Stronger support for hydrogen Energy transition Ocean-powered 2 2 | 1 This is not an egg Our diet is changing radically. What does the future taste like? Verónica García-Arteaga, Fraunhofer researcher and start-up founder How safe are the autobahns? Bridges at the breaking point: A sensor system to detect defects “Changes that affect 83 million people.” An interview with German Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture Cem Özdemir

To be free, we need technology The morning of Thursday February 24, 2022 may have opened some people’s eyes in more ways than one. That was the day Russia began its war of aggression against Ukraine. Suddenly, it became clear that even in Europe, we can’t take peace, freedom and sovereignty for granted. Freedom comes with a price. According to the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, Rus- sian imports account for about 55 percent of fossil gas imported into Germany, about 50 percent of coal imports and about 35 percent of crude oil imports. However, economic dependencies must not supersede freedom. Freedom is an indispensable part of our dem- ocratic culture and our continuing success. The price of freedom is one we can afford. It is true that in 2021, Germany exported goods and services worth 26 billion euros to Russia; however, this only amounts to 1.9 per- cent of all German exports. In contrast, Germany is Russia’s most important trading partner after China. In response to the invasion of Ukraine by Russian troops, the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft joined forces with other members of the Alliance of Science Organizations in Germany and decided to temporarily freeze all ongo- ing projects and interactions with Russia; this decision was later extended to include Belarus. This is a neces- sary hiatus. It is explicitly not directed against the Rus- sian people, nor against the Russian scientific sector, the development of which we continue to support. Increasing sovereignty has been a focus point for the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft for many years — not just in the energy sector, but also in terms of technological sovereignty and digital sovereignty. It is an “immensely important topic,” as Federal Minister of Education and Research Bettina Stark-Watzinger confirmed at the Alliance of Science Organizations in Germany. For this reason, we welcome the determination that the Euro- 1 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine Editorial Prof. Reimund Neugebauer pean Commission has recently shown in launching the European Chips Act. Around 43 billion euros will be made available for semiconductor production in the EU, so that in 2030, Europe will be producing a fifth of the chips manufactured worldwide. That the impact of the European Chips Act has become evident so quickly with such clarity, and that the Intel semiconductor plant, “the largest investment in history” as Minister President Reiner Haseloff has put it, is coming to Mag- deburg, is good news — not only for Saxony-Anhalt, but for Germany and Europe as a whole. Freedom requires collaboration. Freedom requires close ties. But freedom also requires resilience and independence in key areas of supply and development. This means the technologies needed in these areas are also key to our freedom. The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft is determined to play its part. Sincerely, Reimund Neugebauer President of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft — Learn more about the main research topics of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft: Prof. Reimund Neugebauer on LinkedIn 3 r e b u H d r a h n r e B / r e f o h n u a r F : o t o h P

1 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine 28 Happiness is when the bass drops in sync During the pandemic, a virtual con- cert is taken to a whole new level 30 Spider venom for medicinal use The toxins from these eight-legged creatures have gone largely unexplored 32 A virus turned cure-all Combating cancer: How herpes viruses, of all things, are inspiring hope for tumor treatment 34 80,000 revolutions for the energy transition An increased success rate: A newly developed micro-drilling turbine is helping to locate thermal water more reliably 35 Knowledge relay, episode 4 What resource strategies are necessary for the global energy transition? 48 Eye candy Drops get washed out quickly. Inno- vative new contact lenses administer medicines slowly — and precisely 76 Hybrid timber to edge out reinforced concrete This renewable raw material is gaining ground — even in terms of stability. And it’s opening up completely new possibilities. 60 Award recipients Research The Hugo Geiger Prize for outstanding doctoral work by young scientists. 66 A high- intensity X-ray BM18 Beamline — A world- wide first for sharp detail and exceptional versatility. 50 From coal haven to climate hero 72 Fighting skin cancer with AI How Duisburg wants to turn the world’s largest inland harbor into Europe’s first climate-neutral container terminal 52 Bridges at the breaking point Bridges on Germany’s autobahns are in a poor state of repair. Fraun- hofer IZFP is developing sensors to monitor them on a continuous basis 56 From coal to blockchain The decentralized data system is creating a new hub for innovation 58 Racing the clock to save lives Every year, 11 million people are struck by sepsis. Fraunhofer IGB is helping in the race against time 60 Hugo Geiger Prize Outstanding research by young scientists 66 A high-intensity X-ray BM18 Beamline — Sharp detail and exceptional versatility 68 Fraunhofer worldwide 70 Ready-to-wear algae: From bioreactor to fashion statement The textile industry has been look- ing for alternatives — and now it’s found one in microalgae How an AI-based full-body scanner is making treatment easier 74 Photo & Fraunhofer Germans love their coffee — and in the future, it’ll come in sustainable cups 76 Hybrid timber to edge out reinforced concrete Completely new possibilities — with stability underpinned 78 The future is quantum internet How can we transport increasing data volumes more safely? Looking to the future with a quantum frequency converter 79 Fraunhofer on the road ; a p d / e c n a i l l a e r u t c i p / d e f t e N y a K i l 91 percent of all farms in Germany with more than 100 hectares were using smart farming technology such as GPS-controlled agricultural machinery as of 2020, according to the digital association Bitkom. The figure was 71 percent for farms with at least 50 hectares, and 64 percent for smaller farms. 91 , ) 2 ( k c u m h c S r a n g a R : s o t o h p r e v o c k c a b d n a t n o r F g r o . i c i d e u v / F R S E , r e p p e u D h p o t s i r h C / r e f o h n u a r F , i i a p e S / b e h c S n m r A i , a p d / e c n a i l l a e r u t c i p / d e f t e N y a K i l , t r e k r u B n a i t s i r h C , k c u m h c S r a n g a R : t n e t n o c o t o h P 5

1 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine Checking the immune response in the lungs Chip cytometry is eliminating the need to manually count different cell types under the microscope. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Tox- icology and Experimental Medicine ITEM have not only succeeded in accurately characterizing the lung’s immune cells for clinical studies, but also in making them available for longer. With the help of the innovative chip cytometry method, valuable patient samples can be stored in the refrigerator for months and examined for addi- tional parameters if new aspects become relevant in the course of a study. With chip cytometry, patient samples are examined on special object slides, referred to as chips. These consist of a transparent chamber, and the cells attach themselves to the bottom. The sample is then stained with fluorescent antibodies that bind very specifically to a certain type of immune cell. The analysis of the microscopic images is conducted automatically for the most part; the results show the proportions of the various immune cells that were being searched for in the sample. Chip cytometry was developed and validated on blood cells by the start-up company Zellkraft- werk, which has since merged with the US company Canopy Bioscience. Fraunhofer researchers have now adapted the technique for the first time for use with immune cells from the lungs. Using AI to protect children r u t n e g a d l i B e n i l n o 1 F / y r a r b i L o t o h P e c n e i c S , o t o h p k c o t s i / a h p A l , E E I / P B l I r e f o h n u a r F / r e h c i b s e n n S t r e b r e H , t e n . r e p a p i Artificial intelligence and multimedia forensics can be used to protect children against sexual abuse on the internet. This is according to a feasibility study conducted by the Fraunhofer Institute for Secure Information Technology SIT. The study placed particular emphasis on practical feasibility. For example, forensic text profiling technology can be used to estimate the age of chat participants, thereby preventing cybergrooming. Cybergrooming occurs when adults make contact with minors via chatrooms, forums or online games with the intention of sex- ually abusing them. Forum moderators could be notified if a user’s stated age does not match their style of writing, indicating that they are actually an adult. Even if people who previously aroused suspicion and were blocked use new profiles to log in to forums, forensic text analysis techniques are capable of detecting this with a certain degree of probability. The study is freely available at www.sit.fraunhofer.de/jugendschutz 7 l l a w - t s e b 2 2 0 2 - 1 1 0 2 : s o t o h P The European law enforcement agency Europol is warning of a significant increase in cybergrooming since the start of the pandemic.

Editorial notes Fraunhofer. The magazine, magazine for research, technology and innovation. ISSN 1868-3428 (print edition) ISSN 1868-3436 (online edition) Published by: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft Hansastrasse 27c, 80686 München, Germany Editorial address as above Phone +49 89 1205-1301 magazin@zv.fraunhofer.de www.fraunhofer.de/magazin Free subscription: Phone +49 89 1205-1301 publikationen@fraunhofer.de Editorial team: Roman Möhlmann (responsible for content), Josef Oskar Seitz (editor-in-chief), Dr. Sonja Endres Editorial assistants: Dr. Janine van Ackeren, Marina Babl, Mandy Bartel, Markus Borgmann, Christine Broll, Meike Grewe, Sirka Henning, Dr. Monika Offenberger, Laura Rottensteiner-Wick, Tim Schrö- der, Beate Strobel, Mehmet Toprak, Britta Widmann Layout and lithography: Vierthaler & Braun Cover image and cover story photography: Ragnar Schmuck Photo for hydrogen article: Christian Burkert Printed by: hofmann infocom GmbH, Nuremberg © Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft e.V. Munich 2022 Find Fraunhofer on social media: @Fraunhofer www.facebook.com/ fraunhoferde www.instagram.com/ fraunhofergesellschaft www.linkedin.com/company/ fraunhofer-gesellschaft https://www.youtube.com/ fraunhofer 1 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine Filter-feeding fish swim with their mouths open to ingest small particles from the water. What do fish and washing machines have in common? The gill arch systems in fish are the source of inspiration for new microplastic filters in washing machines. For every kilogram of laundry, several hundred milligrams of tiny plastic fibers are released from synthetic textiles as a result of abrasion. P rof. Alexander Blanke is passion- ate about washing machines... and fish! “There are many filter-feed- ing animals,” says the biologist from the Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Ecology at the University of Bonn, “but the mechanism used by fish bears the greatest resemblance to the conditions in a washing machine”. Prof. Blanke is referring to gill arches and the movement of food in the digestive tract. In the FishFlow project, he and his team are working with researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Environ- mental, Safety and Energy Technology UMSICHT and industry partners to design innovative filters that will capture the fibers abraded in washing machines — and thus protect the environment from plastic pollution. To this end, the scientists have mea- sured the gill arch structures in various fish. They use this data to generate computer models of gills, carry out simulations and recreate them on a 3D printer to establish which filter structures are most efficient. The biomimetic models of the gill arch structures are then tested in a flow chan- nel and ultimately in a washing machine. The members of the interdisciplinary research team come from the fields of biology, materials science and engineering. Since the filters are designed to protect the environment, the sustainability of the filter production process itself is also key. “We will conduct a life cycle assessment early on in the product development pro- cess,” says Dr. Ilka Gehrke from Fraunhofer UMSICHT. Leandra Hamann, who is completing her doctorate on Prof. Blanke’s team, has been researching suspension feeders for years. Ranging from sponges to fish and flamingos, these organisms feed on par- ticles suspended in water using a variety of filter mechanisms. Hamann has iden- tified over 35 different types of filter function, but it was fish that showed the greatest promise. The research team is now aiming to develop a filter with a retention efficiency of more than 90 percent. 9 l h s a p s n U / n a W u o y g n e F , o t o h p k c o t s i / a l l e m O i o E l , o t o h p k c o t s i / e h t i e G f l a R : s o t o h P

1 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine This is what the future tastes like Which came first, the chicken or the egg? This age-old question has become outdated. Now, you can rule out the chicken altogether and just have the egg. And our diet is undergoing other radical changes, too. By Dr. Janine van Ackeren, photos: Ragnar Schmuck 11

1 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine A varied diet without eggs: 85 percent of testers could not tell which dishes were made with vegan eggs and which with chicken eggs. Dr. Siegfried Fürtauer has used a new generation of bioplastic for the eggshell. Calcium carbonate is mixed in to make it crackable. A complex interplay between ions and algae-based hydrocol- loids transforms the yellow liquid into a spherical egg yolk with a vitelline membrane. 13

explains. The research team has mixed calcium carbon- ate into the bioplastic to make the egg crackable. The material development stage is largely complete, and eggshells are already in production on a pilot scale. How does the egg get into the shell? There are still a few challenges to be overcome before the egg can go into industrial production. There are two main options. The first is to produce the complete eggshell, but leave a small filling hole so that the white and yolk can be injected in liquid form. They must not be mixed at this initial stage — unless they are being shaken or stirred — because they have different vis- cosities. However, the yolk sphere doesn’t form on its own. This is the difficult part — in order for it to form, the diameter of the hole, the geometry of the eggshell, the nozzle, and the filling time and pressure all need to be exactly right. The yolk sphere is stabilized by the complex interaction between the ingredients of the egg white and yolk, and the distinctive vitelline membrane forms. García-Arteaga and Dr. Fürtauer are confident that the machine suppliers they have found so far will be able to make this approach work. The second option involves placing the pre-encapsulated round egg yolk in an open eggshell, which is sealed with the other half of the shell, i.e. the lid of the packaging. The egg white is then poured in through the filling hole. While the first method can only be carried out using suitable industrial equipment, the second method has already been proven to work in the lab. However, this method now needs to be scaled up to the industrial level. The team aims to reach this stage by the end of 2023, when the vegan egg, complete with its “eggshell packag- ing,” should be hitting the supermarket shelves. But in the meantime, the founders at VEgg GmbH are hatching another plan — in the interim, they’re going to fill bags and containers with liquid scrambled eggs, where the egg whites and yolks are already mixed, and market them to buyers such as bakeries, restaurants and other B2B cus- tomers. The retail sector will be able to sell the vegan scrambled egg, or even the individual components of the egg yolk and white, in jars, tetrapaks, bottles or yogurt cups. In addition to the technical feasibility of filling this packaging, and its user-friendliness, its sustainability will also be very important. García-Arteaga and Dr. Für- tauer hope these scrambled egg variants could be on the market as early as 2022. Vegans are by no means the only target group that the VEgg team has in mind. “An egg substitute that tastes like an egg and looks like an egg is sure to be widely accepted — as opposed to tofu, for exam- 1 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine ple, which is used as a meat substitute but bears no resemblance to the animal product,” says Dr. Fürtauer. This is good news for people who want to cut down their egg consumption, but are not prepared to make any major compromises when it comes to taste. “Our goal was a biodegradable eggshell that can be thrown into the compost, produced on an industrial scale — and cracked open with a spoon.” Thinking outside the egg On its own, the Bettr Egg is no magic bullet for the future of nutri- tion. There’s more to it than that. “When it comes to the issue of food, we don’t just look at individ- ual, standalone development s,” says Prof. Andrea Büttner, Director of Frau n hofer I V V. I n s t e ad , she looks at the big picture. “We need to see a change in indus- try and a change in consumers — otherwise we’ll keep running into huge problems.” Dr. Siegfried Fürtauer from Fraunhofer IVV is working on Bettr Egg. Many vegans decide not to con- sume any animal products out of con- cern for animal welfare. However, as problems with our climate and resources loom, it’s inevi- table that the need to switch from animal products to plant- based foods will increase. Raw materials are also running out. German companies are already complaining of major supply issues for raw materials for food manufacturing and packaging — and the situation may worsen in the future. “In Germany, we cannot 15

1 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine of Bluu Seafood. This means that no fish need to die for our food supply. Moreover, the fish product is not genetically engineered and is free from antibiotics and environmental toxins. The team have developed their own growth media, so they also don’t need to use the fetal bovine serum that gave the practice of cell-based meat and fish farming something of a bad name ini- tially. To begin with, hybrid products such as fish balls, fish sticks and fish tartare will be produced from cell components and plant proteins and sold to restaurants; they will make their way to supermarkets later. In the long term, the team aims to include fish fillets in their range. In carrying out its research, Bluu Seafood is continuing to collaborate closely with Fraunhofer EMB, which is affiliated with the Fraunhofer Research Institution for Individualized and Cell-Based Medical Engineering IMTE in Lübeck. Aquaculture and mariculture can also be sustainable forms of fish farming. But of course, diseases must not be allowed to develop in the water and the fish. As part of the EU Rasopta project, researchers at Fraunhofer IVV are therefore working on feeding techniques, suitable sensors and filter systems to detect diseases early and take steps to prevent them. These technological develop- ments help to avoid off-flavors such as a musty taste. The researchers at Fraunhofer EMB are working on improving the sustainability of fish products. In many cases, just the fillet is sold, rather than the whole fish. A lot of good fish is left behind in the process, and ends up in the gar- bage. The research team takes these leftovers and processes them into healthy high-protein chip snacks that you can munch on from the comfort of your couch, just like potato chips. These chips are much healthier than conventional kinds — they contain high-quality omega-3 fatty acids, for example. Fraunhofer is continuing to expand its research in the growth sector of aquaculture. As of Jan- uary 1, 2022, the research team at Gesellschaft für Marine Aquakultur mbH has been integrated into Fraunhofer IMTE. By joining forces, the researchers aim to develop new solutions for environmentally responsible aquacul- ture methods. Algae in beer? “We produce fish from real fish cells, which we grow on scaffolds in the bioreactor.” Dr. Sebastian Rakers, founder and Managing Director of Bluu Seafood. excess nutrients from fertilizer run-off from fields, which cause problems when they end up in the sea. In contrast to other superfood products, up until now, seaweed has mainly been available in tablet form as a food supplement. “We want seaweed — especially European seaweed — to be a more common entry on German menus,” explains Elke Böhme, group manager at Fraunhofer EMB. “And what better way to do that than with beer, one of the Germans’ favorite drinks?” With its distinc- tive flavor and interest- ing colors, seaweed can really give beers that certain something. Fraunhofer EM B has developed the manufacturing process — t he s e awe e d b e e r can be produced i n a st a nda rd brewery, and the seaweed is sim- ply added during the brewing pro- cess. And if you’d prefer an alco- hol-free version, the researchers have that covered, too: they’ve devel- oped a brewed sea- weed lemonade. But seaweed such as dulse and sugar kelp can be used in more than just beverages — they can also be made into seaweed ice cream and pesto, as various projects by Fraunhofer EMB have shown. Let’s not forget about algae. Chia seeds, nettles and kale are known as superfoods. But seaweed also contains valuable nutrients that should earn them a spot on the superfood list — they have a lot of fiber, proteins and minerals, for example. What’s more, seaweed is collected or cultivated in the ocean, so it doesn’t require farmland, fertilizer or large amounts of energy. It also removes the Microalgae, the smaller mem- bers of the sugar kelp family, also contain substances that offer health benefits: proteins, omega-3 fatty acids, var- ious pigments with antioxidant effects, and phytosterols. In numerous projects, including the internal Future Proteins lighthouse project where 17 d o o f a e S u u B l , i n i s o r o M a l e a h c i M : s o t o h P

team has also found a use for the press cakes that are left after juicing the fruits. For example, pineapple press cakes are very nutritious due to the high fiber content and can be seasoned with mint and ginger or mango and paprika. The healthy snacks made from misshapen produce are scheduled to hit the market in early 2023. Preventing food loss is also the goal of Fraunhofer IVV researchers working in the SHIELD project, which is focused on using sensory detection methods to produce safe, domestic, organic food. When it comes to rapidly perishable organic goods in particular, the sensory detection methods they develop should make it easier to produce quality forecasts and optimize logistics chains — and so respond to the actual needs of the food industry and consumers. “Just as we humans have multiple senses, we don’t rely on a single chan- nel when it comes to our technological solution. Instead, we combine sensor technologies, optical methods and smart algorithms,” says Büttner. “The result is handheld devices and smart software that even small enterprises can use. We also want to estab- lish methods that can be used to authenticate both raw materials and foods products,” explains Dr. Susann Vierbauch, who is coordinating the interdisciplinary consortium project. How do new foods change our tastes? From vegan eggs and petri-dish fish to pea cheese and seaweed beer, our diets are clearly changing. But what will the future taste like? “The future will have a much more regional flavor,” Prof. Büttner answers. “We’ll need to reinvent a lot of things produced domestically, and establish new means of value creation to avoid long transport chains that cause CO2 emissions. And we will rediscover lots of old ideas on a large scale.” The Fraunhofer institute director recalls the renaissance of processing and refining techniques such as fer- mentation. “What we eat today came about by chance. In times of crisis, people ate things that had actually gone off — and realized they tasted better and were more nourishing than their usual food.” Prof. Büttner explains that this is how bread, dairy products, cured sausages, vinegar and alcoholic beverages came into being. “We are continuing this process and developing it further, especially when it comes to plant-based raw materials. This way, we’re creating new textures and new foods that will shape our consumer behavior and tastes in the future.” Not only can fermentation be used to produce imi- tations of familiar foods based on different raw mate- 1 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine rials, it can also help develop entirely new flavors. This brings up an exciting question: How can we pique consumers’ curiosity so that they try new types of food that might taste better to them and also protect the climate, animals and their health? After all, our tastes are by no means fixed and unchangeable. “What we like changes all the time,” notes Prof. Jessica Freiherr, Group Manager at Fraunhofer IVV. “The more often we eat things, the better they taste to us.” This has been shown in a study whereby babies that initially refused to eat broccoli puree were offered it again and again — not in a forceful way, but tenderly and in a relaxed environment. After eight days, they liked the broccoli puree as much as carrot puree. Researchers at the institute are cur- rently investigating the extent to which familiarity with certain foods will increase their accep- tance by adults. One of their results showed that if adults drank special milkshakes with an unfamiliar flavor over seven days, they started to like the drink more. So, can an egg developed entirely by humans actually t a s t e g o o d ? García-Arteaga and Dr. Fürtauer have been investigating this in their first blind taste tests. Around 100 testers tried muffins and quiches made with Bettr Egg, as well as conventional versions made with chicken eggs. The results showed that 85 percent of testers could not tell which dish was made with vegan eggs and which with chicken eggs. 100 percent of testers thought the vegan quiche tasted better — they found it was moister and smelled nicer. When it comes to vegan eggs, at least, our tastes seem to be ready for the future — even if the egg can’t be dyed for Easter yet. “The more often we eat things, the better they taste to us.” Jessica Freiherr, Fraunhofer IVV 19

Meat production in Germany is decreasing, Mr Özdemir. Is this good news for our country? If meat is produced abroad under worse environmental and animal welfare conditions and exported to Germany, it is of no benefit to the climate, animals or domestic agricultural production here. If there was a systematic focus on quality in terms of supply and demand in Germany, that would be good news. During the current legislation period, we are aiming to achieve real progress on the supply side and drive the conversion of livestock farming. Because things can’t go on as they are — the current system is a burden on animals, the environment and agriculture itself. One core element that we are currently working on is mandatory livestock farming identification. This will provide transparency on the actual housing conditions in which the animals are kept. Origin identification is a further key element. What plans are in place here? We want to increase transparency in terms of food origin at a European level. Consum- ers want to know where their food comes from — and our domestic farmers will be at an advantage there. If a product is advertised on a supermarket flyer based on its origin rather than a discounted price, everyone benefits. After all, this is also about appreciating our farmers. An important aspect for me is that ori- gin identification also makes transport routes visible, which contributes to climate friendly consumption. The German Federal Statistical Office has recorded a reduction in meat consumption for the fifth year in a row, with the number of pigs slaughtered falling by 2.9 percent to 51.8 million in 2021. Would you still advise a young person today to take over their parents’ farm? The number of animals going to the butchers is just one side of the coin; there’s also a flip- side. Over the past ten years, the number of pig farms has almost halved, but the number of pigs is nearly the same as before. We are in the midst of a process that concentrates production into a smaller number of farms that are ever 1 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine “Our ministry has the fourth-largest research budget. Research and innovation can help resolve any ostensible conflicts of interests.” Cem Özdemir increasing in size. Many family-run farms can’t contend with these. From each euro that a cus- tomer pays for meat at the checkout, the farmers receive a mere 21 cents. This is the result of a one-sided agricultural policy, and I’m not willing to let this exploitative system continue. We want to offer the farms a future that is both ecologically and economically sustainable so that young people are keen to take over family farms and they have the chance to make a living. This is also connected to a greater social goal: Wherever there are farmers, they work in, and for the good of, the countryside. This holds together communities and fosters rural culture. You were initially tipped as Minister of Transport, or Foreign Affairs due to your family heritage. You are now the Minister of Agriculture. What are your ties with the proud people of the farming community? In political terms, I haven’t actually worked this field before. My father’s parents were 21 l a p d / d e f t e N y a K i : o t o h P

“This Fraunhofer spin-off aims to enable high-precision, and thus more sustainable farming in our fields. Agriculture is more modern, digital and technologically advanced than people think.” Cem Özdemir also be funded in accordance with the German Renewable Energy Sources Act (Erneuer- bare-Energien-Gesetz, EEG). How can research help combine eco- nomic and ecological factors in agriculture? Our ministry has the fourth-largest research budget of all departments, and our subordinate agencies are also conducting research in this area. Combining economic and ecological factors is the only way of ensuring a positive future for agriculture in Germany. Research and innovation can help resolve any ostensible conflicts of interests. Could you give us some examples? Digitalization in agriculture is one particular example I’m thinking of. It offers almost endless possibilities for making agriculture more envi- ronmentally friendly and resource-efficient. For instance, we are currently providing funding for ConstellR — a startup that measures soil health from space using its own satellite fleet. This Fraunhofer spin-off aims to enable high-precision, and thus more sustainable farming in our fields. There are also technol- ogies that significantly reduce pesticide use or even make it unnecessary, such as robots that target weeds using AI-driven image recognition and remove them mechanically using heat, lasers or electricity. This allows us to protect biodiversity, too. There are many other examples of similar measures. At any rate, agriculture is more modern, digital and techno- logically advanced than people think. “As a teenager”, you once confessed, “I shattered my parents’ dreams.” What would your parents be proud of today? Well, as an environmentally conscious vege- tarian who listened to rock music, wore ripped jeans and studied child care, I didn’t always conform to their ideal image of a son. But my parents were always proud of me and supported me. I think they would be especially proud of the fact that I’m now a federal minister. It would certainly have been hard to predict my path here. 1 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine 2002 The frequent-flier mile affair: Özdemir used parliamentary frequent-flier miles for personal purposes and took out a cheap loan with a lobbyist. Following criticism, he resigned as a member of the Bundestag and took up a fellowship in the USA. “I was done with politics,” he recalls. In 2004, he returned to politics and became a member of the European parliament. 2016 Yoga practitioner Özdemir angered several members of his party with his support for the use of weapons, saying “We can’t fight the Islamic State with yoga mats!” 2018 Extending a hand Özdemir attempts to shake hands with Turkish president Erdogan, who hesitates. This moment is symbolic of a fragment- ed relationship. Erdogan has accused Özdemir of being “a so-called Turk” with tainted blood. 23 f i a l / r e g n i F n a f e t S , s e c i v r e S o t o F E K N U F / o t t O o g n I , s e g a m I A B O R / n o r e p a h C e c n e r u a L , a p d e l l a / n a r g a l l i V l e u g M i , a k n e z c r t u J n o v d n r e B , n e t r a g m u a B h c i r l U , t a v i r p : s o t o h P

1 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine Ministry for Food and Agriculture to the tune of 1.6 million euros. Under the lead- ership of the Lower Saxony Agricultural Transformation Research Association (Verbund Transformationsforschung agrar Niedersachsen), the project group includes Fraunhofer IZFP and various other partners with expertise on the subjects of animals, artificial intelligence and sensors. The aim of SmartPigHome is to support farmers in their work and to assist them with decision-making. Sensors record the temperature, humidity and the levels of certain gases. However, they also use sound and image data to record the pigs’ behavior. AI models are then used to draw conclusions regarding the animals’ moods, taking all data sources into account. If the algorithms detect that the pigs are restless or aggressive, the farmer receives a push notification on his cell phone. In critical situations, an interactive activity tool with moving spots of light triggers the pigs’ play instinct and distracts them until the farmer can intervene on site. “This way, our sensor systems can be the farmers’ eyes and ears when they’re not in the pen, and provide additional support by detect- ing situations and trends that would otherwise not be recognized in time,” says Fischer. Sustainability and transparency in the pigpen You only need to look at the current pig farming situation in Germany to see how the idea of SmartPigHome is socially relevant. Although meat consumption in Germany has fallen in recent years, a study by the Federal Information Center for Agriculture showed that 57.3 kilo- grams of meat per capita were still served up in 2020. Almost 60 percent of this was pork. To meet this demand, over 55 million pigs were slaughtered in Germany in 2019 according to the Meat Atlas 2021. Consumers are increasingly calling for greater sustainability and transparency from agriculture in general and the meat industry in particular. At the same time, the price a farmer receives for a single fat- tening pig at slaughter fluctuates a great deal, and has recently been on a down- ward trajectory. This means a single pig falling ill or dying prematurely can result in significant financial loss. Animal welfare is therefore worth the investment. When it comes to the mood in the pen, the pigs themselves provide the most important data. To be of real benefit in practice, the sensors must analyze and transfer data in real time, if possible. Pre- vious research projects in this area have mainly focused on developing new algo- rithms, explains Fischer. “Vast quantities of data, especially images, have often been recorded over several weeks in an idealized pen environment. Then, after an elaborate evaluation process, researchers are able to say, ‘Oh, something remarkable happened in the second week.’ However, this infor- mation arrives too late for the farmer.” One of the SmartPigHome project partners mainly works with image data, and analyzes how the animals move and lie down, for example. At Fraunhofer IZFP, however, the project is primarily focused on sound data. According to Fischer, “This data can be analyzed with comparatively little computing capacity. We want to evaluate how it can best be put into prac- tice. What’s more, the sounds pigs make are very informative, particularly when it comes to detecting stressful situations.” If pigs are relaxed, their grunts tend to be at lower frequencies, but they become more shrill when problems arise. When a person enters the pen, pigs also often make a kind of barking sound. The algorithms that will ultimately be able to correctly determine the animals’ moods are being trained based on knowl- edge from farmers. Fischer goes on to say, “As an engineer, I find it fascinating how well a farmer can use the slightest cues to ascertain the level of well-being of their animals. We can only hope that our sensor systems will become almost as reliable as farmers.” To record the image and sound data, the researchers plan to use the most inex- pensive existing sensors that they can find. The activity tool, which is being developed by another partner involved in the collab- oration, is to be installed on the ceiling of the pen. Projector systems on rails will travel over the various pigpens and aim toward animals in areas where the sensor system has identified stress or signs of imminent stress. The idea is that the ani- mals can then move spots of light similar to soccer balls with their noses, for exam- ple, and will be rewarded with food after playing. Two pens, one goal The first sensor systems should be installed by summer at the latest, and the first data will then be generated. This will involve working with two different pigpens. The first is a conventional pig fattening farm for testing under real-life conditions, and the other is an idealized test pen at the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover. There, investigations will be carried out into how pigs respond to different light and color conditions, for example. The results will be used to develop the activity tool. The project has been scheduled to run for three years to start with. Sarah Fischer is already very much looking forward to progressing it further. “I’m optimistic that our work will help us better understand and improve the welfare of pigs on pig fattening farms.” Her long-term vision is for the new data they collect to be included in official requirements for husbandry practices and animal welfare labels. “This would quantify animal welfare in a more animal-centered way and would make the factors influencing animal welfare visible all the way to the consumer, which would also add value for farmers. I believe this is the only way to guarantee sustainable agriculture in Germany.” — How is a contented grunt different from a restless or aggressive one? Scan here for the podcast: 25 e n i l l n O 1 F / y m a A / n i v o r b u D v a l s e h c a V i : o t o h P

1 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine Mosses can absorb 12 to 20 times their ownweight in water. Moss functions as natural air conditioning — just one of the reasons why we may see it running riot across building facades in the future. 27

1 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine “During the initial tests in October, we finally got close to the required latency of 30 milliseconds for transmitting the audio to the studio,” recalls Seeliger. However, a lot of interference occurred in the process as the result of other services on the IP connection. “That was disappoint- ing. In order for the musicians to play together in syn- chronization, we had to reduce the lag further and remove interference in particular.” In the end, they used two specially configured streaming devices that could trans- mit the audio tracks from the location with as little pro- cessing and compression as possible. The technical team also worked together with internet service provider K-tel to split the audio and video track for the internet broad- cast so that they could be transmitted via two different virtual networks, and removed all interference variables. In this way, they finally managed to achieve a minimal lag of only 5 milliseconds by the dress rehearsal, a week before the concert. Huge interest from the events industry Although the artists were in separate locations, to the audience, it sounded as if they were playing together in the Kesselhaus. Billy Andrews, aka The Dark Tenor, was impressed with the results too. “The Classic RoXX tour premiere was a huge success and the collaboration with the Fraunhofer institutes opened up new possibilities for music and art to coexist over the internet despite physical distances. I’m excited that this technology is helping art- ists interact. It will definitely form an integral component of our work down the line,” the singer added. As a model for future events that go beyond physical boundaries, the concert did indeed attract a huge level of interest. The Fraunhofer team received a number of inquiries from the events industry, as well as from music colleges. This comes as no surprise, since event organiz- ers have been desperately searching for new solutions to deal with uncertainties posed by the pandemic, such as limited numbers of attendees, travel restrictions, and so on. They won’t have to wait for long. “Since it’s based on a combination of existing, tried-and-trusted technology with innovative technologies, this new toolbox can basi- cally be used right away,” says Selliger. “The only limiting factor is the on-site conditions — due to their internet connections, not all locations are suitable for this hybrid format. A good IT partner can be an advantage here.” Pounding beats, thrilling live shows, bobbing heads and dancing feet — suddenly, the magic of a live concert can stretch across cities, countries, continents and pan- demics. This Fraunhofer technology opens up a new world of possibilities and expression for creatives, without compromising on sound or vision. And it brings the same adrenaline rush as the heady, pre-COVID days. 29 The Dark Tenor on stage at the Kessel- haus, Berlin. The 41-year-old artist fuses pop and classical music. 5 milliseconds to play together across different locations. Queenz of Piano played the song “When You Roar” live together with The Dark Tenor in the Kesselhaus. For the audience, it was just a well-rehearsed performance, but for the scientists, it was a real technical challenge. “The latency of the audio connection was crucial for the duet — after all, the idea was that the musicians would be able to play together live. But even with the commonly used low-latency streaming of today, there is generally a lag of between 3 to 8 seconds, which was much too long for us,” explains Robert Seeliger, production manager for the event and VirtualLiVe sub-project manager at Fraunhofer FOKUS. So his team had to pull out no small number of stops: As well as the Digital Stage platform, they used fiber optic connectors and the latest 5G technology, separated IP connections for audio and video transmission using dedicated network configurations, tinkered with the streaming parameters and optimized the entire effect chain for latency.

done in this area — due to this very diversity. After all, there are 50,000 known species of spider. “Spider venom has a lot of potential for medicine, for example in researching disease mechanisms,” says Dr. Lüddecke. The head of the new Animal Venomics working group at the Bioresources institute branch of Fraunhofer IME in Giessen believes that these components, chiefly peptides, can be used to develop promising drug candidates for treating numerous diseases. For example, scientists hope to use the venom cocktail of the Australian funnel-web spider to treat neuronal damage after strokes and to make hearts for organ transplants last longer. Other drug candidates could function as antibiotics or as pain relievers. Research so far has focused on the toxins of the very large or potentially dangerous species that live in the tropics. Little thought has been given to the small, harmless native varieties. “Most spiders in Central Europe are no more than 2 cen- timeters in size, and the amount of venom they produce is insufficient for experiments. However, now we have precise analysis methods that enable us to examine the small amounts of venom pro- duced by the previously neglected majority of spiders,” explains Dr. Lüddecke. Decoding wasp spider venom Currently, the scientists are particularly inter- ested in the wasp spider (Argiope bruennichi), which owes its name to its striking wasp-like col- oring. They have succeeded in decoding its venom, identifying numerous new biomolecules in the process. The advantage of wasp spider venom is that it only contains around 53 biomolecules. It consists predominantly of components with a high molecular weight, including catabolite activator proteins (CAPs) and other enzymes. As with other spiders, the venom contains knottins, but these make up only a small part of the total mixture. Knottins are a group of neurotoxic peptides that can resist chemical, enzymatic and thermal degradation due to their robust, knot-like structure. These molecules could therefore be administered orally as a medicinal component without being digested in the gastrointestinal tract. In addition, knottins bind specifically to ion channels. “The more specifically a molecule docks onto its target molecule, attacking only a single type of ion channel, the fewer side effects it triggers,” explains Dr. Lüddecke. Furthermore, even small amounts of the knottins influence the activity of the ion channels. As a result, medicines derived from these compounds can be administered in low doses. The combination of these properties makes spider venoms extremely interesting for scientists. The project partners have also discovered molecules in the venom of the wasp spider that resemble neuropeptides in structure. These are responsible for transporting information between nerve cells. “We have found new families of neu- ropeptides that we had not seen before in other spiders. We suspect that the wasp spider uses them to attack insects’ nervous systems,” the researcher speculates. Gender influences biochemical repertoire The venom profile of the wasp spider has now been fully decoded. So, what’s the next step? “We’re building genetically modified bacteria that produce the toxin on a large scale.” Dr. Lüddecke and his team have successfully mass-produced CAP, the main component of the wasp spider venom. The first functional studies are already underway. The scientists are already familiar with CAPs from many other animal toxins. In snakes, they take the form of neurotoxins that act on the central nervous system and paralyze the victim. In ticks and parasitic fish, they affect blood clot- ting. In cone snails, they act as enzymes. “But the mechanism of action of the wasp spider’s CAPs is completely unknown,” relates Dr. Lüddecke, “so we need to mass-produce them.” Until now, the dynamics of spider venom have been completely underestimated. “The biochem- ical repertoire is decisively influenced by the stage of life, habitat and, above all, gender. The interac- tions between the components increase their effectiveness.” — Spider venom: A beacon of hope in the fight against central nervous system disorders. Scan here to watch a video: 1 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine “We’re building genetically modified bacteria that produce the toxin on a large scale.” Dr. Tim Lüddecke, Fraunhofer IME Dr. Tim Lüddecke at work. The head of the Animal Venomics working group believes that spider venoms have huge potential as drug candidates for medicinal use. 31 e n i l l n O 1 F / y m a A / p m a k n e t S s u a K i l : s o t o h P

1 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine W hen it comes to simplicity, viruses are hard to beat: they’re just a smidgen of genetic material wrapped in proteins and lipids, 20 to 200 nano- meters in size, and only visible with an electron microscope. But what makes viruses unique is their ability to invade living cells and force them to help the virus multiply. They often destroy the host cell in the process, causing humans and animals to get sick — or healthy. Prof. Susanne Bailer and her team at the Fraun- hofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB has successfully genetically modified the herpes simplex virus type 1 so that it can be used as an effective weapon against tumor cells. The herpes virus is known for the painful, unsightly blisters that it causes on the lips. However, for people with weak- ened immune systems, herpes viruses can also cause encephalitis. Prof. Bailer, who leads the Virus-based technologies inno- vation field at Fraunhofer IGB, has pulled off quite a feat. She turned off the gene in the virus that causes disease — making it available as a tool for medical treatment. A virus with plenty of memory capacity The herpes virus’ genetic material consists of DNA, rather than the RNA found in the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, for example. “The DNA genome is significantly larger than the RNA genome, so it can accom- modate a lot of additional genes. This means that if we want to reprogram a virus, there’s a lot of memory available,” explains Prof. Bailer, who has been researching the herpes virus for 20 years. A further advantage here is that the basic technologies needed to genetically modify the herpes virus already exist. The process of developing vaccines for the coronavirus has brought about major advancements in this area in recent years. The Astra- Zeneca vaccine is based on adenoviruses that trigger colds in chimpanzees but are harmless for humans. The modified viruses carry the information needed to synthesize vaccine antigens into human cells, which then start producing antibod- ies that specifically target SARS-CoV-2. According to Prof. Bailer, AstraZeneca’s success has strengthened research into genetically modified viruses across the board and dispelled a lot of the existing reservations about the field. Prof. Bailer and her team managed to improve the genetic engineering process for manipulating herpes viruses, allowing them to program a targeting system into the virus. “This ensures that when we inject our viruses directly into the tumor, they will infiltrate cancer cells, but not healthy cells. They start multiplying in the cancer cells and make them burst.” This then “The immune system is our strongest weapon against cancer. We hope to stimulate it in a targeted way using our virus and the tumor markers it releases, so that the body can treat itself in a way.” Prof. Susanne Bailer, Fraunhofer IGB releases tumor markers, which bring the body’s own immune system into the bat- tle against the cancer. “We also activate the immune defenses using specific pro- teins that our viruses emit when they reproduce. These cause the immune system to detect the tumor cells and eliminate them.” Prof. Bailer hopes that this will allow doctors to treat undetected metastatic growths outside the tumor mass. “The immune system is our strongest weapon against cancer. We hope to stimulate it in a targeted way using our virus and the tumor markers it releases, so that the body can treat itself in a way.” Initial victories in the fight against lung cancer The Fraunhofer IGB team conducted their first preclinical tests with the oncolytic virus in the project TheraVision, in col- laboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology IZI, the Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine ITEM and the Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research ISC. The researchers fine-tuned the virus to treat non-small cell lung carcinoma. This variety of cancer has a high fatality rate. Only 22 percent of all female patients and 17 percent of all male patients sur- vive the first five years after a lung cancer diagnosis. Non-small cell carcinoma tends to metastasize at an early stage, meaning that the prognosis is even worse. The results of the studies are promising. The tumor cells were consistently destroyed, and the viral immunotherapy also appeared to have a positive effect on metastatic growths. “However, we must conduct further research on that,” Prof. Bailer acknowledges. It’s still too early for a clinical trial. However, the herpes simplex does fulfill the requirements for clinical testing, as it offers another decisive advan- tage over other viruses — a kind of “emer- gency break.” If the viral treatment causes unexpected side effects in the already debilitated cancer patients, the scientists can stop the replication of the virus with a highly effective virostatic agent that has proven its reliability over almost 50 years. However, further studies are needed before the treatment can see clinical use. “To unlock the full potential of viral immu- notherapy, we need a better understanding of the mechanisms of action. In any case, we have now developed a virus platform technology, that can also be used for other types of tumor in the future.” 33 B G I r e f o h n u a r F , E C N E I C S F O E Y E / y r a r b i L o t o h P e c n e i c S : s o t o h P

1 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine Knowledge relay resource strategies energy transition 35

1 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine Knowledge relay Prof. Anke Weidenkaff, what resource strategies are necessary for the global energy transition? 35

1 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine Then, in the production stage, we can use material flow analyses to identify areas where resources could potentially be saved. We should also start considering how to close the product loop through recycling as early as the design and development phase and make it possible to reclaim secondary raw materials in an effective way. Green hydrogen will play a key role We also need to achieve fully closed material loops in terms of the substances emitted into the environment. Even the earliest production phases result in harm- ful emissions and byproducts that can cause major damage to our environment. The planetary boundary for chemical pol- lution, one of nine planetary boundaries, has probably already been exceeded. It is hard to establish precise values, because measuring concentration levels in humans and the environment is a com- plex process. The planetary boundaries are mutually dependent, so for example, chemical pollution is related to climate change, which in turn is closely connected to the energy and transport transition. Green hydrogen will have a key role to play in the global energy transition, as it’s a suitable storage medium for volatile wind and solar energy, and can also be used directly as a fuel. This means that hydrogen is in a position to make a vital contribution to decarbonizing industry, transport and even heat generation. Even now, we are already deploying many technologies that can produce green hydrogen using renew- able energy sources. We are already mov- ing toward developing sustainable solutions for storing and transporting the gas safely. The energy stored as hydrogen can then in turn be released via fuel cells. It is not enough for new materials to simply fulfill new functions in energy converters and applications aimed at ensuring sustain- ability; they must also be sustainable and safe themselves. Prof. Anke Weidenkaff is Director of the Fraunhofer Research Institution for Materials Recycling and Resource Strategies IWKS. There will be no new resources, so we must be economical with the materials available to us on Earth. We need to focus more on reusing materials. S K W I r e f o h n u a r F : : o s t o o t h o P F In the next issue: When it comes to hydrogen, many people are concerned about the Knallgas reaction — how safe are these new technologies? 37

Hydrogen: an energy drink for industry. Dr. Ulrike Beyer heads up the Hydrogen Task Force at Fraunhofer IWU and Mark Richter leads the Climate-Neutral Factory Operation business area. 1 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine 39

2. The material The principle of using electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen goes back more than 200 years. Today, it is usually achieved using something known as PEM (proton-exchange membrane) electrolysis. The core components of this process are electrolytic cells layered into stacks, which in turn consist of two central components: bipolar plates (BPs) and the membrane electrode assembly (MEA). BPs ensure an electrical connection and transport both between cells and to and from the MEA, where the water is split. Bipolar plates are usually made of a special stainless steel, graphite and tita- nium, and are further protected against corrosion by means of a precious metal coating such as gold or platinum. The material and design of the bipolar plates are also decisive factors for the electrolyz- er’s efficiency, maintenance requirements, functionality and service life. All of this, in turn, is essential for a future offshore electrolyzer to function and turn a profit while far away from land and under extreme conditions. The question of materials is central to Wolfram Münchgesang’s role in H2Wind. The doctor of physics from Fraunhofer IWES acts as a go-between, coordinating the correlations between stack properties and special offshore requirements discov- ered at the laboratory level, the develop- ment of a research stack at the test level and, finally, the transfer of laboratory and test results to industrial application. Or, as Dr. Münchgesang puts it: “I gather infor- mation, consolidate it and try to develop an overall scientific picture on that basis.” Although we have long been aware of the principle of electrolyzers, and their individual components, the development of an offshore electrolyzer represents a new frontier for science. If wind power is used to directly provide the energy to split water, what impact will this have? What partic- ular stresses will the material need to withstand offshore? How will vibrations 1 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine or mechanical stress, for example, affect the service life of the various components? After desalinating the seawater, will it still contain ions? Could these potentially accumulate in the stack (or elsewhere in device for splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen. In principle, it will be the same as it was two centuries ago, only this time it’s at sea. And that’s the new frontier. “We design functional models for offshore operations and scale them for industrial application,” Wolfram Münchgesang, Fraunhofer IWES the electrolyzer) and impair its function? There are no standardized test profiles or valid measurement scales for any of these questions. And as it’s impossible for tech- nicians to quickly service the system on the high seas, it needs superior-quality materials to help it withstand the condi- tions of its offshore location. Researchers aren’t planning to reinvent the wheel here — if only for reasons of time and money. Münchgesang sums it up pragmatically: “We design functional models for offshore operations, test them and, finally, scale them for industrial application.” By 2025 at the latest, we should be as close as possible to the ideal 3. The storage In Germany, offshore wind farms are located 58 kilometers from the coast on average. The electricity is usually trans- ported to land via submarine cables that have been laid in the seabed. In the future, how can hydrogen produced offshore be taken where it is needed? Sebastian Schmidt, project manager at the Fraunhofer Hydrogen Lab in Görlitz, and project partners Siemens, Mannes- mann and other Fraunhofer institutes are developing a pipe storage system suitable for offshore use, specifically for H2Wind. They will then test various usage 41

hydrogen value chain. This opens new exciting opportunities to collaborate on future research questions. As a project manager, Heyen is now responsible for a work package within the H2Wind project that focuses on extracting heat from the electrolyzers. This could solve the problem of energy in seawater treat- ment. “Until now, the waste heat generated when water is split has reduced the effi- ciency of electrolyzers,” explains Heyen. “But if we could at least partially intercept this energy and use it to treat seawater, things would look very different.” The scientist is already thinking beyond H2Wind: “The solutions that we are devel- oping here for offshore plants could also one day be used for water treatment in regions where there is a shortage of drink- ing water.” Heyen has already set his sights on another “waste product” of electrolysis: the oxygen that results from hydrogen production. “There are already people interested in this on land, for example in hospitals or sewage treatment plants. We are still looking for viable applications offshore.” 5. The simulation At 28, Tom Schwarting is probably the greenest Fraunhofer employee on the H 2Wind project. Until mid-2021, the information and communications engi- neer still thought his professional future would be in aerospace technology, and even completed his master’s degree at TU Braunschweig in this research field. As a research assistant at the Institute of Flight Guidance, he was involved in the MOSAiC polar expedition, a research expedition that saw the Polarstern icebreaker and its crew drift across the Arctic Ocean for a year, documenting the dramatic melt- ing rate of the sea ice. It became clear to Schwarting that in the future, he would “The solutions that we are developing here for offshore plants could also one day be used for water treatment.” Henner Heyen, Fraunhofer IWES 1 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine rather work for people that prevent CO2 emissions rather than those that cause them. Since April 2021, Tom Schwarting has been part of the Factory of the Future team at Fraunhofer IWU. Within the H2Wind project, he is one of the research- ers focusing on the question of what changes must be made in order to advance the production and use of green offshore hydrogen, in both environmental and economic terms. Using simulation models, he is trying to map the entire value chain for offshore hydrogen electrolysis as realistically as possible. He uses digital twins to develop, compare and finally evaluate different scenarios. “It’s a bit like a kid’s game where you have to move marbles back and forth as efficiently as possible,” says Schwarting. But of course, it’s anything but a kid’s game. There are a huge number of poten- tial influencing factors, not to mention the enormous challenge of properly consider- ing the major developments in the field: How are different forms of renewable energy developing? How much will energy cost in 2025? And in the world of tomorrow, what role will hydrogen play as an indus- trial raw material? As energy storage? Or even as a heat source? “Our simulations are based on reliable studies, so the num- bers are thoroughly substantiated,” explains Schwarting. Nevertheless, the fact remains: “It’s better to work with estimates than to start with digital simulations too late.” Otherwise, you run the risk of a chicken and egg problem: No company will opt to produce hydrogen as long as the cost and benefits are unclear. But if no one produces hydrogen, the financial aspect remains fuzzy. A simulation can help break this vicious cycle. “Right now, many people consider hydrogen to be a savior, so to speak. But it can only save us if we first generate enough green electricity for hydrogen production,” warns Schwarting. “But with every wind turbine we set up, we move a little closer to our goal.” 43

1 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine W e are facing a great task: to achieve climate neutrality in Germany by 2045. It’s an ambi- tious goal, but nevertheless, it can be done. To be able to make the energy transition a reality, we need to use renewable and decarbonized gases. Hydrogen, in par- ticular, offers considerable potential in this regard, as it can store energy and release it again without emitting CO2. Given its wide range of possible uses, it also has a particu- larly versatile skillset, ranging from climate friendly heat and energy production for industry and private households to environ- mentally friendly mobility. Existing potential One major advantage of hydrogen is its ability to store electricity over long periods of time without loss — this makes it a key building block for the energy transition. As a result, the use of hydrogen enables energy to be trans- ported and released again at a later point in time without emitting CO2. To fully realize the potential of hydrogen, we absolutely must make use of existing infrastructure — spe- cifically Germany’s gas storage capacity, the largest in the European Union. Some of the existing capacity for natural gas storage could also be used for climate-neutral gases in the future, making an important contribution to a flexible energy transition in the process. For example, up to 100 percent of the capacity of underground cavern storage facilities, which account for almost two-thirds of the volume of German gas storage facilities, could be used to store hydrogen. This means that in the future, electricity from wind and solar energy could be stored in the form of hydrogen, for example, to compensate for seasonal fluctu- ations in electricity generation and heating requirements. In addition, Germany already has a gas infrastructure comprising a 500,000 kilome- ter network. This infrastructure will be the basis for building a hydrogen economy that extends across sectors and national borders. Distribution networks, in particular, are of great importance here. The task now is to upgrade networks, storage systems and end devices to make them hydrogen-compatible. At the BDEW, we are advocating making use “Hydrogen is one of the keys to achieving climate neutrality in Germany. That is why it is now all the more important for the German government to promptly follow up its National Hydrogen Strategy with concrete action.” Kerstin Andreae has been chair of the exec- utive board of the German Association of Energy and Water Industries since November 1, 2019. The 53-year-old is also a mem- ber of the presidential council. The BDEW rep- resents the interests of more than 1900 companies, including major energy suppliers like RWE, E.ON., EnBW and Vattenfall. In 2002, Andreae became a member of the German Federal Parliament (Bun- destag) as a representative for Alliance 90/The Greens in Baden-Württemberg. She was a member of the Finance Committee until 2007 and the Greens’ spokesperson for economic policy until 2012. Until 2018, she was one of five deputy chairs of the Alli- ance 90/The Greens parlia- mentary group. She resigned from the German Federal Parliament before moving to the BDEW. Kerstin Andreae was born in Schramberg, a town in the Black Forest. She stud- ied in Freiburg and gradu- ated with a degree in eco- nomics. She is married and has two children. of the tried and tested regulatory framework for gas networks by integrating hydrogen networks within it. In addition to gas networks, pure hydrogen networks will also be required, for example, in industry. The first regulatory basis for this was created with the last amend- ment to the German Energy Industry Act (Energiewirtschaftsgesetz, EnWG). We also require a trading system for renewable and decarbonized gases such as hydrogen. The BDEW has put forward a con- crete proposal for this. From our perspective at the BDEW, an important element here will be a standardized source determination sys- tem that can be used by end consumers, as well as in industry and trade to clearly trace the sources of renewable and decarbonized gas. This way, consumers can make a trans- parent choice about what form they want to purchase these gases in (“clean choices”). Production for the market would take place in Europe initially, then shift to non-European supplier countries in the future. The urgent need to remove investment blockers Hydrogen should be produced in a way that is both climate-neutral and increasingly renewable, so that its high potential for cli- mate protection can be fully exploited. The energy industry has a central role to play here in supplying the green electricity that could produce a significant portion of our hydrogen requirements in the future. This green hydrogen could then make a major contribution to substantially reducing CO2 emissions. Expanding our use of renewable energy sources is a vital factor in enabling this. However, to achieve this expansion, we must remove the remaining investment blockers, and overcome obstacles to the use of wind and photovoltaic energy. After all, obstacles that hinder expansion in the field of renewable energies also hinder the pro- duction of renewable gases. As a beacon of hope for carbon-neutral energy production, hydrogen is also one of the keys to achieving a climate-neutral Germany by 2045. That is why it is now all the more important for the German government to promptly follow up its National Hydrogen Strategy with concrete action. 45 . W E D B / e d k e h t o t o h p / l e h c s t u r T s a m o h T : o t o h P

1 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine Research ISI in Karlsruhe conducted a study to determine when purchasing such a system would be worthwhile for cities. Spreading sewage sludge on fields was prohibited several years ago, due to con- tamination with pollutants. Some munic- ipalities have no choice but to pay high sums to dispose of it, at up to 150 euros per ton. However, if sewage sludge could be converted into hydrogen in the future, it would become a valuable commodity. A single ton of organic waste amounts to about 100 kilograms of hydrogen. Researchers from Fraunhofer ISI found that for medium-sized cities, the system is already worth the cost. A partic- ular strength of the BHYO system is that it can supply either hydrogen or gas mixtures, depend- ing on the particular mode of operation. In winter, the operators could concentrate on producing the gas mix- ture in order to supply combined heat and power units (CHP). In summer, they could switch provid- ing more hydrogen to fuel the municipal f leet. Martin Pudlik, a research fellow at Fraun- hofer ISI and professor at the Bingen Tech- nical University of Applied Sciences, says that this dual use means the systems pay for themselves very quickly. Depending on what’s needed, they can be installed as a module directly at CHPs or sewage treat- ment plants, allowing the sewage sludge to be used on site. Cities could then very easily switch from fossil fuels such as natural gas, fuel oil and diesel to renewable raw materials. It’s a pragmatic strategy, and it seems to be working. Bernhard Seyfang, Pudlik’s colleague at the university says: “We’ve only presented the system at a few conferences in the region, but municipal- ities are already banging down our doors here and at BHYO.” dioxide in the process. The fermented mass can then be converted to meth- ane through another fermentation process at a conventional biogas plant. The methane can also be converted to hydrogen and CO2. By contrast, wood and paper fibers are difficult to ferment in this way. They can be split into CO2 and hydrogen using a wood gasifier. “We contribute to reducing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, while also using plant residue to produce green hydrogen in the process.” Johannes Full, Fraunhofer IPA Purple bacteria are particularly efficient at producing hydrogen from fruit and dairy waste. Researchers at the University of Stuttgart have succeeded in modifying the bacte- rium in such a way that it hardly requires light. Together with Fraunhofer IPA, they a re i nves t igat i ng financially v iable methods of producing hydrogen with purple bacteria on a larger scale in the future. As part of the H2Wood project, the team at F r a u n h o f e r I PA , together w ith the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engi- neering and Biotech- nology IGB, is also exploring how microbes can break down wood waste from the Black Forest to form hydrogen, CO2 and other valuable molecules for the chemical industry in an economic way. Solving problems for cities Hydrogen or valuable gas mixtures can also be obtained from municipal organic waste and sewage sludge with the help of a pyrolysis plant. They could then be used to operate combined heat and power units or the municipal fleet. On behalf of the hydrogen systems manufacturer BHYO, the Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation t n a h c s a B a n G i : o t o h P 47

1 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine S ugar: For most of us, it’s an indulgent treat that causes love handles and tooth decay. Dr. Ruben R. Rosencrantz has a different perspective. He is head of the Biofunctionalized Materials and (Glyco) Biotechnology department at the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research IAP, located in the Potsdam Sci- ence Park, and finds sugar quite simply fascinating. “The body’s own sugars form the sub- stance that keeps the joints and eyes as supple as they are. These sugars line the trachea and lungs to keep germs out.” For more than three years, Dr. Rosencrantz coordinated a project to develop a sug- ar-coated contact lens that could help treat eye diseases. Eye drops are commonly used to treat irritated and inflamed eyes. However, fluids from tears wash out the drugs so quickly that only around 5 percent of the active agent reaches the area suffering from pain or inflammation. This means that treatments often take a long time. That is why Dr. Rosencrantz and his German-Is- raeli research team have developed ther- apeutic contact lenses, an alternative method that is better equipped apply drugs to the eye. Active agents are chemically bound to the surface of the lens and released gradually. As a result, the eye receives a continuous supply of medicine. Lubricating lenses with sugar Dr. Rosencrantz is an expert on sugar molecules, the key ingredient of the therapeutic contact lenses. Together with researchers from the Israel-based Weizmann Institute of Science, Dr. Rosen- crantz had the idea of coating the thera- peutic contact lenses with sugar molecules to allow for active agents to be embedded in the lenses. It also ensures that the lenses are highly lubricated and do not place an additional strain on irritated eyes. The team chose liposomes to carry their active agents. These microbubbles consist of a fatty shell that can encapsulate liquids. Liposomes have already been used for a number of years to transport active agents. Most recently, they have been used to carry mRNA vaccines into the body to protect against the coronavirus and other pathogens. The German-Israeli team has succeeded in finding suitable sugar molecules known as glycopolymers, which are very good at binding the liposomes. The challenge is to create a bond strong enough for the lipo- somes to securely adhere to the coating on the contact lens, but weak enough that they can gradually detach from the lens and spread throughout the eye. Surflay Nanotec, a Berlin-based com- pany that, among other things, specializes in applying molecules to surfaces, was also part of the research team. The Berlin scientists applied the glycopolymers to the contact lenses layer by layer, while simultaneously embedding the liposomes in the matrix. The project group was supported by the Israeli company EyeYon Medical, which manufactures individually customized contact lenses. What’s more, EyeYon Medical already has plenty of practice in using contact lenses to admin- ister medicines. These contact lenses are equipped with small holes to which the liquid adheres for a while. “The contact lenses previously ensured that the active agent had a dwell time of around 20 minutes,” says Dr. Rosen- crantz. “That’s a longer period than you achieve by dropping the liquid directly into the eye. However, we wanted to go much further.” And they’ve succeeded in doing so. Initial tests have shown that contact lenses coated with glycopolymers can release active agents across a period of several hours. “We have now gathered all the elements needed for a future product: the contact lenses, the glycopolymers and the lipo- somes,” says Dr. Rosencrantz in summary. The project has since ended, but the team still has work to do: They are now carrying out biological tests in collaboration with the Rostock university hospital. Because therapeutic contact lenses are a future medical product, they must go through the mandatory clinical studies in order to be approved. At the moment, the team is carrying out tests to determine how well the eye tissue will tolerate the lenses in the long term. “There shouldn’t be any complications, since we’ve chosen a very natural substance for the coating, namely the glycopolymers,” explains Dr. Rosen- crantz. The importance of sugar in communication Glycopolymers have a lot of potential. Cells in tissue groups recognize each other based on the sugar molecules on their surface, meaning that these molecules play an important role in cell communi- cation. This sugar structure transforms in cancerous cells, as the cells slip out of the cell group and metastasize in the body. That is why research on sugar structures can contribute to developing medicines to fight cancer. Dr. Rosencrantz’s group at Fraunhofer IAP has already taken advantage of the fact that pathogens and germs adhere very easily to glycopolymers: The team uses glycopolymers to encase small particles, which, in the future, could be administered as a spray to remove germs from the respi- ratory tract. Because the germs bind easily to glycopolymers, it is possible that the particles could actually pull them out of the lung tissue. The loaded particles could then be removed from the respiratory tract when the patient clears their throat and coughs up mucus. But Dr. Rosencrantz isn’t just thinking in terms of medicine. He also has the mass market in mind, in the truest sense of the word: “People who wear contact lenses often complain about eye irritation,” says the researcher. “With a sugar coating, their lenses could be significantly more com- fortable to wear.” s e g a m i s u i t i r u a m / e e L y n o h t n A : s o t o h P 49

1 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine facility supply the neighboring residential district with heat in the future? Using this model as a basis, the team develops operating strategies that could achieve different goals depending on what the operator wanted — such as the lowest possible CO2 emissions, for example, or a high level of self-sufficiency. Fraunhofer UMSICHT is also planning to develop business models. What’s more, the results from the mathematical modeling will be built into the monitoring system and real-time control system for the facilities. The dirt may still be fresh on the shovels from the ground-breaking ceremony, but the new terminal is already considered a test site and model for cli- mate-neutral inland harbors all over the world. “The container terminal will act as a foundation where we can build many other projects — like supplying the surrounding districts or other terminals with energy and heat, producing hydrogen in the harbor area or setting up a hydrogen fueling station at the harbor,” relates Grevé. Plans for these satellite projects include a hydrogen-powered switcher. Until now, switchers have always had diesel engines, as overhead wiring for electric vehicles would get in the way in harbor environments. Now, the climate-neutral terminal is becoming both the anchor and the foundation for the transformation of Duisburg’s entire harbor. And what’s more, this model will serve as an example for other inland harbors; its effects will be felt far beyond the boundaries of Duisburg harbor. The terminal requires as much energy as 1000 family homes. This is what 240,000 square meters looks like. The illustration gives some idea of the sheer scale of the Duisburg Gateway Terminal. 51

1 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine Every day, individual sections of the autobahn must bear axial loads of more than 200,000 tons. 30 % of all autobahn bridges were in a condition deemed adequate or worse in a 2021 assessment. 60 % of bridges on German highways are between 35 and 60 years old. Starting this year, Autobahn GmbH aims to annually renovate at least 400 bridges, up from 200. 53 a p d / l e k r o F t s u g u A : o t o h P

1 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine 60 viaducts on the A45 alone will have to be renovated due to their advanced age, including the 55-year-old Rinsdorf viaduct and 53-year- old Rahmede viaduct in North Rhine- Westphalia. — For more information, see: https://s.fhg.de/izfp 55 500 meters long and 70 meters high, the Rinsdorf viaduct on the A45 imploded on February 6, just as planned — right down to the centimeter level. Under no circumstances could the demolition be allowed to damage the first part of the new bridge, which stood directly alongside. the sensors can be read on site by means of wire- less transmission to a cellphone or automatic transfer to a cloud. An initial subcomponent of the system has already been developed and is currently undergoing testing. Having been responsible for bridge planning, construction and operation since the start of 2021, Carsten Chassard of Auto- bahn GmbH des Bundes would also welcome a sensor system that could serve as an additional tool for structural monitoring and sustainable maintenance. The civil engi- neer, who heads up the a u t o b a h n c o m p a n y ’s Neunkirchen branch, looks after a 334 kilometer auto- bahn route network with 527 bridges. He also has a tale of woe to tell when it comes to corroded reinforcement steel and cracked concrete structures. However, his hope is that continuous monitoring will make it possi- ble to take more targeted action at an earlier stage. “But the measurement program will always have to be adapted to each specific bridge and its unique static characteristics.” And it’s important to take the findings of structural inspections, any damage that has already been identified and the characteristic weaknesses of various bridge types into account in the process. Crucial variables such as traffic impact and air and structure temperature must also be measured. Without them, the data cannot be classified and correctly interpreted. Above all, the sensors have to be installed at the points that experience the greatest level of stress. These must be cal- culated individually for each bridge. “We don’t have any standard ‘construction kit’ bridges in Germany. Placing a sensor at a point where nothing happens is a waste of time,” cautions Prof. Krieger. However, he adds that continuous monitoring of every single problematic element is not a realistic option. Instead, experts will have to choose representative objects and apply the results to similar bridges and structural elements — to avoid closures like Lüdenscheid and the accompanying financial losses, which reach well into the millions. “Our current traffic situation is incompatible with old bridges.” Prof. Jürgen Krieger, German Federal Highway Research Institute (BASt) k r e w r e d l i b s a d / r e s u ä h l l e B e w U , s e g a m I - r e v o C / s e g a m i o g a m i : s o t o h P

1 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine T wo experts, one development, two points of view: “In the coming five to ten years at the latest, there won’t be a single business in the B2B sector that isn’t using blockchain technology.” There’s a touch of euphoria to this firm pronouncement by Prof. Michael Henke. By contrast, according to Prof. Wolfgang Prinz, “Far too many promises were made in the past; nowadays, when it comes to the practical implementation of blockchain, we tend to focus much more on the obvious, low-hanging fruit.” For example, block- chain could be used as a reliable means of verifying the origin of medicines or food and checking whether refrigeration was provided throughout transportation. Prof. Henke is director of the Fraun- hofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics IML in Dortmund, while Prof. Prinz is deputy director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Information Tech- nology FI T in Birlinghoven, North Rhine-Westphalia. Both institutes have been working closely together in this field for many years. Blockchain has had a turbulent past. The concept of a decentralized system for breaking down data into blocks, interlink- ing them and encrypting them cryp- tographically was first written about in the public domain in 2008 under the pseudonym of Satoshi Nakamoto. To date, it is unclear if the name refers to a single person or a group of people. What is clear, however, is that the hype surrounding blockchain, bitcoin and smart contracts started there. Fraunhofer IML and FIT have been working on this topic since 2015. In 2017, the first Fraunhofer position paper dedicated to research questions and poten- tial applications of this technology was published. T I F r e f o h n u a r F , L M I r e f o h n u a r F , a p d / i n i r a b m a G o c i r e d e F : s o t o h P For Fraunhofer, the living lab for blockchain technology in Hürth near Cologne has become a core element of its blockchain strategy in North Rhine-West- phalia. The film studio, where Hans Meiser and Ilona Christen once hosted talk shows, is being converted into a blockchain envi- ronment. “The idea is that interested parties can come to us to learn about blockchain. We use various demos to Prinz. “The drivers of the tank vehicles receive digital certificates, which are verified on a mobile device, for example, by scanning a QR code. This provides tamper-proof evidence that the tank has not only been cleaned, but also that the cleaning has been checked.” Prof. Prinz’s team presents examples such as these in the living lab and uses demos to explain to interested parties how Prof. Michael Henke, Director of Fraunhofer IML Prof. Wolfgang Prinz, Deputy Director of Fraunhofer FIT explain the use and benefits of the tech- nology”, explains Prof. Prinz, who heads up the living lab. “It goes without saying that the visitor pass is also on a block- chain.” The project, which has received five million euros in funding from the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, is designed to drive structural transformation in the Rhineland mining region following the phasing out of coal — and has long since reached the application stage. The experts at the living lab help companies in the region to familiarize themselves with the technology, show them possible applica- tions and work with them to develop ideas for new digital services. Prototypes for initial use cases have already been imple- mented with a local logistics service provider specializing in the transport of chemicals. For safety reasons, the cleaning of the company’s tank vehicles must be carefully documented. Paper documen- tation seemed too unreliable to the man- aging director. “So we quickly arrived at a blockchain solution,” according to Prof. data is stored on a blockchain. In the future, each step of a process, along with all of the associated data and documents, can be securely and irreversibly recorded on the blockchain, making it ideal for numerous applications, such as tamper-proof certif- icates of origin, internal company docu- mentation or international trade. “Not everyone needs to understand exactly how blockchains work”, says Prof. Prinz. “Hardly anyone knows how the gears of a car work, and yet everybody uses them.” While manual transmission will become less important in the years ahead due to electromobility, Profs. Henke and Prinz are certain that the future belongs to blockchain, especially when it comes to transaction-based businesses. Prof. Henke cites the electronic waybill and customs documents as examples. “A dig- ital blockchain-based folder will replace paper documents, making customs trans- actions, for example, not only more secure and transparent, but also more sustainable due to the savings in paper.” 57

1 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine DNA or cfDNA for short. It consists of a variety of DNA fragments released by cells that have died or been destroyed by the immune system. These fragments then circulate in the blood stream for a short period of time. Cell-free DNA can be iso- lated from the blood and sequenced over- night using commercially standard high-throughput techniques. “We analyze up to 30 million different DNA fragments in a single blood sample. Then we use bioinformatic methods to compare each individual fragment with known sequences from publicly accessible databases,” explains Dr. Sohn. In the process, they discovered that 95 to 99 percent of the cfDNA comes from the patients themselves. The remaining 1 to 5 percent is of non-hu- man origin, meaning that it has to come from a germ or germs. “We take these fragments too and compare them one by one to reference genomes from the data- bases,” the researcher recounts. “Then at the end, we can say what microorganism we’re dealing with. And what’s more, we know what quantities of it are there. From that, we can deduce how relevant they are for the infection and the sepsis — and work out what medications can be used to fight them most effectively.” An additional benefit of this approach is that the number of cfDNA fragments in the blood is generally many times higher than the number of intact microbes that are needed for cultivation in incubators. What’s more, it’s easy to multiply even tiny amounts of nucleic acid. As a result, the chances of identifying the cause of the patient’s sepsis with a much greater degree of reliability are good. Dr. Sohn tested his method on more than 250 blood samples from 48 patients at Heidelberg University Hospital — and confirmed that it works. The standard diagnostic procedure could only identify specific bacteria in 29 blood samples. Meanwhile, the Fraunhofer team succeeded in pinpointing the relevant pathogen in 169 samples using cfDNA. “This means our process is at least five times more sensitive than the conven- tional method, and also much quicker,” concludes the biologist. All the patients involved in the study were treated with broad-spectrum antibi- otics as quickly as possible, in line with good medical practice. However, if a diag- nosis had been made based on cfDNA, more than half of them would have been able to receive more specific — meaning more effective — medications. The team are currently conducting comparative testing on the method using samples from 500 patients suffering from sepsis and 50 healthy test subjects at 20 German uni- versity hospitals. This elaborate, multi- centric study and another research project at the university hospitals of Essen and out. “We cover the entire process, offering a one-stop shop for everything from sam- pling and processing to analyzing and interpreting the nucleic acids in question. This allows for extremely high levels of speed and efficiency.” Sepsis diagnostics is just one of many fields that call for quick, accurate identification of nucleic acids. Unknown germs can attack a wide variety of tissues and organs, so their DNA not only circulates in the bloodstream, but in other bodily fluids as well, such as in the joints and the brain. One in four patients lose the race against time. Heidelberg have been funded by the Diet- mar Hopp Foundation (Dietmar Hopp Stiftung). “There, we hope to test our improved diagnostic process with severely ill newborn and premature babies and small children. Because in addition to the elderly, sepsis primarily affects the very young,” explains Dr. Sohn. In the future, the team intends to use nanopore DNA sequencing to analyze DNA molecules of any length in real time. Even today, con- ventional high-throughput sequencers can process all the cfDNA in a sample in just 16 hours. When you add in the subsequent data analysis step, that means you can make a diagnosis within 24 hours. “But there’s room to improve here, too, when it comes to treating sepsis,” emphasizes Dr. Sohn. He has ambitious goals: “Our aim is to use nanopore technology to cut this timeframe down to six to eight hours — that is, the duration of a hospital shift.” In addition to research labs, quite a number of university hospitals are now equipped with high-throughput sequenc- ers. The key thing is knowing the right way to prepare each sample in order to filter out the relevant information for a medical diagnosis out of the massive quantities of sequencing data. “This is exactly where our area of expertise lies,” Dr. Sohn points Even for diseases that are not caused by foreign pathogens, DNA analysis can prove useful. Dr. Sohn describes how it could be brought to bear in tumor diagnostics: “With patients experiencing painful symp- toms relating to the pancreas, you always have to ask yourself: is that pancreatic cancer or just inflammation? The latter can be treated with medication. But if it’s a tumor, that has to be removed completely at the earliest stage possible. Otherwise, the patient’s chances of survival will be slim.” At present, the only way to shed any light on the situation is to take a tissue sample from the patient, but that requires a biopsy. In the future, Dr. Sohn believes it will be possible to replace this unpleasant and possibly risky surgical intervention with a blood sample analysis. The Fraunhofer IGB team is collabo- rating with the Universitätsklinikum Erlangen university hospital and a Swiss bioinformatics company to look for suitable biomarkers. “We isolate the cfDNA of patients with pancreas problems and check what sections have undergone chemical alterations. These epigenetic signatures tell us whether a gene is active or turned off. If a tumor is developing, certain genes will be shut down, while the activity of other genes will change in the case of inflammation. By comparing the samples with healthy people, we can identify sig- natures that allow us to make a conclusive diagnosis. And we already have some very promising candidates,” reveals Dr. Sohn. He has a clear vision for the future. “When a pancreatic patient comes into a hospital, we want to be able to tell them what’s going on straight away. A test that delivers quick, unambiguous results could save lives.” 59 e n i l n O 1 F / s e k o o r B w e r d n A / e c r u o S : o t o h P

1 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine FIRST prize: Dr. Markus Feifel, Fraunhofer ISE Solar power from small spaces High-efficiency III-V multi-junction solar cells on silicon Dr. Markus Feifel is playing an active role in the energy transition. “It’s very satisfying to conduct research in an area that can offer significant added value for humanity in the near future,” says the young physicist. Dr. Markus Feifel F or his dissertation on high-ef- ficiency III-V multi-junction solar cells on silicon at the F r au n hofer I n s t it ut e for Solar Energy Systems ISE, Dr. Feifel developed a high-powered, complex, III-V solar cell structure based on a silicon substrate that has already broken multiple efficiency records. The results of his research earned him first place in the Hugo Geiger Prize 2021. “This award is the best form of recognition I could receive for the work, time and even stress that have gone into this dissertation over the years,” says Dr. Feifel. Smartphones beep, servers hum and machines rattle away in factories. Without electricity, our modern world would col- lapse. But energy comes with a price — and not just a financial one. The energy sector still produces a major portion of global CO2 emissions. The political will to expand our use of renewable energy has never been greater — and the need has never been more dire. “Renewable energy frees us from dependencies. That makes renewable energy a kind of freedom,” announced Christian Lindner, the German Minister of Finance on February 27, 2022, at a spe- cial sitting of the German Federal Parlia- ment (Bundestag) on the war in Ukraine. But with a lack of suitable locations and efficiency rates of existing technologies stretched to the utmost, the options are limited. Dr. Markus Feifel set out to tackle this problem by developing a new kind of solar cell. “In conventional silicon solar cells, you just use an absorber material to convert the sunlight into electrical power,” explains Dr. Feifel. Silicon is the sec- ond-most common element in the earth’s crust and the market for it is well devel- oped. But at the moment, silicon cells only reach an efficiency rate of up to 24 percent in production. “The goal is to produce significantly more power with a compa- rable cost level and using the same surface area, while also opening up the possibility of producing solar energy in small spaces where it’s currently not viable, such as in the automotive field,” relates Dr. Feifel. Tandem photovoltaic cells offer a possible solution to this problem. These cells con- sist of multiple absorber layers stacked one on top of another, so that they can take in a greater spectrum of sunlight. The sub-components of the cells are mere micrometers thick and only harness the wavelengths of light that they can convert into electricity with a comparatively low level of loss. The technology exists and III-V multi-junction solar cells are already reaching efficiency levels of up to 39.2 percent. Previously, instead of silicon, multi-junction solar cells were exclusively based on III-V compound semiconductors, a combination of materials from Group III (earth metals/boron group) and Group V (nitrogen family) of the periodic table, which are much rarer than silicon. This makes III-V semiconductors too expen- sive for conventional flat solar modules, so they are used almost exclusively in space technology. Dr. Feifel’s solution combines the best of both technologies. “In my silicon-substrate-based III-V solar cell structures, two III-V sub-components are ‘grown’ directly on a cheap silicon sub- strate by means of epitaxy,” says Dr. Feifel. The big challenge with this combination is that silicon and gallium phosphide, the first III-V semiconductor grown in this way, have differing lattice structures. “This causes defects in the crystals, which drastically reduce performance,” Dr. Feifel explains. He started with an efficiency rate of only 19.7 percent as a result. Detect- ing the defects was an arduous process, but the breakthrough came when he tried detecting and analyzing the defects with electron channeling contrast imaging (ECCI) — the first time the method had been applied with this material system. “Previously, this method had primarily been used with metals and it can ana- lyze a much larger area at one time.” Dr. Feifel then came across a particular type of defect and was able to adjust the III-V growth conditions accordingly. “Markus Feifel has successfully increased the efficiency rate of silicon-sub- strate-based solar cells from 19.7 to 25.9 percent, a major technological advance- ment,” says Prof. Andreas Bett, Director of Fraunhofer ISE. “We certainly still have some way to go with improving the mate- rials and processes before the results can be transferred to industrial production. But his dissertation has laid the founda- tions for this development.” — Read on for second and third prize r e p p e u D h p o t s i r h C / r e f o h n u a r F : s o t o h P 61

1 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine “We still can’t mechanically detect and analyze smells with machines as precisely as we can with visual appearance and mechanical properties.” Prof. Andrea Büttner, Director of Fraunhofer IVV Dr. Miriam Strangl analyzes odor contamination. dations for the development of targeted, innovative decontamination solutions focused especially on smell minimiza- tion. “That brings us another step closer to sustainable closed-loop recycling.” But as consumers, we must also literally learn to see further than the end of our own noses. “We basically need to reflect on whether we actually need so many odorous sub- stances in our products. That would allow us to cut off at least part of the problem at the root.” For Dr. Strangl, receiving second place in the Hugo Geiger Prize 2021 is more than just an honor. “That shows me that the massive importance of this issue has been recognized. Because it’s not just about being aware the smell issue — there are other contaminants that need to be elim- inated as well. For everyone involved in the value chain, it’s becoming ever clearer that we have to tackle the question of a circular plastics economy in a holistic, interdisciplinary way, in order to sustain- ably conserve resources.” e n i l i o d u t S : s : o s t o o t h o P F Fighting for sustainability in lab work: “For everyone involved, it’s becoming ever clearer that we have to tackle the question of a circular economy in a holistic way.” Dr. Miriam Strangl 63

1 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine I n her dissertation on real-time assessment of multidimen- sional user states for adaptive human-computer interaction at the Fraunhofer Institute for Communi- cation, Information Processing and Ergo- nomics FKIE, Dr. Jessica Schwarz devel- oped RASMUS, a diagnostic framework for user states. As the framework enables multidimensional, and consequently holistic detection and evaluation of mental states and influencing factors affecting workers even as they are working on their tasks, it forms a basis for tailored adaptation strategies. Now, Dr. Schwarz has won third place in the Hugo Geiger Prize 2021 for the results of her work. The digital transformation is turn- ing the working world upside down, and bringing both new possibilities and new challenges in its wake. As an intersection point between the digital and the personal, adap- tive human-computer interaction represents an opportunity to offer people the optimal support from their machines in their work. Dr. Schwarz, who has recently taken over leadership of the Human Factors Analysis research group in the Human Systems Engineering department at Fraunhofer FKIE, very consciously focuses on that goal in her research. “As a psychologist, I predominantly concentrate on human factors in the area of human-computer interaction,” she explains. This is why her work is focused on human-centered design. “The technology must support the people, not the other way around.” But adaptively adjusting technical systems to suit people requires continuous detection of the user’s mental condition. Because what the researchers call critical user states are often at the root of accidents E I K F r e f o h n u a r F : s o t o h P in safety critical human-machine systems, for example, in the automotive and aviation sectors. “The crash involving an Air France aircraft in 2009, which resulted in the death of all onboard, is a particularly tragic example,” Dr. Schwarz comments. “The pilots were caught off guard when the autopilot failed and did not have sufficient support from the technical systems to overcome their extreme emotional strain “She uses performance breakdowns to trigger the technical adaptation process. Then she attempts to determine the cause of the decrease in performance quality based on physiological and behavioral metrics.” Prof. Gerhard Rinkenauer, IfADo and inaccurate situational awareness in time.” These human performance break- downs form the exact jumping-off point for Dr. Schwarz’s research. Previous efforts mainly focused on determining the need for adaption based on critical changes in physiological metrics, but she is trying a different approach. “She uses performance breakdowns to trigger the technical adap- tation process. Then she attempts to deter- mine the cause of the decrease in perfor- mance quality based on physiological and behavioral metrics,” clarifies her disser- tation advisor, Prof. Gerhard Rinkenauer, who is also principle investigator for Human Machine Interaction at the Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors (IfADo) in TU Dortu- mund University. In her dissertation, Dr. Schwarz devel- oped the multidimensional real-time diagnostic framework RASMUS for optimal user-state detection. Her holistic diagnostic approach takes into account both the interaction between different dimensions of the user state, such as tiredness, distraction and situational awareness, and external influencing factors. Based on her findings, the technology can offer tai- lored support without counteracting the user’s productive self-regulation strategies. “Based on this holistic state detection process, the adaptive system can select highly targeted strategies to restore human performance capac- ity,” says Dr. Schwarz. The adaptation strategies include concrete assistance in the form of visual or auditory instructions or even reduction of the stress, with the technology taking over certain aspects of the task. Dr. Schwarz’s colleague, Sven Fuchs used her real-time diagnostic framework to develop this dynamic adaptation management process further in his own dissertation. “Together, we have created a functional adaptive system that’s ready for application,” Dr. Schwarz affirms. “I’m very pleased and honored to receive such an award for working in psychology and ergonomics, a rather unusual research field for the Fraun- hofer-Gesellschaft,” she adds. “It’s a won- derful show of appreciation, particularly for the field of ergonomics.” 65

The electron synchrotron in Grenoble has a circumference of around a kilometer. Within the concrete ring, electrons circulate at 99.99 percent of the speed of light. The X-ray detector can produce resolutions of 0.025 millimeters for large objects, an unparalleled achievement. hours a day, seven days a week. The enor- mous energy of these electrons is used to generate X-rays. The storage ring has around 50 units that act as a source of X-rays. At these units, the rays enter straight tubes, known as beamlines, and set at a tangent to the ring, where they can then be used for a wide variety of experi- mental purposes. Setting new standards for industrial CT “When renovating the electron storage ring, the ESRF also built new beamlines. This included the BM18 beamline, which g r o . i c i d e u v / F R S E : o t o h P 1 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine we are converting into a unique industrial CT facility,” recounts Prof. Zabler. He is an established expert in synchrotron imag- ing, having completed his master’s and doctoral dissertations in Grenoble more than 20 years ago. “In conjunction with the University of Passau and the Univer- sity of Würzburg, Fraunhofer is setting out to develop detection technology and data processing techniques, while the ESRF constructs the remaining hardware,” the physicist reports. The BMBF is contribut- ing 6.3 million euros in funding for the collaborative project. In the BM18 beamline, the X-rays generated by the electron storage ring must travel 200 meters through a vacuum tube before they reach the enormous experiment room. Here, they hit the test object, which turns on a podium and is scanned in stages. After passing through the object, the X-rays hit the detector, positioned up to 40 meters away. “The great length of the distance between the objects, the X-ray source and the detector allows us to obtain sharp images with exceptional phase contrast,” Prof. Zabler enthuses. To record these images, the Development Center X-ray Technology EZRT at Fraunhofer IIS devel- oped an X-ray detector that has set new standards. It can produce resolutions of 0.025 millimeters for large objects, an unparalleled achievement. The X-ray cameras generate enormous volumes of data. “When operating at full capacity, we produce two gigabytes of tomography data per second,” says Prof. Zabler. To handle this deluge of data, the Development Center X-ray Technology EZRT is working with Prof. Tomas Sauer in Passau and Prof. Randolf Hanke in Würzburg and their respective faculties. The first step here involves reconstructing a 3D image of the object from the individ- ual scan data. “If we were just to store the raw data on the ESRF’s servers, we would use up this massive research institution’s entire storage capacity within a month,” Prof. Zabler points out. That’s why the project team is working on visually lossless com- pression for the image data. The enormous 3D images are compressed in such a way that any section of the image can be decom- pressed and viewed on a laptop in real-time. Official commencement of measuring operations set for December Although the project was impacted by the pandemic right after its start in early 2020, the first test measurements were conducted toward the end of 2021. To showcase the incredibly sharp level of detail achieved in the scans, the team has already released images of a smart- phone. More sample scans will follow in the course of the year, before measuring operations commence for industry cus- tomers in December. “With our set-up in Grenoble, we can carry out tests in just a few hours that would take a week in a lab CT facility — and produce better qual- ity too,” reveals Prof. Zabler. “Naturally, Fraunhofer is taking on the task of imple- menting the complete measuring process.” One eighth of BM18’s beam time will be set aside for industry customers. The remaining time will be available for sci- entific experimentation. However, the number of researchers that have applied for beam time allotments already signifi- cantly exceeds availability. An independent jury is selecting the successful applicants. One project has already received approval: the Human Organ Atlas. This project will take human organs from hospital pathol- ogy departments, scan them with incred- ible precision and make the images avail- able to the general public. The project team has already produced some initial scans at another beamline. The most fascinating thing about the images is that it’s possible to zoom in on the organs, all the way to the cell structure level. Soon, the interna- tional team hopes to use the BM18 to scan the torso of a deceased person in 3D so they can provide the world with a unique 3D atlas of anatomy. — For more information, see: https://s.fhg.de/x-ray 67

EUROPE Quicker charging with smart sensors Acoustic-mechanical and thermal sensors enable optimized adjustments to charging and draining cycles. vidual components have been com- bined to form one innovative monitor- ing system that unlocks previously unexploited reserves in battery man- agement. The result is a reduction in charging times of up to 20 percent, without any impact on the reliability or service life of the battery. Fraunhofer ISC is primarily working on developing sensors for monitoring the battery cells. The data from the sen- sors is transmitted to the battery man- agement system, allowing for optimal, status-dependent charging and drain- ing. Defects and negative influences on the battery service life and perfor- mance are detected at an early stage. From smartphones to e-vehicles: The EU research project SPARTACUS aims to achieve quicker charging for lithi- um-ion batteries, as well as extended range and service life. Researchers have now taken a major step toward this goal. With the Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research ISC at the helm of the project, the participants devel- oped new types of sensor and models for predicting battery status and opti- mal charging control. Now these indi- CHILE Eco-friendly insulation Researchers from the Fraunhofer Insti- tute for Wood Research Wilhelm-Klau- ditz-Institut WKI have taken plant waste from the Chilean agriculture, forestry and lumber sectors and cre- ated insulating materials for residential construction. Working in close collabo- ration with Chilean industry partners, the team successfully manufactured an environmentally and climate friendly alternative to the mineral- and petro- leum-based products the construction industry had commonly used in the past. Insulation made from renewable raw materials has yet to become widely established in Chile. The researchers mostly used grasses and So far, plant waste has hardly been used in Chile. wheat and oat straw. These can be made into sustainable insulation that not only conserves heat but also com- plies with soundproofing and fire pro- tection standards. These innovative construction materials bind CO2 from the atmo- sphere and can also be reused as a raw material for a wide range of consumer goods, such as thin molded parts in the automotive industry. At the end of the value chain, the plant-based fibers can be burned or composted. 1 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine As though lost in a thick fog — dementia patients can often be cut off from the world. EUROPE Hot on dementia’s trail The objective of the EU research proj- ect DEBBIE is to reliably detect Alzhei- mer’s disease at an early stage. In many cases, the disease is only discov- ered when clear clinical symptoms appear. But by that point, the incur- able brain disorder is already quite advanced and the nerve damage is irreversible. Researchers at the Fraun- hofer Institute for Digital Medicine MEVIS are developing a new control software, known as a measurement sequence, that allows doctors to con- duct detailed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) processes and makes pathological alterations visible at an earlier stage. The software gives MRI scanners the ability to map changes in the blood-brain barrier (BBB) with a high level of precision, without any need for contrast agents that could potentially harm patients. If the BBB is impaired, harmful substances can pass into brain cells or damage or change the tissue before the first symptoms of Alzhei- mer’s disease appear. If treatment begins at that point, the patient’s memory capacity can be preserved for longer. Side effects of the illness, such as disorientation and the breakdown of speech or perception could then most likely be alleviated. 69 o t o h p k c o t s i / o a z a r F o v a t s u G , l h s a p s n U / o i l l o P o n a f e t S , e n i l n O 1 F / y s k c o t S e d e b / a r i i e d r e C s i u L , s n a S í t r a M , a p d / o t o f t s o C / g n a G g n a W : s o t o h P

1 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine From algae to synthetic fiber The AlgaeTex project will now focus on the manufacture of various biopolymers for textile fibers made from algae fatty acids and the widespread application of these biopolymers in the textile industry. “In terms of a sustainable circular economy, algae are a really suitable raw material,” says Brinitzer. “They not only recycle CO2, algae by-products from the processing step such as proteins can also be reused in other industries.” When preparing the algae, and right throughout the process chain, the research team consistently focuses on green chemistry principles such as waste prevention and less haz- ardous chemical syntheses. This is also important for Adidas AG, which puts each step in the process to the test in terms of sustainability. Producing fashionable items of cloth- ing from microscopic green cell “factories” is the result of closely coordinated team work. First, Fraunhofer IGB cultivates the microalgae in photobioreactors. By limit- ing the supply of nitrogen, the algae can produce greater quantities of the required fatty acids, which can reach up to 50 per- cent of the biomass. Once extracted via pressure, heat and green chemicals, the fatty acids are ready for use as source materials for the manufacture of polymers. In the next process step, a team based at the University of Bayreuth develops poly- amides and polyester suitable for spinning. Another team at the Institute of Textile Technology at RWTH Aachen University then spins the generated biopolymers into synthetic fibers via melt spinning. Finally, in conjunction with Adidas AG, they assess whether the materials can be processed to form a woven textile. Yield increased ten fold by LED light In previous experiences of open-air algae cultivation using natural sunlight, yield was a key issue. Fraunhofer IGB are therefore testing the use of LED light and a new stack-based photobioreactor, and the results are already promising. Flat- panel bioreactors providing a volume of up to 250 liters are closely packed in alongside each other over an area of one square meter. “With this system, artificial light can increase yield by a factor of 10. In contrast to natural sunlight, which is very volatile, artificial light illuminates the bioreactor continuously, which means the algae can continue to photosynthesize around the clock,” explains Dr. Schmid- Staiger. The researchers ensure that the resulting increase in energy required is met through renewable energies. Because of the extremely compact design, artificial light allows the same quantity of biomass to be produced from a few square meters as an entire hectare under natural sun- light. As part of the AlgaeTex project, the partners are also involved in the Biotex- future innovation space — an initiative funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), aimed at opening up new sustainable sources of raw materials for the textile industry. For now, the process is restricted to laboratory scale. The goal is to provide approximately 20 kilos of algae biomass for further pro- cessing by early summer 2022. This will allow the production of a textile prototype in which biopolymer accounts for 50 per- cent of the textile initially, with this pro- portion increasing even further over time. In theory, algae fibers can be used to produce any kind of textile. In terms of appearance, haptics and function, bio- based materials provide the same benefits as their regular petroleum-based cousins. With the added benefit of easing the wear- er’s environmental conscience. “With this system, artificial light can increase yield by a factor of 10.” Dr. Ulrike Schmid-Staiger, Fraunhofer IGB The microalgae chlorella vulgaris forms fatty acids that can be used to produce biopolymers for textile fibers. Algae fibers will soon be able to compete as a sustainable alternative to chemical fibers — with no impact on quality, optics or function. 71 E R U T U F X E T O B I , k c o t s r e t t u h s / m u h c g n o h K i t i n k o h C : s o t o h P

1 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine The earlier it is detected and treated, the better the chances of it being cured. Anyone with a large number of skin moles should examine their bodies carefully. When checking a mole, it can be helpful to apply the ABCDE rule which focuses on characteristics such as the asymmetry, border, color, diameter and evolving nature of the mole. team as essentially a technical partner, hopes to develop a system that delivers really meaningful results. It’s not just about using AI to detect cancer risk, it’s about being able to explain the result. According to Dr. Lapuschkin, the AI can be viewed as a black box that is fed large volumes of data; it then uses this data to learn inde- pendently and to define rules based on what it has learned. But there is no way of knowing why it reaches these conclusions. For the XAI team, the task is simply to lift the lid on the AI’s decision-making process. Before it can conduct its analysis, the AI must be read and process the data, extract various characteristics and make countless decisions. “We need information about all of these partial decisions, so we can question and understand them,” says Dr. Lapuschkin. If the AI draws the wrong conclusion from a series of images of a cancer patient with lots of body hair, for example, the researchers must be able to respond. “If we know that the correlation between hair indicators and a positive diagnosis is too strong, we can take this into account in the next AI training pro- cess,” Dr. Lapuschkin explains. Researchers at Fraunhofer HHI must find out which internal features are respon- sible for this error behavior, and then remove or suppress these features so the AI can work in a way that is reliable and safe. “Our role is to ensure a new level of explainability,” says Dr. Lapuschkin. The physician still has responsibility for the final diagnosis. And if the system interprets a patient’s tattoo as skin cancer, it must be possible to demonstrate that this is what has happened. The researchers aim to manufacture the full body scanner on a large scale, so that as much data as possi- ble can be collected. The more the AI knows, the less likely the possibility of erroneous conclusions. The models are still trained using skin cancer images in databases as currently the scanner is not able to capture images. This will be possible at a later stage, and will incorporate the use of special fluid lens cameras. Based on two immiscible liquids that refract light differently, the lens in these cameras produce unprecedented image quality. They are capable of generating subcutaneous images by pretty much “seeing through” the first layer of skin, which means that bodily hair is no longer a problem. Polarizing light emitted from multiple directions prevents reflection and illuminates the relevant skin layer only. Manufacture of the scanner is currently experiencing delays. Global supply bottle- necks are affecting the mechatronic com- ponents and cameras, for example, that are needed to build the prototypes. The first prototypes are set to be put into oper- ation at three hospitals in Spain, Italy and Australia. 73 e n i l n O 1 F / 1 6 d n e t s e W o t o h P :

1 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine Photo & Fraunhofer A sustainable caffeine fix Germans love drinking coffee — often from disposable cups. According to figures from the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Germans use 320,000 disposable cups per hour. This amounts to almost three billion a year. For just ten minutes of use, they create lasting, mostly non-recyclable waste and are responsi- ble for a total of 48,000 tons in CO2 emissions. In January, Fraunhofer and its partners opened a digitally supported, sustainable plastics production plant at SmartFactoryOWL in Lemgo, a facility belong- ing to Fraunhofer IOSB-INA and the Ostwestfalen-Lippe University of Applied Sciences. In an AI living laboratory, the team are working with the start-up CUNA Products GmbH to produce reusable, recyclable cups from sus- tainable, bio-based plastic, all without the use of oil. Here, under realistic production conditions, the scien- tists are conduction collaborative research on Industrie 4.0 technologies. Prof. Jürgen Jasperneite likens the data-driven production at SmartFactoryOWL to “open- heart surgery.” As director of Fraunhofer IOSB-INA, he promises to deliver high speed first and foremost: “This approach offers the fastest maturation process for digital and sustainable innovations.” s t c u d o r P A N U C , e g d i r B l i e n a D : s o t o h P 75

1 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine 77 “Up to now, timber construction accounts for a small portion of between 10 and 15 percent of the German construction market. We aim to increase this significantly.” Prof. Libo Yan, Fraunhofer WKI Every cubic meter of wood can permanently store about one ton of CO2. When used as a construc- tion material, timber retains this CO2, while also freeing up space for the growth of new trees. i i a p e S / b e h c S n m r A i : n o i t a r t s u l l I

Fraunhofer on the road Hannover Berlin Cologne Aachen Munich 1 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine Berlin April 26–28, 2022 DMEA The leading event on the digital transformation of health care Munich April 26–29, 2022 LASER World of PHOTONICS Fraunhofer ILT presents its research on the quantum internet and other quantum technologies Cologne April 26–29, 2022 Anuga Foodtec International supplier trade fair for the food and drink industry Last updated: March. Changes may occur due to the pandemic. Please keep an eye out for information from the event organizers. Aachen May 4–6, 2022 AKL‘22 — 13th International Laser Technology Congress A leading forum for applied laser technology in production Hannover May 30–June 2, 2022 Hannover Messe The world’s leading industrial trade fair Berlin June 22–23, 2022 HUB Berlin Business festival by the Bitkom digital association Berlin June 22–26, 2022 ILA Berlin International trade fair for the aerospace industry Fraunhofer magazine The magazine for people shaping the future Would you like to get the Fraunhofer magazine in your mailbox as soon as it comes out — for free? Order it online directly at https://s.fhg.de/of 1 2 | 3 The corona expert Portrait: Sandra Ciesek Stronger support for hydrogen Energy transition Ocean-powered 2 2 | 1 What we’re really lacking Raw materials, supply routes, digital sovereignty The relay of knowledge Fraunhofer researchers provide answers Dangers in drinking water How drug residues are broken down This is not an egg Our diet is changing radically. What does the future taste like? Verónica García-Arteaga, Fraunhofer researcher and start-up founder How safe are the autobahns? Bridges at the breaking point: A sensor system to detect defects “Changes that affect 83 million people.” An interview with German Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture Cem Özdemir 79 4 | 21“Stronger support for research!”An interview with minister Stark-WatzingerThe cars of the futureMobility of the futureMore diversity on our roadsFrom the heart Research with its finger on the pulse — new technology and treatments