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UltraGRAIN controls the grain structure of metallic components directly within the additive process. The international ICON research project of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, conducted with Australian partners, has shown that microstructures can be adjusted locally and in a targeted manner during laser-based metal deposition. The project involved Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology IWS, Fraunhofer Institute for Additive Manufacturing Technologies IAPT, and RMIT University in Melbourne. Funded through the Fraunhofer ICON program and by Australian partners, the consortium developed a scalable approach for industrial applications. The project concluded on February 25, 2026, with a final partner meeting in Dresden.

Functional tissue models are gaining importance in drug development, toxicology, and regenerative medicine. Cryopreservation, however, remains labor-intensive, error-prone, and difficult to scale. The Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology IWS, together with other Fraunhofer institutes, has developed an automated platform that standardizes vitrification and delivers reproducible results. The “COLDIMPACT” project, part of the Fraunhofer preliminary research program Prepare, creates industry-oriented processes that replace manual, case-by-case work and pave the way for transfer into application and production.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology IWS strengthens its international position in advanced manufacturing. To this end, Prof. Christoph Leyens signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with RMIT University and Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne. Both agreements build on existing technical collaborations and create a framework for the targeted transfer of research results, system engineering, and industrial applications into international markets.

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?