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The demand for more powerful and lighter battery systems is growing. Batteries with high energy density and long service life are in high demand, particularly for electric mobility, aerospace, and stationary energy storage. The Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films IST is therefore collaborating with the Fraunhofer USA Center Midwest (CMW) to explore new approaches for improving the performance and service life of future battery systems. One promising approach involves lithium-metal anodes, in which lithium itself serves as the active anode material; due to its high specific capacity, this enables battery cells with potentially higher energy density.

With a comprehensive expansion of its research infrastructure, the Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films IST is establishing a new platform for localized electrochemical surface processing. The combination of proven electroplating processes with innovative technologies such as Electrochemical Jet Processing (EJP) and intelligent robotics enables precise, resource-efficient processing of complex workpieces. In doing so, the institute is creating new opportunities for industry in fields such as electronics, energy technology, medical engineering, and aerospace.

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 3,300 square meters – including ap-proximately 1,750 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.

With the kick-off meeting of the “CleanGreen” joint research project in September 2026, partners from industry and research began working together on new approaches for more energy- and resource-efficient industrial compo-nent cleaning. The project’s goal is to develop methods that will allow the energy, water, and chemical consumption of aqueous cleaning systems to be better adapted to actual cleaning requirements in the future.

Christoph Herrmann, Professor of Sustainable Manufacturing and Life Cycle Engineering at TU Braunschweig and Director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films IST, was appointed Distinguished Chair Professor at Feng Chia University (FCU) in Taiwan, effective 1 August 2026. The visiting appointment was formally presented during the Advanced Optics and Semiconductor Industry Forum held at FCU on 18 August 2026.

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.