Press Releases

The use of biological models when designing technological developments, with the aim of creating particularly innovative products and sustainable value, is summarized today under the term “biological transformation”. It leads to highly functional products that not only have impressive properties but also require fewer resources in their manufacture and use. Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft is a key player in the research being done in this field. In the book “Biological Transformation” (which has now been translated into English from the original German) from the Fraunhofer research focus book series, Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft researchers provide an overview of the main research areas and projects.

EUV lithography enables most modern smartphones and automated driving. The world-leading manufacturing technology strengthens German-European position in global semiconductor Business. A team of experts from TRUMPF, ZEISS and Fraunhofer have been nominated for the Deutscher Zukunftspreis 2020.

As of September 1, 2020, Prof. Harald Kuhn takes over the management of the Fraunhofer Institute for Electronic Nano Systems ENAS in Chemnitz and a professorship at Chemnitz University of Technology, which has been rededicated from "Microtechnology" to "Smart Systems Integration."

Many diseases require intravenous (IV) infusion therapy. But uncontrolled infu-sion rates and incorrect dosing can lead to severe complications or even death. The ECGF-IS project aims to improve the safety of IV therapies in developing countries. Its goal is to develop a low-cost, electronically controlled gravity-feed infusion system to reduce the mortality associated with over-infusion and under-infusion, especially in children. Fraunhofer researchers are developing the device in collaboration with the Uganda Industrial Research Institute. They have received the 2020 German-African Innovation Incentive Award (GAIIA) for their work on the project so far.

86 million metric tons of plastics end up in the oceans every year, with devastating consequences for marine life, nature and, ultimately, for us humans. The vast floating patches of plastic carpeting the water’s surface, some as large as entire countries, are only the tip of the iceberg. Around 90 percent of this garbage ends up on the seabed. The Fraunhofer Center for Maritime Logistics and Services CML and an international network of partners want to be the first to tidy up this mess with a project called SeaClear. An interview with project managers Johannes Oeffner and Cosmin Delea follows.

Infections pose an increasing risk to hospitalized patients. In collaboration with a number of partners, the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB has developed a new therapeutic approach as part of the InnateFun project. Their strategy is to improve cells’ ability to defend themselves against harmful microorganisms by acting on their immune receptors. The researchers’ work on this therapeutic approach has reached the animal model stage. Models for infections of fungi of the genus Candida, which is also common in hospitals, were analyzed. The preliminary results are promising.

The flood of documents created every day in business and in society as a whole poses an enormous challenge. Information from countless different sources must be sorted, processed and evaluated. And this issue isn’t limited to companies: public authorities, research institutions and hospitals are affected, too. The Fraunhofer Institute for Intelligent Analysis and Information Systems IAIS has developed solutions that classify all kinds of documents and analyze their text content. The key to these solutions is AI-based language models trained with deep learning techniques.

Additive manufacturing is currently one of the most significant trends in industry. Now a team from the Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS has developed a Multi Material Jetting system that allows different materials to be combined into a single additively manufactured part. This makes it possible to create products with combined properties or functions. The new system can be used with particularly high-performance materials such as ceramics and metal.

Ports are critical infrastructures since disruptions and stoppages can have immense not only economic impacts. The potential security risks are multifarious, especially in digitalized container terminal operations, which are steadily gaining importance through Industrie 4.0. A new method and tool set developed by research scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute for Factory Operation and Automation IFF and its industry partners enables preventive defense against attacks on automated cyber-physical systems and helps increase security along the entire supply chain, including the IT systems landscape. At the same time, automation projects can be planned and implemented efficiently.

As a predominantly arid country, South Africa faces the enormous challenge of managing existing resources sustainably. In addition to the scarce water resources, South Africa also faces energy shortages within a system that is dominated by fossil fuel generation, as well as challenges with regard to food security. Stellenbosch University and the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft have now established the "Fraunhofer Innovation Platform for the Water-Energy-Food Nexus at Stellenbosch University" as part of a strategic partnership. The objective of this long-term cooperation is to jointly develop tailored technological and cross-sectoral solutions for water, energy and food security – for the benefit of people and the environment.