Executive Board Newsletter 03/2021

Dear colleagues,

Fraunhofer makes companies and states more successful – so say studies on the micro and macroeconomic impact of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft. Because funds invested in applied research at Fraunhofer have a positive effect on Germany’s economic strength and lead to higher tax revenue at federal, state and municipal level. And for companies too: Collaborating with Fraunhofer significantly increases the partners' revenue and productivity growth. If you want to see this in figures, take a look at the article on the subject in this newsletter.

The Research Fab Battery Cells (FFB) of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft is offering a unique opportunity, yet a completely new dimension too, for a cooperation between the scientific, business and political communities. Batteries are an indispensable part of our society – and not only in the smartphone or electric car. They are key to the transformation of the energy and mobility industries. But it takes close collaboration between research and industry to achieve the “Made in Germany” standard of more powerful batteries for the world market.

The Research Fab Battery Cells is a project of national and European significance. The FFB creates a platform that pulls together the activities of the research and industrial worlds – along the entire value creation chain in battery cell production. We, then, are not just part of, but rather the driving force of an outstanding German battery research landscape. A landscape in which Fraunhofer plays the role of specialist in highly advanced and mature manufacturing technologies.

We are especially excited to hear about the substantial increase in funding for the new building from the state of North Rhine-Westphalia by 80 million euros, adding to the 100 million euros already earmarked for the first expansion stage. This means that over the next few years, North Rhine-Westphalia will be investing a total of some 200 million euros to setup the FFB and in the targeted promotion of young talent. This top-up to the funding is a clear indication that Germany, competing internationally with applied production research under the umbrella of an independent, in terms of perspective, Fraunhofer Institute, is laying the foundations for actively shaping key markets while creating the basis for new, sustainable jobs at the same time.

Two consortium workshops with representatives from the relevant sector of industry are testimony to the huge amount of interest German industry is showing in the project and what it has to offer. The first tender elements have entered the start phase: Several Fraunhofer Institutes have worked with project partners to develop digital models that are able to simulate technical questions and product characteristics for batter cell research at any early stage. We are about to see Münster commission a coating system, including the drying and clean room technology.

Our partners in the business and political communities regard Fraunhofer as a trailblazer and catalyst in a competitive industry. And for us to carry this mantle, we need an efficient transfer of scientific knowledge and developments in innovative applications.

Spin-offs are considered, politically and publicly, to be a strong medium for such transfer. Spin-offs and the advances made to legally anchor entrepreneurship as a non-profit purpose are sending a highly visible signal for a start-up and risk culture in Germany. Research organizations are also benefiting from favorable start-up conditions, the result being even better success for their start-ups.

In the High-Tech Forum of the German federal government, I am advocating a culture that will benefit start-ups. Successful local start-ups of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft are an important testimony in international competition: They stand for the special combination of scientific excellence and entrepreneurial spirit. Examples of these success stories will be appearing regularly in the Executive Board Newsletter. You can read the first ones in this edition.

Sincerely yours,

Reimund Neugebauer

To verify its micro and macroeconomic impact, the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft has had its effects on the national economy, industry and also, more specifically, on its cooperation partners analyzed time and time again – with impressive results.

An independent study by the University of Dartmouth (USA), the University of Lund (Sweden) and the Leibniz Center for Economic Research ZEW (Germany) has demonstrated that a cooperation between the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft and its partner companies is having clearly positive effects. The authors were able to show, for example, that the collaboration with Fraunhofer is significantly increasing the partner's revenue as well as its productivity growth. A one percent increase in the contract volume yields a 1.3 percentage growth in revenue and a 0.8 percentage point rise in productivity. And companies that work with Fraunhofer on a regular basis become more profitable over the long term.

Research-heavy companies and organizations with complex product portfolios very often enjoy successful collaborations with Fraunhofer Institutes, both in direct contract research and also in publicly financed projects with a participating interest – such cooperations are known as research projects. These companies often continue their cooperation with Fraunhofer after the end of the joint research project. On average, a company that has worked with Fraunhofer on a collaborative research project awards three new contracts to Fraunhofer over the following five years.  The partner companies from the most diverse economic sectors – most notably the automobile, mechanical engineering, electrical, chemical and IT industry that are strongly represented in Germany – find research partners geared to their needs from among the numerous Fraunhofer institutes. Around two thirds of these projects are realized with SMEs, and when it comes to research projects, the figure is as high as 75 percent.

The benefit extends beyond companies to Germany as a whole

A study conducted in 2016 to analyze the impacts on the German economy revealed that not only companies benefit from collaborations with Fraunhofer: Funds invested in applied research at Fraunhofer have a positive effect on Germany’s economic strength and lead to higher tax revenue at federal, state and municipal level. For every euro of public funding the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft receives, the public coffers at federal, state and municipal level get four euros in return in the form of increased tax revenues. A re-run of the study in 2020 calculated that one euro's worth of Fraunhofer budget yields 21 euros of growth in the GDP.

Fraunhofer creates jobs

Using this 21 euro lever as a basis, a study by the Fraser of Allander Institute at the University of Strathclyde (Great Britain) calculated that Fraunhofer generates employment effects in the form of 280,000 – 340,000 full-time jobs and investment effects in industry to the tune of over 14.5 billion euros. Especially high output effects were demonstrated in the knowledge-intensive chemistry, pharmaceutical, computer and electrical engineering sectors, and also in the mechanical engineering and automotive industries. On the whole, then, Fraunhofer generates colossal returns in the form of tax revenues, and supports the accumulation of capital and the creation of jobs at the companies

Impact – what does it actually mean?

The measurement of how an event impacts a certain system is geared to the longer-term, overarching effects rather than on the effects directly connected with that event. The impact therefore goes far beyond the direct result, the direct outcome so-to-speak. The science system involves a whole string of impact dimensions. Besides the scientific impact, we can also observe economic, ecological and social effects. In its mission, the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft has undertaken to contribute to each and every one of these dimensions. As an applied research institute, the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft does not seek to acquire knowledge. Its aim instead is to conduct highly innovative and solution-based research – to the benefit of society and to boost the German and European economies.

Basis of the measurement

Modern panel data methods based on a purpose-built regional database were applied to determine the results for the GDP lever of the Fraunhofer budget. The focus here was on the creative identification and robustness of the results. This ensures that the results do not hinge on specific modeling decisions or selection effects. A “Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) Model” developed by the Fraser of Allander Institute at the University of Strathclyde (Great Britain) was used to calculate the overall impacts on the national economy. This model applies a macro-to-macro approach. It based its calculations on the results of regional econometric analyses.

The model determined the microeconomic effects using a database compiled from a number of sources, internal project data of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, data from the funding catalog of the German federal government and from the German Manufacturing Survey conducted by the Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research ISI. The “matched pair approach” was among the methods employed to calculate the impact of a Fraunhofer cooperation on the economic development of the partner companies.

The international study from 2018 calculated the results using econometric models based on a solution that merged the “Mannheim Innovation Panel” with internal project data of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft.

Strategic transformation project from the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft to secure innovation performance and competitiveness

To turn the crisis into an opportunity, and ensure the institutes’ competitiveness in the post-corona era, Fraunhofer’s Executive Management launched “Stronger After the Crisis”, an internal transformation project, at the end of 2020. Fraunhofer has to invest in future fields and further expand its portfolio in order to respond swiftly to increasing or decreasing demands from industry. At the same time, by taking over an increasing number of publicly funded large-scale projects of national interest, Fraunhofer is expanding its mission in the innovation system and changing its revenue structure.

In view of these developments, the financial and content-related perspectives of all institutes for 2021-2025 will be gathered in a concise standardized survey starting in mid-March 2021 in order to gain an overall picture of the institutes’ outlook. The objective of the survey is to fuel discussions of strategy and to promote an analysis of the effects of the crisis at the institutes. In an aggregated and anonymous manner, this should also contribute to a condensed strategy discussion in the alliances and in the Presidential Council. For more information, click here (Link only available in German).

Professor Martin Dawson, Director of Research at Strathclyde’s Institute of Photonics and also head of the Strathclyde-hosted Fraunhofer Centre for Applied Photonics, has been named as the 2021 recipient of The Optical Society’s (OSA) Nick Holonyak Jr Award.

The award is presented annually for significant contributions to optics based on semiconductor devices and materials. Professor Dawson is the first UK-based recipient of the award since it was established in 1997. 

Professor Dawson’s career has focused on applied research in academia and industry in the UK and USA and he has been involved in the formation and technical development of a number of spinout businesses. His work involves semiconductor materials, microfabrication, optoelectronic device development and laser technology, with applications in optical wireless communications, displays, biomedical instrumentation and the heterogeneous integration of separately-manufactured components into single devices.

He is receiving the award “for wide-ranging contributions to the development and application of III-V semiconductor devices, especially including gallium nitride micro-LEDs and optically-pumped semiconductor lasers.” These semiconductor devices are produced using materials created from Group III and Group V of the periodic table of the elements.

“Martin Dawson’s pioneering work on III-V semiconductor devices perfectly represents the spirit of the Nick Holonyak Jr. Award,” said 2021 OSA President Connie Chang-Hasnain, Whinnery Chair Professor Emerita of EECS at University of California, Berkeley, USA. “On behalf of the OSA, we are delighted to bestow this honor in recognition of his achievements”.

Professor Dawson said: “It is a great honour to receive this award from OSA and I’m really thrilled. It coincides with the 25th anniversary of the founding of the Institute of Photonics, so the timing couldn’t have been better, and it is a credit to the scientific adventurousness and close collaboration and teamwork which have been features of the Institute since the outset.

“The two areas highlighted in the citation have deep roots at Strathclyde and both are of industrial as well as basic research significance. Micro-LED technology is now taking off worldwide for new types of high-performance displays, with stunning prototypes and initial commercial products appearing rapidly, so it is particularly gratifying to see our role in the founding and development of the field recognised in this way.

“When we established the Institute of Photonics, we took a distinctive approach in focussing on applications-driven work of industrial relevance, but of course no one can predict exactly how markets for new technology will emerge. The display industry is incredibly competitive and it will be fascinating to see how micro-LED technology fits into the broader commercial landscape in the years ahead.”

Professor Dawson was previously awarded the 2016 Gabor Medal and Prize by the Institute of Physics and the 2016 Aron Kressel Award by the IEEE Photonics Society.

Professor Ralf B. Wehrspohn, Executive Vice President, Technology Marketing and Business Models, will leave the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft at his own request and end his activity as a member of the Executive Board on March 31, 2021.

Starting in the 2021 academic summer semester, he plans to devote his expertise to lecturing and research at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg as well as again to the immense challenges of structural change in central Germany. Professor Wehrspohn decided to take this step after the senate had welcomed the new structure of the executive unit and he had initiated the project "Transfer excellence for a sustainable industrial society" at the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft.

The Executive Board and the Presidential Council respect Professor Wehrspohn's wishes, thank him for his service and wish him all the best for his future endeavors.

Until further notice, the affairs of the Technology Marketing and Business Models executive unit will be assumed by the Executive Board member responsible under the terms of the Executive Board's rules of procedure, Professor Reimund Neugebauer. As acting contact, Hans Feckl, Director of International Affairs and Internal Programs, will be responsible for the operational coordination with the employees of the A division and the institutes vis-à-vis the President. Projects that require direct Executive Board involvement may be directed to Professor Neugebauer through Claudia Kasper, Director of Presidential Communications and Staff. If there are any changes to this situation, you will be notified promptly.

Invisible in day-to-day life, yet indispensable. Norms and standards are key in turning technological innovations into successful products and services for the market. This is the main reason why federal and state governments have defined “standardization” as a new transfer path in the transfer indicator strategy. Yet research units and companies are still not taking this path anywhere often enough. A new Fraunhofer study shows how organizations can use the potential of norms and standards to the best advantage.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research ISI conducted a study on the relevance of standardization to knowledge sharing and technology transfer together with the Fraunhofer Center for International Management and Knowledge Economy IMW. The results are fascinating not only for companies, but for future Fraunhofer business models, too. Especially in applied research, norms and standards are developing to become an onward transfer path. “This is down to the rather application-related contents, but also to the members of the standardization bodies who come from the industrial or private business sectors,” explains Prof. Knut Blind from Fraunhofer ISI, who led the study together with Philipp Hermann from Fraunhofer IMW. “Standardization provides the institutes with an attractive platform for meeting partners from companies from which they can continue driving the use of standardizing technology and embark on new joint projects as well.” Norms and standards also create synergies for the Fraunhofer patent portfolio, one example being the continued success of the mp3 standard in which Fraunhofer plays a key role.

Specific recommended courses of action for Fraunhofer can be derived from the study results. Including the development of a Fraunhofer-wide standardization strategy that sets out goals, incentives and key performance indicators. “In addition, Fraunhofer will be expected to explore potentials for strategic collaborations in this standardization strategy, especially with organizations and small and medium-sized enterprises, but with other research units as well,” says Prof. Knut Blind setting out his recommendations.  Another important aim is to raise employees' awareness by providing central training opportunities and sources of information.

The commitment to the norms and standards strategy is no quick fix, but does promise gains over the long term. For example, Fraunhofer Institutes can set norms and standards for offering research-related certifications as part of long-term cooperations with companies. Spin-offs based on technology standards or standardization consortia in new fields of technology offer potential for future business models.

If you would like more information about this subject or about the Fraunhofer network for standardization, the “Community of Practice”, please feel free to contact Thomas Buhl, Head of the Competence Center Norms and Standards at: +49 89 1205-1700 (thomas.buhl@zv.fraunhofer.de). More information about the Fraunhofer standardization study can be found here. 

Each month, we will be presenting an exciting Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft spin-off from the current year with innovative business models.

With 26 spin-offs last year, Fraunhofer was able to continue the success of the previous year despite the coronavirus pandemic. 2021 looks set to become another promising year. In this edition of the newsletter, we would like to introduce Quantum Optics Jena GmbH from Fraunhofer IOF in Jena.

At Quantum Optics Jena GmbH, everything revolves around secure encryption in the age of quantum computing. The spin-off from the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering IOF develops quantum based solutions for ultra-modern communication systems. “As Quantum Optics Jena, we combine the laws of nature of quantum mechanics with expertise in the development and production of optical systems to offer socially exploitable solutions,” explains Dr. Oliver de Vries, Chief Technical Officer of the young Thüringen-based company. The team is currently working hard to realize its first proprietary product: a compact and high-performance entangled photon source for quantum key distribution or quantum optical experiments. Together with Fraunhofer IOF, the team is also toying with a new idea for quantum imaging, which could soon be used for medical engineering or materials analysis applications. Click on this link to find out more about the spin-off: www.qo-jena.com

The coronavirus has called many things into question and brought about radical change. Especially during this period, however, Fraunhofer has successfully generated invaluable impetus to strengthen the German and European economies. Backed by leading-edge technologies, our researchers have transformed original ideas into innovations for and together with companies. One shining example is the “Best customer acquisition” initiative that recognizes orders yielding the highest revenue in any one month. We aim to present these projects here in the future.

The “Best customer acquisition” award for January goes to Prof. Frank Petzoldt from Fraunhofer IFAM in Bremen for 2 million euros in recognition of the development and implementation of digitalization and quality assurance concepts in powder metallurgy series production. Congratulations!

The winner of this year's “Best customer acquisition” award will again be selected during the Fraunhofer “Netzwert” symposium networking event, which will be held on March 23, 2021. If you would like find out which project takes first place, then register for the Netzwert symposium and join the award ceremony in the virtual live stream.

Prof. Dr. Alexander Kurz

Executive Vice President 

As of early December 2020, all Fraunhofer employees can take a voluntary test for coronavirus antibodies free-of-charge. Due to the huge demand for the test, the project has been extended beyond February 2021. The organizing team at the Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMP is rising to this challenge and gives its assurance: Every employee will be given the opportunity to be tested.

The tests are being carried out at the 240 or so institute locations and branch labs throughout Germany in cooperation with B·A·D Gesundheitsvorsorge und Sicherheitstechnik GmbH and the immunology laboratory of Frankfurt University Hospital. Implementing the project is a complex matter because various external partners had to be on boarded in the project in order to comply with data protection legislation.

Perfectly organized project team

The project team at Fraunhofer ITMP is now working well. The team is collaborating closely with B·A·D, which provides the online portal for arranging appointments, schedules and releases the appointments for employees waiting to be tested and handles the blood sampling procedure. The project team also coordinates and organizes the delivery of the blood sampling kits to the locations and institutes, stays in contact with the relevant people and remains on hand to answer employees' questions about the essence of the project. Because the samples remain stable for only a limited time, the locations and institutes arrange in advance for the pseudonymized blood samples to be sent to the immunology laboratory of Frankfurt University Hospital for analysis and an external service provider handles the procedure overnight. This ensures a correct analysis result. This needs to run without a hitch, and so the project team at ITMP monitors the dispatch procedure without coming into contact with the samples. Once delivered, the samples are analyzed alongside the regular routine work in the immunology routine laboratory.

Data protection safeguards

The laboratory then returns the test results to B·A·D, which finally arranges for the findings to be sent by post to those tested. “We need to follow this procedure in order to comply with data protection laws, and it was agreed with the Central Works Council on this basis. That's why it can take up to six weeks to get the results back,” explains PD Dr. Frank Behrens, Deputy Institute Director of Fraunhofer ITMP. “We therefore ask those employees participating for their patience and understanding – the same goes for the appointment schedule: When the project started, we were planning to test around 30 percent of all employees and trainees by the end of February 2021. We are delighted by the high uptake and have adjusted the processes and the project duration accordingly. All employees wishing to have a test will definitely be offered an appointment. To guarantee smooth procedures with all the project partners, appointments will be released in succession – the local point of contact will inform employees when new appointments become available for their particular location or institute. The reason for this is that the immunology laboratory of Frankfurt University Hospital is able to analyze only a certain number of samples per day. We therefore need to guarantee that the processes are controllable, and this is the mechanism we use to do so,” adds PD Dr. Behrens.

The project managers do reiterate, however, that the significance of the results of such antibody tests, especially in terms of protection against infection, are still unclear. Regardless of the test result, all hygiene measures must therefore remain fully in place. Anyone who experiences symptoms indicative of a COVID-19 infection must take a PCR test immediately.

More information is available on the intranet (German).

For the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, the export control law plays a key role in research collaborations, cooperation with visiting scientists and for sending scientific commodities abroad. This legislation is also a core element of knowledge transfer and publications.

In light of the worsening trade war in the Pacific regions and China's importance to the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, the Chinese Export Control Law and the significant changes made to it in recent months deserve special consideration.

The Export Control Law, which came into force on December 1, 2020, initially bundled and codified existing regulations.

The new law controls the export of listed military, dual-use and nuclear items, potentially also affecting transit, reloading, shipping and re-export procedures. Items not stated on the export list may also have to meet a licensing requirement if exporters know, or have to know, that the item concerned constitutes a threat to the national interest or China's national security, will be used for weapons of mass destruction or serves terrorist purposes.

In addition, on September 19, 2020, the Chinese Trade Ministry introduced an “Unreliable Entity List”, a list of unreliable foreign companies, organizations and individuals. The measures proposed here include the complete prohibition of China-related trading activities.

And on January 9, 2021, the Trade Ministry enacted a “blocking statute”, which is designed to prevent restrictions in trade traffic for Chinese parties based on foreign legislation. The competent authorities can mandate that the foreign legislation concerned is not to apply within China.

China's further strategy and the development of sanction lists will remain under surveillance so that we can respond in the shortest possible time if needs be. The extra-territorial reach and the use of vague legal expressions like “national security” and “threat to national interest” would appear especially critical. It remains to be seen to what extent and at what intensity the new control mechanisms will be practically implemented. There is currently no need to change the tried and proven export control system in place at the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft. Department B33 (Export Controls and Corporate Security) will issue any instructions required in due time.

Andreas Meuer

Executive Vice President 

The funding program aims to incentivize the Fraunhofer Institutes to drive forward the photovoltaic expansion at their own locations. This is part of the Fraunhofer strategy to achieve climate neutrality in terms of CO₂ emissions by the year 2030.

Financing and implementation:

Fraunhofer investment management is providing the funding for this from the reserve. After an interest-only period of six months, the institutes will repay the amount in ten equal annual installments. The institutes need most of the power generated for themselves. This will cut their power costs, freeing up funds to make the repayments within the specified period.

Background:

Despite the fact that the proportion of green power is increasing, purchased electricity is a major source of CO₂ emissions at Fraunhofer. An independent expansion of photovoltaic systems across the institutes is therefore considered desirable from both economic and ecological perspectives. The funds for small-scale construction work from which photovoltaic systems could be financed, however, are limited. Because of this, photovoltaic systems are competing with other small-scale construction work such as reconstructions, rebuilds or other sustainable measures. We therefore need a new instrument, alongside the small-scale construction funds, to drive the photovoltaic expansion at the Fraunhofer Institutes.

You can obtain further information about the program from Martin Grabenbauer (pv@zv.fraunhofer.de), Advisor to Finances and Digitalization, and also by visiting:  Photovoltaikausbau bei Fraunhofer (German)

Business crime remains at an all-time high. The problem is affecting an increasing number of companies, but investors too, in numerous different ways. In light of this growing menace, implementing effective measures to combat crime in companies has never been more important.

At Fraunhofer, Internal Audit is committed to ensuring exactly that. The department is also responsible for preventing corruption and for the anonymous whistleblower system as follows:

Prevent:

Auditing of internal processes for accuracy, compliance, expedience and economic viability. Reporting to the audited unit and to the Executive Board. Supporting the implementation of recommendations. Employee training in the prevention of corruption.

Respond:

Exemplifying violations, reported by the whistleblower system for example, and communicating the results to the Executive Board. Willful violations are not tolerated.

Improve:

Analyzing the cause of violations. Continuous process optimizations and adapting the risk-based audit approach.

The Internal Audit department plays a key role in corporate governance. Together with compliance and risk management, this contributes to sound business management and supervision procedures. We need your help. Bettina Plentinger, Head of Internal Audit, and her team rely on employees having the courage to come forward if they have reason to suspect any wrongdoing.

Nine institutes of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft have been ranked among the most innovative companies and research institutions in Germany. This is the result of a survey conducted among industry and innovation professionals by the business magazine “Capital” in collaboration with “Statista,” the market research company.

The study involved asking over 3200 experts to name the companies they believed to be the most innovative in their particular industries. In total, the study picked out some 473 companies in 20 different sectors, from the automotive industry to the financial sector to the communications and technology sectors. And unsurprisingly, it was the pharma and tech companies that took center stage under the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic.

For the third time in succession, following 2019 and 2020, Fraunhofer IMWS made it, earning the top five-star rating in the energy and environment sector. Fraunhofer CSP, a collaboration between Fraunhofer IMWS and the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE, as well as seven other Fraunhofer institutes were also in the running.

The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft is represented on the “Germany's most innovative companies 2021” list by a total of nine institutes. These include the IMWS, the ICT, ILT, IPA, CSP, IWU, IIS, AISEC institutes and the IKS.

You can register for the Fraunhofer Netzwert symposium event until March 12, 2021. The event will be held digitally by live stream on March 23 and 24, 2021 and in teams under the motto “Resilience – emerging stronger from the crisis.” You can look forward to a varied program of plenary presentations, workshops, ideas competitions and technical sessions through to the award ceremony. Attendance is by registration only!

Click on this link to register.

Click on this link for the program.

Please note: Both links are only available in German language. Please insert your Fraunhofer smartcard before opening the link!

The Fraunhofer International Day was held for the second time as a virtual event on February 11 under the “Hydrogen” banner. Overall, this was the sixth edition of the event, which is designed to promote knowledge sharing between the international Fraunhofer networks. This time, some 272 participants from 18 countries and 51 institutes gathered and gave an insight into how the hype about hydrogen is perceived globally.

The presentation by Dr. Erik Drop, Director Knowledge Programmes and Government Relations of the Dutch Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) offered a special perspective, illustrating how another research and technology organization grasps the hydrogen issue and how opportunities for transnational collaboration can be created.

Despite the physical distance, the participants were able to enjoy close proximity to the global Fraunhofer community during the three-hour event. Videos from South Korea, Japan and Italy explained how the individual branches and foreign companies work locally and introduced the people behind them.

The new issue of the Fraunhofer magazine "weiter.vorn" is now available! No matter if you prefer the printed version or the epaper, read about next generation computing, how to make oxygen from moon dust and learn about many other exciting, inspiring and astonishing topics.

To the Fraunhofer magazine

"Netzwert"-Symposium 2021

March 23 – 24, 2021

More Information (German)

Hannover Messe

April 12-16,  2021

More Information (German)

Fraunhofer Annual Conference

May 4-5,  2021

More Information (German)