Prizes and Distinctions

Prof. Dr. Michael Moseler, Head of the Tribology Business Unit at the Fraunhofer Institute for Mechanics of Materials IWM in Freiburg and Professor for Simulation of Functional Nanosystems at the University of Freiburg, has been awarded an ERC Advanced Grant worth 2.5 million euros for the research and development of a digital twin that can describe lubrication under high loads and thus predict the design and operating conditions for energy-efficient machines. An ERC grant is one of the most prestigious awards in European research funding and is awarded to top researchers for outstanding scientific research approaches.

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A great honor for Dr. rer. nat. Linda Steinacher: As part of the graduation ceremony of Hannover Medical School (MHH) last Friday, she was awarded one of the two doctoral prizes of the Society of Friends of MHH e.V., each worth €2,500. Out of 151 doctoral graduates, only two received this special distinction for outstanding scientific achievements.

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A publication on glycolipid biosurfactants from the working group of Dr. Susanne Zibek at Fraunhofer IGB has been awarded the Distinguished Paper Award 2025 by the Journal of Surfactants and Detergents. This award is presented annually by the American Cleaning Institute®. The article, which focuses on cellobiosolipids (CL) and mannosyerythritollipids (MEL), provides a comprehensive overview of the microbial production of these biosurfactants and their potential industrial applications.

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The Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering IOF, together with the Digital Innovation Hub Photonics (DIHP) and Quantum Optics Jena GmbH, has been awarded the Technology Transfer Prize of the German Physical Society (DPG) for the successful transfer of quantum optics research into marketable high-security applications. The award ceremony took place on May 22 as part of the 6th WTT Forum in Bremen.

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Dr. Filofteia-Laura Toma, Senior Research Scientist at the Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology IWS in Dresden, has been named the recipient of the 2025 “TSS President’s Award for Meritorious Service”. Presented on May 7 by the U.S.-based Thermal Spray Society (TSS), the award honors her scientific excellence and her long-standing leadership within the international materials engineering community.

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In her paper titled "Machine Learning and Digital Twins for RUL Prediction of DC Semiconductor Circuit Breakers", Lena presents a novel approach and base implementation of a digital twin framework to predict remaining useful life (RUL) of power semiconductors in real-time. The prognosis is based on actual device conditions in addition to estimations derived from power cycling tests and numerical degradation models, using machine learning methods.

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Zhenyu Zhang, research associate at Fraunhofer Heinrich-Hertz-Institut (HHI), received the Impactful Presentation Award at Photonics West 2025. His recognized contribution presents significant advances in fiber optic tactile sensing for minimally invasive surgery. The research was carried out as part of Palpable, an EU-funded project aimed at transforming the European healthcare industry through innovations in photonics, multi-sensor technologies, and soft robotics.

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Novel functional coatings for battery powders developed at Fraunhofer IKTS prevent interactions with the electrolyte and thus the degradation of the cells. For this development, the research team was honored by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) as the Innovation Project of the Year 2025 in the Industrial Collective Research funding program.

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Das Projektkonsortium »Digitales Testfeld Air Cargo« (DTAC) ist am 20. Februar 2025 in Nairobi (Kenia) mit dem »International Award for Excellence in Air Cargo« ausgezeichnet worden. Mit im Rennen waren namhafte Big Player der Branche. Die Auszeichnung im Rahmen der »air cargo Africa 2025«, einer führenden Messe und Konferenz der Branche, ist ein bedeutender Meilenstein für die Erfolgsgeschichte des Luftfrachtprojekts.

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The Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy (StMWi) and the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft awarded the Hugo Geiger Prize for the best dissertations in applied research to three next-generation researchers, one each from Freising, Munich and Aachen. The winners were chosen for their innovative ideas and applied doctoral work completed in close collaboration with a Fraunhofer institute. The Fraunhofer Founder Award was also presented for a spin-off with an active, successful market presence.

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Demonstration of an automation-compatible thermoplastic construction method for aircraft fuselages receives award in Paris

The “Multi Functional Fuselage Demonstrator” (“MFFD”), which was developed in the European Clean Sky 2/Clean Aviation program with the substantial involvement of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, was honored with the “JEC Composites Innovation Award 2025” in the “Aerospace – Parts” category on January 13, 2025, in Paris for its contribution to achieving the goals of future high-rate production and sustainable flight. Airbus, as overall coordinator, applied for the prestigious award on behalf of the approximately 40 international project partners involved.

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In the "HyWaSand" project, the Fraunhofer Institute for Microstructure of Materials and Systems IMWS has developed a storage compartment flap in lightweight sandwich construction for a truck driver's cab. The solution and in particular the manufacturing process used, which is suitable for processing thermoplastics in large-scale production, was honored today in Paris with the JEC Composites Innovation Award 2025 in the "Automotive & Road Transportation - Process" category.

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