Press Releases

On November 1, 2025, Jörg Dörr joined the institute management team at the Fraunhofer Institute for Experimental Software Engineering IESE. Together with the current director Peter Liggesmeyer, he will co-lead the institute, which specializes in efficient software development. They will share responsibilities: Jörg Dörr will serve as scientific director while Peter Liggesmeyer will act as managing director.

At its fall meeting on November 6, 2025, the senate of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft unanimously re-elected Hildegard Müller, President of the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA), as chair of the senate. Her term will begin on January 1, 2026. The committee also confirmed Oliver Zipse, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG, and elected Anna-Katharina Wittenstein, Member of the Supervisory Board of Wittenstein SE, as deputy chairs of the senate. Both will take office on January 1, 2026.

In the Clean Aviation project, Fraunhofer researchers teamed up with partners to develop a system that causes icy spots on aircraft wings to vibrate, removing the ice. This dramatically reduces the amount of energy needed for deicing in comparison to conventional methods. The technology is also suitable for low-emission propulsion of the future.

Paraplegics need a new catheter about four to eight times a day to be able to empty their bladder. Due to their anatomy, women usually require assistance when replacing their catheter. This can not only be embarrassing for them but also increases the risk of urinary tract infections — and thus of bladder cancer later on in life. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA now want to make everyday life easier for affected women.

Fraunhofer researchers have developed a system that uses sensors and AI to monitor a driver's cognitive load. In the future, this technology could ease driver strain when they reach their stress limit. The system can also be applied in other fields, such as for pilots or surgeons. The researchers are using an innovative sensor network for the project — as well as a PC game for preparing virtual sushi.

His discovery of spectral lines revolutionized optics, and his inventions paved the way for precision measurements and modern lighting technology. Despite his desire to explore, he never lost sight of his ultimate goal: to put his inventions and developments into practice. This is also the mission of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, which in 2026 will commemorate the 200th anniversary of its eponym’s death. At the initiative of the German Commission for UNESCO, Joseph von Fraunhofer is also to be commemorated in a commemorative year under the auspices of UNESCO. The UN agency announced this at its General Conference.

Infectious complications are not uncommon after implant placement. The risk is higher in heavily contaminated wounds, which are particularly common in war zones such as Ukraine, where many bone injuries require treatment. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials IFAM in Bremen have developed a new functionalized surface that can be loaded with antibiotics.

Before a car rolls off the production line, manufacturers run virtual tests on it. Simulating tires is particularly challenging since they are subject to extreme stress when driving over potholes and bumps. This is where CDTire comes into play. The tire modeling software developed by Fraunhofer researchers enables realistic tire models and supports the automotive industry in a wide range of analysis scenarios. Manfred Bäcker and Christoph Burkhart from the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics ITWM explain how the new software also helps reduce costs and shift time-consuming test drives from the real-world test track to the vehicle simulator.

In light of the growing demand for energy storage for the energy transition, there is an urgent need for cost-effective, safe and resource-efficient battery technologies. Sodium-ion batteries based on locally available and environmentally friendly materials offer a promising approach. Fraunhofer researchers and their project partners are working on a sodium-ion battery system based on lignin, a by-product of the wood and pulp industry.

The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft welcomes the official launch of the German government’s High-Tech Agenda and sees it as a strong signal that innovation policy is being prioritized. Today's launch marks the start of the urgently needed rapid implementation of the program, which aims to strengthen Germany’s innovative capacity and accelerate the translation of strategic technologies into practice. The key to success is the freedom to innovate.