Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft

The Paris Air Show takes place every two years and is the largest event in the aerospace industry in Europe. This year, the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft will be represented with 10 Fraunhofer institutes, whose 21 exhibits will showcase space and aviation research. The exhibits will highlight pioneering technologies with a focus on environmental protection and sustainability.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Graphics Research IGD has a new leader: Matthias Unbescheiden has taken over as the new director of the research institute in Darmstadt. He plans to specifically increase dialogue with science and research, business and industry and the public sector in order to drive further advances in transferring research findings into practice.

Around the world, there is a lack of comprehensive medical care for people living in remote areas. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films IST and the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE have devised a solution for this in the PreCare project: a flexible, modular health platform that can be installed on the bed of a pickup truck. It is already in use in South Africa and Namibia. The team was presented with the Innovations for a Better Future award from the Fraunhofer-Zukunftsstiftung (Fraunhofer Future Foundation) for this development.

Thanks to its physical properties, aluminum plays a major role in the circular economy and achieving climate neutrality. High material quality is crucial during processing, as any contamination present in the aluminum during smelting diminishes the quality of finished components. Unlike existing methods of analysis, the ultrasound-based AloX measuring system from the Fraunhofer Institute for Nondestructive Testing IZFP can detect existing inclusions not only reliably but also quickly and at low cost. The team of researchers was presented with the Joseph von Fraunhofer Prize for 2025 for developing this innovative tool.