Press releases

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.

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).

EDcut serves as a development platform for laser-based cutting processes with high dynamics. Researchers at Fraunhofer IWS combine precise system technology with long-standing process expertise to open new industrial applications and to create technology-based solutions together with partners, from feasibility studies to system integration. The institute in Dresden will present the platform at the “Schweißen und Schneiden” trade fair in Essen from September 15 to 19, 2025.

Laser processes with dynamic beam shaping create stable joints even in challenging material combinations. Recent applications demonstrate how to eliminate filler materials while improving quality, energy efficiency, and production logic. Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology IWS will present laser welding solutions at the trade fair “Schweißen & Schneiden” that expand both design freedom and economic potential. The focus is on intelligently guided beam processes that operate without filler wire and can be transferred into real production scenarios. Industries already applying the technology include lightweight structures for e-mobility, aerospace tanks, and load-bearing components in heavy steel construction.

Tritium fuels nuclear fusion and counts among the most valuable resources for this energy source. To prevent losses in future fusion power plants, the Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology IWS and the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics (IPP) jointly develop advanced barrier coatings. Their project, “TritiumStopp”, aims to create high-performance permeation barriers that withstand extreme conditions.

The Fraunhofer Application Center for Optical Metrology AZOM stands for optical measurement solutions tailored to industrial needs. On June 18, 2025, more than 100 guests from industry, science, government, and academia gathered in Zwickau to mark the center’s tenth anniversary. Established as a joint initiative by Fraunhofer IWS and West Saxon University of Applied Sciences Zwickau (WHZ), AZOM today stands for hands-on research, strategic cooperation, and customized solutions for businesses – particularly small and medium-sized enterprises. The center combines optical precision with industrial applicability, thereby contributing to the region’s innovation capacity.

Electric mobility is making great strides in Germany and across Europe. Building further momentum will require an extensive build-out of production capacity for battery cells in this country. Production methods will also have to use little energy and be much less expensive. A team of researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology IWS in Dresden has developed DRYtraec, a revolutionary method that permits cost-effective, eco-friendly manufacturing of battery electrodes. For this pioneering technology, the research scientists were presented with the Joseph von Fraunhofer Prize for 2025 at the Fraunhofer annual assembly.

Acoustic emissions expose whether a laser process runs steadily or drifts off course. Fraunhofer IWS develops acoustic monitoring systems that evaluate laser machining directly and instantly. The goal: robust, economical process control to interpret sound emissions in real time and detect deviations immediately. The Dresden Institute showcases a market-ready module at Laser World of Photonics 2025 (June 24–27, Munich) while expanding the approach to laser welding and cutting applications.