Press/Newsroom

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 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.

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.