Press Release

Industrial drying processes consume large amounts of energy and negatively impact the climate since they burn fossil fuels to heat air. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB are working with industry partners on a new approach to decarbonize this process: Instead of hot air, they are using superheated steam. Combined with a heat pump and smart controls, their superheated steam drying process saves significant amounts of energy and eliminates the need for natural gas.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Himachal Pradesh University (HPU) in Shimla, India. The goal is to collaborate on research projects in the field of renewable energy, to facilitate the joint supervision of master’s and PhD students and to offer exchange programs. The collaboration will focus in particular on research into floating photovoltaic systems as well as agrivoltaics.

Heat pumps can replace existing gas and oil heating systems in multi-family houses when the entire system is designed to match the building. This is the core finding of the "LC R290" research project, in which the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE worked with a consortium of twenty companies from the heating industry and housing sector to develop typical solution concepts for heating system replacement. The project team used the refrigerant propane (R290) for this purpose.

In Europe's largest automotive market, battery electric vehicles became about 18 percent cheaper in real terms between 2020 and 2025, even as average prices appeared to rise as a result of a changing model mix. Meanwhile, the number of electric models available on the market has more than quadrupled. That is the finding of a new joint study by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) and the Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research ISI, covering the German market as a key indicator of broader European trends. The study draws on more than 100,000 individual data points across six vehicle segments, from small to luxury cars.

How will emerging technologies such as electric mobility, renewable energy and artificial intelligence impact raw material demand? This question is addressed in the new edition of the “Raw Materials for Future Technologies” study which was presented today. In it the Fraunhofer Institutes ISI and IZM analyze the future development of 34 technologies and 14 raw materials on behalf of the German Raw Materials Agency (DERA) at the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR). Early action is required in order to avoid supply bottlenecks and enable a sustainable transformation.

At the “From Lab to Market Challenge” event held in Leverkusen at the end of June, the “ESILIB” team from the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE took second place. The researchers are developing anode materials for the next generation of lithium-ion batteries, focusing on a silicon-carbon composite that is sustainable and can increase the range of electric vehicles by up to 40 percent.

The 55th Annual Conference of the Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology ICT, titled “Energetic Materials: From Simulation and Synthesis to Application – Ensuring Supply Security in a Changing World,” brought together more than 200 international experts from research and industrial application at the Gartenhalle Congress Center in Karlsruhe from June 23 to 26, 2026.

The share of renewable energy in Germany’s net public electricity genera-tion—the actual mix of electricity coming from the outlet—stood at 61.8 percent in the first half of 2026. Wind power increased its generation by 12.2 percent compared to the previous year, while the electricity feed-in from photovoltaics reached a new record of 43.2 terawatt-hours. Strong generation from renewable sources ensured that electricity prices in the spring were largely decoupled from the rise in gas prices caused by the war in Iran. This is according to an analysis by the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE based on data from the energy-charts.info platform.

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

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