Press Releases 2024

Food safety, sustainability and fairness are important, but not the only objectives which have to be attained in the agricultural and food systems. In the project MATS (Making Agricultural Trade Sustainable) Fraunhofer ISI has developed, together with European, African and South American partners, a model for sustainable agricultural trade in the year 2035 and a roadmap how to get there. The closing publication shows concrete measures, and a selection of examples gives further details.

The 28th International Conference on Science, Technology and Innovation Indicators 2024 came to a close in Berlin today. At the three-day event, over 350 participants from the research community discussed the complex dynamics between concepts of openness and closedness in science, technology and innovation, and their impact on research, policy and practice. The Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research ISI was the main organizer of the conference, which was co-hosted by the Humboldt University of Berlin (Robert K. Merton Center for Science Studies) and the German Center for Higher Education Research and Science Studies (DZHW) in collaboration with the European Network of Indicator Developers (ENID).

Raw materials are crucial resources when it comes to prosperity and quality of life in the European Union. However, various raw materials are categorized as critical due to the uncertain supply situation. Through research and innovation, the European Union can improve its supply of critical raw materials – but how exactly can this be achieved? A new study led by Fraunhofer ISI on behalf of the STOA Panel of the European Parliament (EP) sheds light on the role of research and innovation along the value chain, it identifies research needs and evaluates concrete proposals for measures in terms of costs, benefits and feasibility.

A new joint study by Fraunhofer ISI and Amazon provides critical insights as to the optimal number and location of public fast-charging stations required to enable the widespread electrification of long-haul trucking in Europe. Using traffic flow estimates for 2030, the study built on Amazon’s open-source CHALET tool to analyse 20,000 potential public truck charging locations along the major European highways and a large data set of 1.6 million truck trip combinations. The results suggest that just 1,000 charging stations equipped with Megawatt Charging System (MCS) outlets could enable about 91% of expected long-haul trucking traffic.

Fraunhofer ISI and Saarland University have analyzed three generations of quantum communication in a new study. The study’s quantitative monitoring gives insights into patent development, projects future growth, and compares international research strategies. The study, which was funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, also examined how Germany and Europe stand in an international context.

A new Fraunhofer ISI study analysed future cost developments for price-setting components of zero-emission trucks from more than 200 sources. The study findings show that zero-emission trucks will benefit from rapidly falling costs of batteries and fuel cells, which will enable their fast market diffusion and help to achieve national and international climate policy targets. With battery-electric trucks as currently most promising and cost-effective zero-emission technology for most use cases, industry and policy must prepare with respect to their manufacturing, comprehensive charging infrastructure, electricity grid expansion, and regulation.

In a new study conducted by Fraunhofer ISI on behalf of TA-SWISS, researchers look at the issue of “deepfakes“. The first step was to analyze the current state of technology and research with regard to deepfakes and examine how they are perceived by the Swiss population. In addition, the study analyzed their potential impact on journalism, law, politics and business and drew up recommendations for action in these areas.

Gender, age, ethnicity, culture background, income, sexual orientation, interests, abilities and educational achievements. Diversity has numerous and often overlapping dimensions. Recent innovation research looks at the various aspects, which should be taken into account during and even before the development of an innovation. Fraunhofer ISI not only carries out research in heterogeneous teams, but also makes diversity itself the focus of investigation. Diversity is a topic that should be scrutinized across all research topics and processes.

In the MobilKULT project, Fraunhofer ISI is exploring how individual mobility habits, experiences with infrastructure, attitudes toward different modes of transport and opinions about policy measures are changing. Every six months, the research team conducts a representative survey. In the last two rounds, the focus was on the Deutschland-Ticket (a subscription ticket for local public transport across Germany) – which, according to the study, has the potential to shift mobility toward more sustainability.

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.