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In this interview, Dr. Holger Althues and Dr. Benjamin Schumm discuss key questions about the future of battery development, such as: What challenges is research on new battery technologies currently facing? How does the DRYtraec process contribute to sustainable battery production? Which new materials and technologies are currently being explored at Fraunhofer IWS?

Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology IWS officially inaugurated DRYplatform on November 3, 2025, during the Dry Coating Forum. Guests witnessed the ceremonial ribbon-cutting, while nearly 200 experts, about 80 percent from industry, had already explored the potential and industrial perspectives of dry electrode coating at the preceding forum. The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF, today BMFTR) funded the facility with €3.7 million as a flagship project.

Lithium-sulfur batteries represent a promising alternative to conventional lithium-ion systems. To overcome existing technological hurdles of this cell chemistry, the Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology IWS and its partners are investigating a new cell architecture that reduces electrolyte content and adapts solid-state chemistry. Their goal is to develop practical cell concepts that combine high energy density with improved cycle life and enhanced safety. Two research projects – AnSiLiS, funded by the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR), and TALISSMAN, funded by the EU’s Horizon Europe program – form the structural framework for this work. The project aims to develop a solid-state lithium-sulfur cell that provides comparable energy while weighing significantly less than current batteries.

With SAXFUSION, Saxony launches its first state-wide competence network for future technologies in nuclear fusion. The aim is to advance fusion as a clean, safe, and base-load capable energy source, to build strategic expertise, and to make the results available to industry and society. The Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) coordinates the project. The Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology IWS co-leads the project. Other renowned Saxon research institutions participate as well. In addition, SAXFUSION integrates major international projects and industrial partners through cooperation agreements. The European Union and the Free State of Saxony support the project with around €2.4 million euros from the European Regional Development Fund (EFRE).