Press releases | News

Magnets are essential components in electric vehicles, wind turbines and electronics. However, their production depends on rare earth elements such as neodymium, about 90 percent of which is imported from China. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS are working with project partner TU Bergakademie Freiberg to develop a technology to recover these valuable raw materials in Germany for use in new products.

In the Fraunhofer-internal research project ArMorph (“Armor with flexible Morphology”), the Fraunhofer Institutes IKTS, ICT, IGP, and EMI are pooling their expertise to develop a new generation of flexible protective systems. The goal is to develop three-dimensionally flexible lightweight armor made of high-performance ceramics and polymer fiber composites. This is expected to result in lightweight, ergonomic, and high-performance solutions for personal, vehicle, and property protection.

In early October 2026, Prof. Alexander Michaelis, Institute Director of Fraunhofer IKTS, was honored with the prestigious Edward Orton Jr. Memorial Lecture from the American Ceramic Society (ACerS). ACerS President Mario Affatigato presented the award during the society’s annual meeting in Pittsburgh.

At a ceremony on October 5, 2026, the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft officially opened the new building of the Fraunhofer Center for Energy Storage and Systems ZESS in Braunschweig. The German federal government and the State of Lower Saxony have invested approximately 49.85 million euros in the research facility. Covering around 3300 square meters – including ap-proximately 1750 square meters of laboratory space and a 450-square-meter drying room – it provides researchers with state-of-the-art infrastructure for the development of next-generation solid-state batteries and innovative hydrogen technologies.

Not all injuries heal without complications. People with underlying conditions such as diabetes are particularly prone to chronic wounds. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS are developing specialized dressings that can speed up healing.

How can batteries be made safer and less dependent on critical raw materials? How can semiconductor and energy materials be recycled, and how can industrial processes be made sustainable through digitalization? Answers to these questions are being developed at the Fraunhofer Technology Center High-Performance Materials THM in Freiberg. At the end of the initial funding phase, Prof. Dr. Heike Graßmann, State Secretary at the Saxon State Ministry of Science, Culture and Tourism (SMWK), visited the site. She learned about the results achieved and the prospects for the joint research platform of the Fraunhofer Institutes IKTS and IISB.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS offi-cially opened its “Technology Platform for Circular Economy and Process Engineering TKV” at the Bitterfeld-Wolfen Chemical Park in the presence of Saxony-Anhalt’s Minister of Science, Prof. Dr. Armin Willingmann, and State Secretary Stefanie Pötzsch. The TKV is designed to support companies in developing and scaling efficient processes, testing them in an industrial setting, and bringing them to market. The Ministry of Economic Affairs, Tourism, Agriculture and Forestry of the State of Saxony-Anhalt is provid-ing 4.5 million euros in funding to support the establishment of the new research infrastructure.

To date, much of the food packaging on the market relies on multilayer composite films, which are difficult to recycle. Recyclable mono-material films offer a more sustainable alternative. However, they are generally considered more difficult to process because their seals are more susceptible to defects. As part of the OCTInline project, researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS have developed a testing system designed to address this very challenge. Using optical coherence tomography (OCT), the system enables real-time, non-destructive detection of seal defects during the packaging process, with resolution in the micrometer range.

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.

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