Press Releases 2021

Within the Morgenstadt Global Initiative, Fraunhofer ISI contributes to the conduction of "City Labs" in Mexico, Peru and India and coordinates in particular the Mexican Lab in Saltillo. Fraunhofer ISI also provides energy assessments for the cities of Saltillo (Mexico) and Piura (Peru) and evaluates the CO2 impact of suggested project measures across all cities. Based on an analysis of local development needs and through knowledge exchange, replicable and fundable solutions and strategies emerge that sustainably strengthen the pilot cities in targeted capacity building.

In the wake of COVID-19 pandemic, the concept of resilience has become an important guiding principle. Voices from politics, business and society are calling for strategies to increase systemic robustness and adaptability in these areas. A new policy brief by Fraunhofer ISI shows that innovation research offers many tried and tested approaches that can help when developing resilience strategies. This policy brief provides a basic framework for recommendations on how to strengthen systemic resilience.

One of the most complex parts of the energy transition towards a climate neutral economy is the necessary system integration of hydrogen. A new study carried out by Fraunhofer ISI and the Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology identified certain policy gaps in the realization of the EU Hydrogen Strategy and proposes multiple policy options to close these gaps.

As electric mobility becomes commonplace an increasing number of questions with regard to the efficient recycling of batteries are raised, not only for ecological reasons, but also for reasons of competition. Mechanical and plant engineering sectors will be able to make a substantial contribution to this, bringing new and efficient procedures onto the market. A study carried out by the Fraunhofer ISI, commissioned by the IMPULS-foundation of the VDMA, reaches the conclusion that Europe can develop into the leading market for green and highly efficient battery recycling and its related technology.

Together with partners from research and development, automotive manufacturing, logistics, and energy and charging infrastructure, Fraunhofer ISI has assessed a total of 9,500 real-world truck trips in Berlin and the surrounding area in a new feasibility study conducted as part of the project »ZeroEmissionDeliveries – Berlin«. In concrete terms, the project examined whether these trips could also be made using battery-powered trucks. The energy required for each vehicle was simulated based on its profile.

Earlier this year, the European Commission unveiled its “Fit for 55” climate and energy package. The proposal includes new tools to achieve EU energy efficiency targets, while aiming to bind Member States to the increased climate targets. A new study by Stefan Scheuer Consulting and Fraunhofer ISI reviews the proposed governance tools within the updated Energy Efficiency Directive (EED), and makes recommendations to improve the impact of the package.

From October 5 to 8, the 12th “International Sustainability Transitions“ (IST) conference 2021 was hosted by Fraunhofer ISI for the Sustainability Transitions Research Network (STRN). Over the course of three days, the sustainabillty transitions research community discussed topics such as sustainability transitions in organizations, industries, individuals and the role of policy, but also about theoretical and methodological contributions to sustainability transitions research.

Lean Management with its motto 'avoiding waste through lean production', was invented in Japan more than three decades ago. Since then it has established itself as one of the guiding principles of operational value creation. Within this context a new study by Fraunhofer ISI analyzes the current state and level of implementation of Lean 4.0 principles in the manufacturing sector in Germany. The study also looks at the reciprocal effects between Lean Management and Industry 4.0 and shows that the two principles are not contradictory, but have synergetic effects.

The project “High power charging for trucks in long-distance operation (HoLa)”, which is led by Fraunhofer ISI and supported by the VDA (German Association of the Automotive Industry), is one of three innovation clusters for climate-friendly truck drive technologies recently set up by the German Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI). In concrete terms, two high power charging points using the Megawatt Charging System (MCS) will be installed at each of four locations in the HoLa project and tested under real logistics operating conditions. These charging points will support the use of this new system in everyday operations, and form the basis for large-scale expansion of the technology. 13 partners from research and industry, including four truck manufacturers, are involved in the project, which was officially launched at a kick-off event on September 27.

In a new policy brief, Fraunhofer ISI takes stock of digitization‘s potential from an innovation perspective. It presents selected findings about digitization that have been gathered in numerous research projects at Fraunhofer ISI. The policy brief also addresses the question of what politics, industry and society can do to realize sustainable innovations with the help of digital technologies.