Press | Media

Lithium has become an indispensable part of our daily lives – it’s found in smartphones, e-bikes, power tools, and electric cars. At the same time, its extraction faces criticism because it harms the environment and local livelihoods. New technologies could bring about a decisive breakthrough. This is precisely where the German-Chilean research project “PaNaBat” comes in. PaNaBat aims to establish a long-term German–Chilean networking platform that promotes research collaboration, education, technology transfer, and industrial cooperation in sustainable battery raw materials, lithium extraction, and battery recycling. In addition, the project contributes to the diversification and regionalization of supply chains, thereby supporting a broader international presence in the export of lithium and other critical raw materials for battery cell production.

Whether in machines, vehicles, or production facilities, the performance of many technical systems is often determined by a layer just a few micrometers thick. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films IST are developing intelligent surfaces that reduce wear, prevent failures, and conserve resources.

Representatives from business, science, education, and public administration gathered yesterday in Salzgitter for the summer workshop of the Wasserstoff Campus Salzgitter e.V. The event focused on strengthening the network, shaping the future direction of the Wasserstoff Campus, and exchanging expertise on current developments in the hydrogen economy.

How can hydrogen contribute to the energy transition? What role does the circular economy play in a sustainable future? Students received answers to these and many other questions during the STEM Morning at the Wasserstoff Campus Salzgitter, which took place on June 29, 2026, as part of Germany’s nationwide Hydrogen Week.

On 26 June 2026, Technische Universität Braunschweig opened its redesigned Learning Factory. Spanning over 400 square metres, this modern learning and experimentation centre will teach new technologies for sustainable, digital and circular production in a practical manner using batteries and electric vehicles as examples. With a total investment of over five million euros, the learning factory combines modern production technology with digital learning environments and practice-oriented teaching formats. The aim is to prepare students, specialists and managers to design future industrial production systems that are resource-efficient, digital and circular.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films IST has once again been awarded the “Zukunftgeber” employer seal by the Employers' Association for the Braunschweig Region (Arbeitgeberverband, AGV). Following its initial certification in 2022 and its first recertification in 2024, this latest award once again confirms the institute’s high appeal as an employer in the region.

Yasmine Hildebrand from the Fraunhofer IST was awarded the TUmorrow Award 2026 of the Technical University of Braunschweig in the category “Outstanding Bachelor’s Thesis.” The award recognizes academic work that makes a significant contribution to sustainable and future-oriented development.

Precision optical coatings are key technologies for modern optical systems. These complex coatings impose stringent requirements for uniformity, process stability and productivity on an industrial scale. Stefan Bruns, Philipp Farr and Michael Vergöhl from the Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films IST in Braunschweig have developed a unique coating technology for precision optics systems that meets these requirements and is already in use in industry. Their efforts have earned them the Joseph von Fraunhofer Prize for 2026.

When glowing-hot steel is forged or precision components with near-net-shape profiles are manufactured from high-temperature materials, tools are subjected to extreme stresses. High temperatures, wear, and aggressive media significantly determine their service life. Modern surface technologies therefore play a central role in efficient, cost-effective, and resource-conserving production processes. This is precisely where the Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films IST comes in. With an expanded infrastructure, the institute can now map the entire process chain for the development of boride-based high-performance surfaces at its own site.

A single drop of oil can contaminate up to 1,000 liters of groundwater. The Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films IST will demonstrate how industrial manufacturing processes can be made more resource-efficient at Lower Saxony Day 2026 on the Braunschweig Mile. The institute’s presentation will focus on the COAD® process, a plasma process developed at Fraunhofer IST for the controlled adjustment of adhesion properties on surfaces.