Since 2020, activities to establish a new research and technology transfer platform have been financed with a total of eight million euros in public funds. Of this amount, four million euros came from the Saxon state budget using funds from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF); an additional four million euros were provided through a federal-state funding arrangement, with half coming from the Free State of Saxony and half from the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR). The goal was to pool the expertise of the Fraunhofer Institutes for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS and for Integrated Systems and Device Technology IISB in Freiberg, and to further strengthen Saxony as a hub for innovation in semiconductor and energy materials, including material characterization and recycling.

 

Fraunhofer THM as a sustainable research and technology transfer platform

Today, Fraunhofer THM combines fundamental expertise in materials science with applied research and industrial transfer. Thanks to public funding, the laboratory and pilot plant infrastructure, as well as extensive analytical capabilities and process equipment, including digital data acquisition, have been expanded in a targeted manner. As a result, the facility not only examines materials on a laboratory scale but also develops, tests, and evaluates complete process chains under real-world conditions.

Research conducted over the past six years includes, among other things:

• Battery systems based on solid electrolytes, which can be tested in a special dry-room environment at THM,
• Semiconductor materials for applications in power and quantum electronics across the entire value chain—from manufacturing and analysis to the development of initial devices,
• Testing methods that can be used to evaluate the reliability and performance of components directly during operation,
• Methods for recovering strategically important raw materials through sustainable recycling processes, such as for lithium-ion batteries and electronic components.

The seed funding thus not only made it possible to build modern research infrastructure, but also laid the groundwork for Freiberg to establish itself as a partner in national research initiatives and to secure extensive federal collaborative projects.

 

Research generates economic value in Saxony

“Through our funding, we have deliberately invested in future technologies. The Fraunhofer THM impressively demonstrates how public seed funding strengthens scientific excellence, accelerates innovation, and creates new opportunities for Saxony as a business location,” said State Secretary Prof. Dr. Heike Graßmann, praising the work carried out to date by researchers at the THM in Freiberg.

For the two participating Fraunhofer Institutes, the joint location has also become an important driver of innovation.

Dr. Mareike Partsch, site director of the THM/IKTS, emphasizes: “The funding has made it possible to build new expertise in the field of sustainable energy materials and to develop solutions for resource-efficient energy storage in collaboration with our industry partners. Today, we have a high-performance research environment that specifically supports the transfer to industrial applications.”

“For semiconductor technologies, the THM combines excellent materials research with application-oriented technology development. The close collaboration between IISB and IKTS enables a quicker transfer of innovations along the entire value chain into marketable solutions,” adds Prof. Johannes Heitmann, site director of THM/IISB.

 

Successful build-up with an outlook to the future

The first funding phase laid the foundation for numerous research projects and new collaborations with companies. Fraunhofer THM has thus established itself as a strong research and technology transfer platform for high-performance and energy materials. Building on the structures that have been created, Fraunhofer IKTS and Fraunhofer IISB intend to further expand their work in the future—particularly in the areas of solid-state and post-lithium-based battery systems, data-driven process optimization, energy storage for critical infrastructure and semiconductor materials for applications in power and quantum electronics. In addition, the THM is to be further developed as an innovation hub for startups. In this way, the Freiberg site makes an important contribution to the technological sovereignty of Germany and Europe, as well as to the successful implementation of the energy transition.

 

Fraunhofer Institutes in Freiberg

Fraunhofer IKTS leverages its expertise in ceramics to develop battery systems and efficient recycling processes. Through innovative cell designs and state-of-the-art material recovery, it is advancing sustainable energy storage and circular value creation.

Fraunhofer IISB is one of Europe's leading research institutions for wide-bandgap semiconductors and power electronics systems. It covers the entire value chain, from semiconductor materials and components to complete electronics and energy systems.