Trade fairs, conferences and events

In August, Transfernale 2026 will bring together stakeholders from the fields of science, business, and politics in the Braunschweig-Wolfsburg region to discuss future-oriented topics and strengthen cooperation. Fraunhofer IST is participating at two locations: On August 20 in Gifhorn, the focus will be on rapid prototyping, with Prof. Dr. Michael Thomas contributing his expertise on circular products and processes. On August 25 in Goslar, the focus will be on sustainable value chains and innovative recycling solutions for lithium-ion batteries, with contributions from Prof. Dr.-Ing. Sabrina Zellmer from the sustainable battery and hydrogen systems division.

The Nacht der Bewerber (engl.: Night of Applicants) will take place on August 28, 2026, from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. and offers high school and college students the opportunity to learn about training and study opportunities at around 80 companies. Fraunhofer IST will also be there to provide information about apprenticeships and entry-level opportunities for students. The institute offers a variety of ways to gain early practical experience in research, technology, and administration through apprenticeships, theses, internships, or assistant positions, and to actively participate in developing sustainable solutions for surfaces, coatings, and modern production systems.

PSE 2026 is one of the leading international conferences for plasma, vacuum, and surface technologies and is considered a central international meeting place for science and industry in this field of technology. Fraunhofer IST will participate in the INPLAS joint Fraunhofer booth and present current research and application solutions in the fields of tribology, corrosion and sensor technology, optical and electronic systems, and circular products and processes. In addition, Fraunhofer IST will contribute to the scientific program of PSE 2026 with several presentations, posters, and tutorials.

As an international conference, Eurosensors brings together experts from research, academia, and industry to present and discuss the latest developments in sensor technology, actuator technology, and micro- and nanosystems. Fraunhofer IST will be represented with a poster presentation on real-time process monitoring in the injection molding of recycled materials.

The workshop "Fachkräfte für die Transformation im NetZero Valley" (English: Specialists for the Transformation in NetZero Valley) brings together stakeholders from academia, business, education, and the labor market to discuss challenges and potential solutions for training specialists in the energy transition. Fraunhofer IST is participating with a keynote speech by Marcus Gapinski, who will shed light on current developments, needs, and prospects for training specialists in the field of net-zero technologies.

The 17th Lower Saxony Summer School “Hydrogen and Derivatives” brings together students, doctoral candidates, recent graduates, and young professionals to deepen their knowledge of hydrogen technologies, gain insights into current research and industrial applications, and establish valuable contacts for their future careers. The focus is on green hydrogen and its derivatives as key building blocks of a climate-neutral energy supply. With presentations by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Sabrina Zellmer and Marcus Gapinski, Fraunhofer IST will contribute its expertise in sustainable battery and hydrogen systems to the program.

The 7th International Sodium Battery Symposium (SBS-7) will bring together international experts from research and development in Berlin from September 14 to 16, 2026, to discuss the latest developments and applications of sodium batteries. Fraunhofer IST will participate with a poster presentation on the environmental assessment of recycling processes for sodium solid-state batteries.

ICCG 2026 will take place in Berlin from September 15 to 17, 2026. This international conference will focus on large-area coatings on glass and plastic, efficiency improvements in coating processes, and new applications in the field of large-area optics. The program includes presentations, an exhibition, and networking opportunities. Fraunhofer IST will be represented with two presentations: Stefan Bruns will speak about double-sided magnetron sputtering for high-performance optical coatings, while Dr. Volker Sittinger will present a SALD-PVD platform for scalable electron contacts in perovskite/silicon solar cells.

The DECHEMA FORUM 2026 brings together experts from industry, academia, and research to discuss solutions for the sustainable transformation of the process industry. In addition to technical presentations, the event features workshops, panel discussions, poster presentations, and an industry exhibition. Fraunhofer IST will be represented with a poster presentation on recycling strategies for PEM fuel cells.

The W3+ Fair is an important gathering for the high-tech industry in Central Germany, where companies, research institutions, and specialized suppliers exchange ideas and showcase innovations in the fields of photonics, optics, electronics, and sensor technology. The event focuses on topics such as future markets in photonics, semiconductor manufacturing, medtech, defense, AI, microtechnology, and aerospace technologies. Fraunhofer IST will have a booth at the trade show and will showcase its latest developments in the field of optical and electronic systems.