Press releases | News

Fraunhofer IKTS has been nominated for the Thuringian Innovation Award 2025 for its pilot production plant for SOEC electrolyzers, which was opened in May with its strategic partner thyssenkrupp nucera in Arnstadt. The jury of the renowned regional competition selected the project along with eleven other outstanding innovations that represent the Free State of Thuringia as an innovative technology location. In addition, an audience award will be presented, for which the public can vote until November 21.

In light of the growing demand for energy storage for the energy transition, there is an urgent need for cost-effective, safe and resource-efficient battery technologies. Sodium-ion batteries based on locally available and environmentally friendly materials offer a promising approach. Fraunhofer researchers and their project partners are working on a sodium-ion battery system based on lignin, a by-product of the wood and pulp industry.

The SoniQ Rail Explorer (SRE) mobile ultrasonic testing device has been in operations successfully on various European and Asian railways for several years. It has now been approved for use on the German DB rail network.

Industrial process and wastewater pose a major challenge when it comes to environmental protection. Fraunhofer researchers in Dresden have now succeeded in developing compact and energy-efficient systems that use photocatalytic oxidation to efficiently break down impurities. At the heart of these systems are foam ceramics with multifunctional coatings.

The newly founded multidisciplinary research network “Integrated Security and Sustainability” (I2SN) held its inaugural meeting in Dresden and is now officially up and running. The network is sponsored by the Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research (IFW) Dresden and the Fraunhofer Institutes FKIE and IKTS.

As part of his high-tech tour of Thuringia, Christian Tischner, Thuringia's Minister of Education, Science, and Culture, visited the Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS at its Hermsdorf and Arnstadt sites on July 29 and 30, 2025.

On June 24, Fraunhofer IKTS and its strategic partner thyssenkrupp nucera presented the innovative SOEC electrolysis technology at the summer party of the Thuringia State Representation in Berlin. The event provided a platform for exchange with representatives from politics, business, and science on the potential of green hydrogen for the energy transition.

For many years, construction costs have been on the rise. One approach to reducing these costs is to optimize construction processes and techniques. This is where the EstriPass project comes in. In this project, Fraunhofer IKTS is working with partners to further develop a sensor system for continuous residual moisture measurement in gypsum and concrete building materials. This will prevent damage caused by insufficient drying and increase durability.

thyssenkrupp nucera and Fraunhofer IKTS opened the first SOEC pilot production plant for electrolysis stacks on May 27 in Arnstadt, Thuringia, in the presence of high-ranking representatives from science, politics, and industry. The event was also attended by the Minister President of the State of Thuringia, Prof. Dr. Mario Voigt. With the commissioning of the pilot production plant, the strategic partnership between Fraunhofer IKTS and thyssenkrupp nucera for the development of high-temperature electrolysis (SOEC) is entering the next phase as planned.

Fraunhofer IKTS and the Altech Group founded the joint venture Altech Batteries GmbH in 2022 to commercialize the CERENERGY® solid-state battery. Construction of a battery plant in Saxony is now starting.