Press Releases

Statement by Holger Hanselka, President of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, on the suspension of applications for the Central Innovation Programme for SMEs (ZIM) and its implications for innovation, technology transfer and the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Lithium-ion batteries in personal electronic devices (PEDs) such as laptops, smartphones, powerbanks and electronic cigarettes can pose a serious safety risk in air travel. Damaged or overheated batteries can combust or ex-plode. In the LOKI-PED project, the Fraunhofer Institute for High-Speed Dynamics, Ernst-Mach-Institut, EMI and the Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics IBP cooperated with Airbus to examine the consequences of smoke and fire occurring in aircraft cabins and cockpits. This first scientifically substantiated risk assessment will contribute to a safer use of electronic devices in air travel.

LARS is designed to enable safer, more efficient and faster logistics processes. The laser-based projection system that was developed by researchers from Fraunhofer uses light to guide workers through warehouses in real time. The visual guidance system is particularly helpful for new and un-skilled workers.

Artificial intelligence can now generate images that are virtually indistinguishable from real ones. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute of Optronics, System Technologies and Image Exploitation IOSB have developed RealorRender, a tool that not only specifically detects such deepfakes but also explains why an image is classified as real or AI-generated. The new hybrid approach significantly improves detection accuracy, while explainable AI processes ensure transparent results.

Lime, a key component in cement, can be used for both interior and exterior plastering. However, the production of this versatile building material generates significant emissions. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS in Hermsdorf, Thuringia, are devel-oping a membrane reactor that enables climate-neutral lime production while also recovering new raw materials.

Wildfires are becoming more frequent and more intense worldwide. Fires often become infernos due to heat, drought and wind, especially in the summer. The problem is compounded by the climate crisis. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics ITWM and the startup CAURUS Technologies GmbH are responding to this growing global threat. They are collaborating to develop a machine learning system for more precise aerial firefighting that determines the fire situation in real time and calculates the optimum aerial drop time.

The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft and the French Institut Mines Télécom (IMT) are deepening their partnership in the fields of hydrogen, cybersecurity and smart cities. Both partners signed a memorandum of understanding at VivaTech 2026. The goal is to join forces to advance strategic research and innovation projects and to strengthen Europe's technological and digital sovereignty.

Under the theme “Fraunhofer—Transfer for Our Future,” leaders from research, industry and government gathered on the evening of June 10, 2026, at Congress Center Leipzig as part of the Fraunhofer annual assembly. The event focused on how scientific excellence can be translated more quickly and effectively into economic value, technological sovereignty and societal progress.

Energy savings, faster calculations and permanent data storage: In collaboration with GlobalFoundries, research scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems IPMS have developed a novel storage technology that meets precisely these requirements. The team has succeeded in integrating hafnium oxide-based ultra-fast ferroelectric FRAM memory into an existing industrial manufacturing technology. They have been singled out to receive the Stifterverband Science Prize Forschung im Verbund (Joint Research) for their efforts.

Green hydrogen is seen as a key technology for the decarbonization of industry. As yet, however, shortcomings in the areas of production efficiency, cost and scalability have prevented it from making a breakthrough. Mihails Kusnezoff, Stefan Megel and Sindy Mosch from the Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS have developed a high-temperature electrolysis stack that is setting new standards world-wide: It generates hydrogen with unprecedented efficiency, can also operate as a fuel cell and is designed for industrial-scale serial production. This technology has earned the three researchers the Joseph von Fraunhofer Prize for 2026.