Hannover Messe 2026 - Fraunhofer IKTS

Trade fair / April 20, 2026 - April 24, 2026

Hannover Messe

At the world's most important industrial trade fair, companies from the mechanical engineering, electrical and digital industries as well as the energy sector will jointly present solutions for an efficient and sustainable industry. Over 4,000 companies will present themselves as a networked industrial ecosystem and demonstrate how electrification, digitalization and automation can contribute to achieving climate neutrality.

Our highlights

Hydrogen + Fuel Cells EUROPE, Fraunhofer Hydrogen Island – Hall 11, Booth E12

Hydrogen technologies – stable, robust, scalable, cost-effective
Membranes for gas separation
Alkaline and AEM water electrolysis – sustainable hydrogen production

Joint booth Forschung für die Zukunft – Hall 11, Booth B48

Industry in transition: Analyses for resilient industrial transformation
Membrane systems and AOP processes for pollutant elimination and water treatment

Event details

Program

Presentations

Hydrogen utilization in industry and fuel cell applications, Dr. Matthias Jahn, April 21, 2:45–2:55 p.m., Masterclass (Hall 11), to register for the event
Efficient H₂-prozessing by inorganic membrane technology, Dr. Hannes Richter, April 23, 10:30–11:00 a.m., Masterclass (Hall 11), to register for the event

Location

Hannover, Germany

Date

April 20, 2026 - April 24, 2026

Hydrogen + Fuel Cells EUROPE, Fraunhofer Hydrogen Island – Hall 11, Booth E12

Hydrogen technologies

Stable, robust, scalable, cost-effective

Hydrogen is only climate-friendly, i.e., green, if it is produced from renewable energies. The most important technology for this is electrolysis, which is ideally suited for coupling with wind power and photovoltaics. Fraunhofer IKTS has decades of experience in the development and construction of electrochemical reactors for the production and use of hydrogen. Industrial electrolysis is therefore one of its most important fields of activity.

The ease of storing and transporting hydrogen in pipelines makes its use attractive for heavy-duty mobility and industrial applications. Fraunhofer IKTS provides support in this area with its solid expertise in materials science and measurement and testing technology for monitoring tanks and pipelines.

Fraunhofer IKTS makes a wide range of contributions to hydrogen utilization, including the conversion of hydrogen into chemical energy carriers or basic chemicals, reconversion into electricity in fuel cells, and direct energy utilization in thermal processes or the steel industry. Fraunhofer IKTS develops and demonstrates these technologies with extensive system expertise and prototype and testing capacity. With its comprehensive expertise and numerous specialized locations and technical facilities, the institute is a leading European partner across the entire utilization chain of current and future hydrogen technologies.

Its expertise includes the manufacture of key components (electrolysis cells and stacks, membranes and membrane reactors, catalyst supports, catalysts, and reactors), the development and optimization of electrolysis processes, process evaluation, monitoring and safety supervision, and analytics.

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Contact Press / Media

Dr.-Ing. habil. Matthias Jahn

Head of department: Energy and Process Engineering, Head of business division Environmental and Process Engineering

Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS
Winterbergstr. 28
01277 Dresden, Germany

Phone +49 351 2553-7535

Fax +49 351 2554-301

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Membranes for gas separation

The synthesis and characterization of a wide variety of zeolite and carbon materials for membrane applications in gas and liquid phase separation are a research focus at Fraunhofer IKTS. They are applied as thin layers on ceramic substrates. By selecting specific process parameters in membrane production, tailor-made properties can be generated for the respective application. Subsequent functionalization can also contribute to application-specific membrane properties.

In addition, materials, components, and processes for gas separation at high temperatures and for heterogeneous catalysis are being developed. One focus is on the provision of oxygen via membrane separation and storage processes. In contrast to conventional processes, the focus here is on energy savings and integration into industrial processes, e.g., for intensifying combustion, for N₂-free gasification and CO₂ separation (CCS), and for increasing the yield of chemical reactions in membrane reactors. Another focus is on heterogeneously catalyzed gas reactions, for which precious metal-free mixed oxide catalysts are preferably developed and characterized.

In addition, the membrane production established at Fraunhofer IKTS can be scaled to industrially relevant dimensions. Furthermore, the institute also has expertise in plant and process design – from laboratory scale to complex process chains.

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Contact Press / Media

Dr.-Ing. Hannes Richter

Head of department: Nanoporous Membranes

Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS
Michael-Faraday-Str. 1
07629 Hermsdorf, Germany

Phone +49 36601 9301-1866

Fax +49 351 2554-369

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Dr. Jörg Richter

Head of department: High-Temperature Separation and Catalysis

Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS
Michael-Faraday-Str. 1
07629 Hermsdorf, Germany

Phone +49 36601 9301-2327

Fax +49 36601 9301-3921

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Alkaline and AEM water electrolysis

Sustainable hydrogen production

Hydrogen is a key element of the energy transition. It can be produced sustainably from water and green electricity through electrolysis. Alkaline water electrolysis (AWE) and anion exchange membrane water electrolysis (AEMWE) are more cost-effective than PEM water electrolysis and do not require critical materials such as fluorine membranes and iridium.

Fraunhofer IKTS offers a broad portfolio for research and development in AWE and AEMWE. Stack components are optimized in terms of their power density (electrode architecture, coatings, diaphragms) as well as ecological and design aspects (reduction of precious metal catalysts, enlargement of the active electrode surface). In addition, electrodes and stacks are developed with a special focus on digital process control (automated testing, stacking of large-area stacks).

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Scientific publications

Unraveling processes in an alkaline water electrolysis cell with reference electrodes and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (publica.fraunhofer.de)
Operating sensitivities for steam versus co-electrolysis on a commercial solid-oxide electrolysis stack with Power-to-X implications (publica.fraunhofer.de)
Spatially resolved diagnostic in solid oxide cell short stack - multisampling analysis under pure hydrogen operation (publica.fraunhofer.de)
Optimising solid oxide cells for co-electrolysis operation: parameter interactions and efficiency gains at industrial scale (publica.fraunhofer.de)
Alternative Gas Diffusion Electrode Designs: Influence of Porosity Gradients on the Electrochemical Activity (publica.fraunhofer.de)
Impact of nickel electrode geometry on the electrochemical performance and bubble dynamics of a zero-gap alkaline electrolyzer (publica.fraunhofer.de)

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PD Dr.-Ing. habil Mihails Kusnezoff

Head of department: Materials and Components, Head of business division Energy

Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS
Winterbergstr. 28
01277 Dresden, Germany

Phone +49 351 2553-7707

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Contact Press / Media

Dr. rer. nat. Karl Skadell

Group Manager: Hydrogen Technologies

Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS
August-Broemel-Straße 8
99310 Arnstadt, Germany

Phone +49 3628 5817242

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Joint booth Forschung für die Zukunft – Hall 11, Booth B48

Industry in transition

Analyses for resilient industrial transformation

The competence cluster “Socio-Economic Modeling” at Fraunhofer IKTS analyzes how decarbonization, defossilization, and structural change affect value creation, labor markets, and regional resilience.

The researchers combine techno-economic models with labor market and regional economic analyses. This provides a robust foundation for decision-making in industrial and transformation strategies, investment and infrastructure planning, assessment of employment impacts and design of regional structural change processes.

The models developed quantify value-added effects, import dependencies, energy and raw material requirements, as well as employment dynamics along industrial value chains.

At Hannover Messe, the experts guide visitors through application examples, demonstrate modeling logics, and discuss concrete questions from industry and policy. The aim is to shape transformation in a way that is not only technically feasible, but also economically and socially sustainable.

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Project: Socio-economic modeling

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Dr. Daniela Pufky-Heinrich

Head of department: Technology Economics and Sustainability Analysis

Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS
Leipziger Straße 70/71
06108 Halle (Saale), Germany

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Membrane systems and AOP processes for pollutant elimination and water treatment

Fraunhofer IKTS takes a holistic approach to industrial environmental issues: Process analyses are used to develop ceramic functional components for separation and reaction, which we then refine into cost-effective system solutions for water management, the manufacturing industry, mining, and agriculture. Our materials and process expertise seamlessly complement each other and meet technological, regulatory, and economic requirements.

Successful approaches aim to combine ceramic membranes for micro-, ultra- and nanofiltration with electrochemical, sonochemical and photocatalytic processes (advanced oxidation processes, AOP). In many cases, specific sensor technology and classic aerobic and anaerobic treatment methods are also integrated. The institute develops highly integrated components that combine processes such as filtration and adsorption or sono-electrochemical oxidation. The necessary sensor technology is developed and integrated according to requirements. Ceramic elements are the key to continuously expanding the performance of such highly integrated compact systems and the operating conditions (high temperatures, aggressive media). The new process combinations significantly reduce the energy consumption of water treatment. This increases process efficiency and environmental benefits while reducing process costs.

At the Hannover Messe, we will be showcasing ceramic membranes for gas and water purification, a ceramic stack system for simultaneous filtration and photocatalytic oxidation, and the integration of membranes into system solutions.

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Contact Press / Media

Dr.-Ing. Burkhardt Faßauer

Head of department: Circular Technologies and Water

Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS
Winterbergstr. 28
01277 Dresden, Germany

Phone +49 351 2553-7667

Mobile +49 174 1517632

Fax +49 351 2554-222

Send email

Trade fair / April 20, 2026 - April 24, 2026

Hannover Messe

Our highlights

Event details

Program

Presentations

Location

Hydrogen + Fuel Cells EUROPE, Fraunhofer Hydrogen Island – Hall 11, Booth E12

Hydrogen technologies

Privacy warning

More info

Contact Press / Media

Dr.-Ing. habil. Matthias Jahn

Membranes for gas separation

More info

Contact Press / Media

Dr.-Ing. Hannes Richter

Contact Press / Media

Dr. Jörg Richter

Alkaline and AEM water electrolysis

More info

Scientific publications

Contact Press / Media

PD Dr.-Ing. habil Mihails Kusnezoff

Contact Press / Media

Dr. rer. nat. Karl Skadell

Joint booth Forschung für die Zukunft – Hall 11, Booth B48

Industry in transition

More info

Contact Press / Media

Dr. Daniela Pufky-Heinrich

Membrane systems and AOP processes for pollutant elimination and water treatment

More info

Contact Press / Media

Dr.-Ing. Burkhardt Faßauer