Press Releases 2024

In 2000, the Council of Europe issued a Recommendation aimed at improving access to archives in the member states. Together with the Vera and Donald Blinken Open Society Archives (OSA Archivum) in Budapest, Fraunhofer ISI evaluated how these recommendations have been implemented and how accessible the archives are more than 20 years on. The researchers also investigated the technological, legal and political challenges facing freedom of information.

In an effort to further develop the portfolio of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft in both subject-specific and commercial terms, particularly with an eye to innovation research, the executive board of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft has adopted a package of measures relating to the Fraunhofer Center for International Management and Knowledge Economy IMW. As a result, parts of Fraunhofer IMW, which will then no longer have independent status, will be integrated into the Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research ISI. This means the Leipzig location will continue to operate from a stronger long-term position.

In the project CIRCADIA, Fraunhofer ISI together with FOM University of Applied Sciences, investigated how technologies and a de-structured daily routine could affect the circadian rhythms, i.e. the inner human clocks. Recommendations of the study include abolishing the clock change to “Daylight saving time”, adjusting school hours for teenagers and appreciating daylight.

In the “HoLa” project, a total of eight high-performance charging points for trucks using the Megawatt Charging System (MCS) are being installed at five locations along the A2 between Berlin and the Ruhr region and used in real logistics operations. Recommendations for action have been derived from the research results available to date that contain important findings for a nationwide expansion of charging infrastructure. All the results were presented today at the European “HoLa conference” in Berlin and are documented in a report.

Dressing well with a clear conscience: When shopping online, customers are increasingly paying attention to whether products are fair and sustainable. However, it is not always easy to recognize this, there is often a lack of clarity and transparency when it comes to certification, labels and other sustainability claims. A consortium of research and industry partners has been looking for solutions in the ZuSiNa project ("Besserer Zugang und Sichtbarkeit von Nachhaltigkeitsinformationen im Online-Handel", Better access and visibility of sustainability information in online retail). In an online guide, Fraunhofer ISI, Fraunhofer IAO, ConPolicy and the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI) present their results and provide technical and AI-based solutions.

Many economies are dependent on oil and gas exports, however, the efforts to combat global warming are reducing demand for fossil fuels worldwide and emphasizing the need for diversification. In a new study for the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (German development agency GIZ), Fraunhofer ISI investigated the possible economic consequences of the market decline for the affected countries. Based on case studies for Saudi-Arabia, Kazakhstan and Nigeria the researchers analyzed to what extent declining export revenues for fossil fuels could be compensated by the export of green hydrogen and its derivatives.

Well-developed charging infrastructure has an important role to play in the market ramp-up of electric mobility in Germany. However, charging vehicles overnight remains a challenge for many of those living in cities with lots of apartment houses and non-residential buildings. A new study by the Fraunhofer institutes ISI and ISE on behalf of Transport & Environment (T&E) looks at what needs and potentials apartment and non-residential buildings have for charging infrastructure – especially in light of the amendment of Germany’s Building Electric Mobility Infrastructure Act (GEIG). The results suggest there is a significant gap between the planned expansion and the need for charging points up to 2030.

A meta-study conducted by Fraunhofer ISI as part of the HyPat project has evaluated existing studies of the generation, production, and trade of hydrogen. The findings were compiled in a position paper and used to derive recommendations for action that clearly differentiate between importing pure hydrogen and importing hydrogen derivatives.

Since its practical isolation in 2004, graphene and related materials sparked enormous expectations in terms of technological application opportunity and potential economic value. In this context, a new peer-reviewed scientific publication in the journal 2D Materials from researchers of Fraunhofer ISI provides insights into the projected development of the emerging graphene market, specific segments and possible applications. The market expectations are aggregated from commercial market reports and complemented by bibliometric and patent analyses. The results provide deeper insights into the global market landscape and its key actors. In particular, the meta-market analysis focuses on composites, batteries, and electronics as major application areas likely to drive the overall development of the graphene market towards mass production.

Countries worldwide are renewing or adapting their political strategies for battery technologies. In this context, a new Fraunhofer ISI report is analysing the different battery policies and targets with focus on three fields of battery technology research: Lithium-ion, solid-state, and alternative batteries. The report highlights the political goals and strategies of the following countries: Japan, South Korea, China, the U.S., Europe and within it Germany.