Fraunhofer Research News

On October 1, 2026, Michael Sedlmair joined the leadership team at the Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Graphics Research IGD. He will work with Matthias Unbescheiden to shape the institute’s scientific and strategic direction at its Darmstadt and Rostock locations. His work will focus on human-centered artificial intelligence and on how visual computing technologies can help people tackle complex cognitive and physical tasks. Sedlmair will also join the Technical University of Darmstadt as a professor and hold the Chair of Visual Computing, formerly the Interactive Graphics Systems Group.

Seawater and brackish water could serve as alternative water sources for hydrogen production. The challenge is that conventional electrolyzers require high-purity water that needs extensive treatment. In the SeaEly project, the Fraunhofer Institute for Wind Energy Systems IWES and the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials IFAM investigated how suitable seawater and brackish water are for hydrogen production and what testing and evaluation infrastructure is needed.

3D bioprinting opens up new possibilities for producing organs and tissues needed for applications such as organ transplants and drug development. However, while existing bioinks are cell-compatible and printable, they do not adequately replicate the physiological structure and composition of tissue. In the PhysioINK project, Fraunhofer researchers are developing bioinks from the most common tissue proteins to replicate physiological tissue structures without chemical modification.

Heat pumps are an efficient and future-proof key technology for the energy transition in heating systems and for achieving Germany’s climate goals. In the WESPE project, Fraunhofer researchers and their partners are working to make heat pump installation faster, more productive and more efficient to support the transformation of the heating sector, despite a shortage of skilled workers. Innovative, standardized digital tools and practical installation solutions tested in real-world conditions are to significantly speed up future heat pump retrofits.

Cushioning for upholstery, mattresses and vehicle seats is made primarily from petroleum-based polyurethane foams. Fraunhofer researchers are replacing the conventional material with sustainable foams made from renewable resources that provide exceptional comfort for seating and sleep systems.

Not all injuries heal without complications. People with underlying conditions such as diabetes are particularly prone to chronic wounds. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS are developing specialized dressings that can speed up healing.

Osteoporosis is a major cause of fractures in older adults, yet the underlying bone loss often goes undetected. In the BMDNow project, Fraunhofer researchers and their partners aim to enable early detection of this skeletal disorder and its precursor stages without the need for additional examina-tions. To achieve this, they use AI-powered software to automatically analyze existing CT scans and calculate bone density, allowing patients at risk to be identified sooner.

Germany is investing billions in key technologies through its High-Tech Agenda. But the crucial question is: How can that investment help create successful companies? That question will be front and center at Fraunhofer’s showcase at Bits & Pretzels in Munich, September 28–30.

Germany is facing major challenges: The country is a global leader in re-search, but many innovations still take too long to reach the market. Over 200 years ago, Joseph von Fraunhofer showed how to speed the journey from research to practical use. A craftsman, researcher and entrepreneur, he turned scientific insights into practical applications. In honor of its eponym, the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft today reopened his historic glassworks in Benediktbeuern, joined by prominent guests from government, research and society.

The network of nerves in the arm—known as the brachial plexus—transmits motor and sensory signals between the spinal cord and the shoulder, arm and hand. If this network is injured, for example due to a motorcycle accident, the result may be sensory disturbances, muscle weakness or even paralysis. The PLEXO project involves Fraunhofer researchers who are working with partners to develop a myoelectrically controlled exoskeleton designed to assist people with daily tasks. The wearable assistive system is to feature a minimalist, textile-integrated design and be easy and discreet to wear.

How can chemicals be assessed safely in the future while reducing animal testing and maintaining a high level of scientific confidence? The European research community is working hard to bring about this transformation. One major step toward regulatory implementation is the European Commission’s new roadmap for the gradual phase-out of animal testing in the safety assessment of chemicals. The Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine ITEM is actively helping to drive this development, not least through the development of the ASPA workflow within the EU-funded project RISK-HUNT3R.

Halogenated flame retardants raise environmental concerns and are considered harmful to human health. As a result, researchers have been searching for alternatives for many years. Fraunhofer researchers are focusing on sustainable phosphorus-based raw materials derived from corn steep liquor. The phytic acid it contains is an excellent natural flame retardant for biomaterials.

The ecological footprint of microchip manufacturing is growing in step with increasing demand. In the GENESIS EU project, the Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems IPMS is joining forces with partners to develop technologies that make manufacturing of these essential chips more sustainable.

Germany’s excellence in research can generate sustained innovation, value for industry and technological sovereignty only if the policy and regulatory framework speeds up the transfer of research findings into industrial ap-plications. The Freedom to Innovate initiative set out in the coalition agreement aims to accelerate the industrial application of research and strengthen Germany’s competitiveness. In a joint position paper, the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft and the Federation of German Industries (BDI) therefore call for the initiative to be implemented swiftly—primarily through regulatory measures under existing law rather than through new legislation.

Christoph Igel has been appointed Director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Communication, Information Processing and Ergonomics FKIE effective August 15, 2026. Igel will jointly lead the institute with Peter Martini, Executive Director of Fraunhofer FKIE. This shared leadership structure will strengthen Fraunhofer FKIE’s position as one of the largest defense technology research institutes within the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Optronics, System Technologies and Image Exploitation IOSB is strengthening its leadership team. Effective August 1, Marc Eichhorn has joined the institute management and will co-lead Fraunhofer IOSB alongside Executive Director Jürgen Beyerer. The new dual leadership structure reflects the institute’s expanded expertise in laser technology, optronic systems, computer vision and AI-based robotics.

Industrial drying processes consume large amounts of energy and negatively impact the climate since they burn fossil fuels to heat air. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB are working with industry partners on a new approach to decarbonize this process: Instead of hot air, they are using superheated steam. Combined with a heat pump and smart controls, their superheated steam drying process saves significant amounts of energy and eliminates the need for natural gas.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems IPMS is expanding its leadership team: Wenke Weinreich has been appointed the institute’s second director, effective immediately. In her new role, she will be working alongside Institute Director Harald Schenk and guiding the institute’s strategic and scientific direction. At the same time, she will take on the professorship in Functionalized Microelectronics for Heterogeneous Systems at the Dresden University of Technology.

Hair products used in hair salons release aerosols that can cause respiratory tract irritation if inhaled. Under a contract from industry, researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine ITEM investigated the effects of aerosols produced when using heated chemical hair products. Using an innovative cell-based in vitro inhalation method, the researchers can estimate effects on the respiratory tract and identify potentially harmful substances. This non-animal testing method supports safe product development that is fully in line with the safe-by-design approach, which integrates safety in product development right from the start.

Criminals use deepfakes for fraud and identity theft—even in situations where people have come to trust their eyes and ears. Corporate videoconferences are increasingly becoming a target for illegal activities. Fraunhofer researchers are working to detect attempted fraud in real time.

US technology giants dominate the cloud market, threatening the technological sovereignty, data privacy and innovative capacity of European companies. In the project ApeiroRA, the Fraunhofer Institutes for Software and Systems Engineering ISST and for Applied and Integrated Security AISEC are supporting software company SAP in safeguarding Europe’s technological and economic independence in the cloud and edge computing sector. The partners are developing an open-source blueprint for a European, vendor-neutral cloud-edge infrastructure that guarantees interoperability between different providers.

Every year, billions of products are sealed in film packaging. This packaging must be reliably leakproof, especially in regulated sectors such as in the medical and food industry. In the OCTInline project, researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS have developed an innovative testing system. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) can be used to non-destructively detect defects in seals in real time during the packaging process, with a resolution in the micrometer range.

Statement by Holger Hanselka, President of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, on the suspension of applications for the Central Innovation Programme for SMEs (ZIM) and its implications for innovation, technology transfer and the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Artificial intelligence can now generate images that are virtually indistinguishable from real ones. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute of Optronics, System Technologies and Image Exploitation IOSB have developed RealorRender, a tool that not only specifically detects such deepfakes but also explains why an image is classified as real or AI-generated. The new hybrid approach significantly improves detection accuracy, while explainable AI processes ensure transparent results.

Lithium-ion batteries in personal electronic devices (PEDs) such as laptops, smartphones, powerbanks and electronic cigarettes can pose a serious safety risk in air travel. Damaged or overheated batteries can combust or ex-plode. In the LOKI-PED project, the Fraunhofer Institute for High-Speed Dynamics, Ernst-Mach-Institut, EMI and the Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics IBP cooperated with Airbus to examine the consequences of smoke and fire occurring in aircraft cabins and cockpits. This first scientifically substantiated risk assessment will contribute to a safer use of electronic devices in air travel.