tour (please see below for further details).

How can medical data be analyzed more effectively, documentation processes be handled more efficiently and how can the basis for clinical decision-making be improved? At DMEA 2026, which will be taking place in Berlin from April 21 to 23, the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft will be presenting technologies for analyzing health-related data that are designed to reduce the burden on medical staff and facilitate data-based applications in research and care. Five institutes will be presenting their latest developments at the joint Fraunhofer booth (Booth D-109, Hall 2.2). These range from AI-assisted symptom analysis and data spaces that allow for health data to be securely shared to assistance systems for medical documentation, data-based decision-making support and solutions for training and evaluating AI models for medical data.

Overfertilization in agriculture weakens crops, endangers drinking water quality and harms the soil. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB are now developing an alternative fertilizer that is fully biodegradable and only supplies plants with the nutri-ents they actually need, thus preventing overfertilization.