Seit diesem Jahr ist das Center for Economics and Management of Technologies (CEM) mit Sitz in Halle (Saale) als neue Struktureinheit am Fraunhofer IKTS integriert. Im Interview geben die Leiterin Dr. Daniela Pufky-Heinrich und der stellvertretende Institutsleiter des Fraunhofer IKTS Prof. Dr. Michael Stelter einen Einblick in die zukünftige Zusammenarbeit.

Dr. Pufky-Heinrich, you work on economic modelling and business model development at CEM. Many people first think of ceramic components and systems when they think of Fraunhofer IKTS. Where are the points of contact in this unusual combination of CEM and IKTS?

D.P.-H.: If you take a closer look, this collaboration is not that unusual. It has already proven its worth in several CEM projects with IKTS in recent years. The CEM closes a gap between the technological approach of Fraunhofer IKTS and the (techno)economic perspective. Through our interdisciplinary team of economists, business economists and engineers, we determine which technologies are economically relevant and ecologically sustainable. 

“We therefore offer well-founded decision-making options on possible development scenarios for companies, industrial parks or even municipalities and investors.”

IKTS can then transfer the technological solutions that are needed against this background to industry in a targeted manner.

M.S.: Ultimately, it is the same spirit that brings us together. We are also confronted with increasing complexity in projects and need models and simulations to develop solutions across sector boundaries. So, there is an existing affinity for mathematical solutions in simulation and process design. If we then want to drive these forward with customers up to the semi-industrial plant level, we naturally also need to know which business, operator and utilization models are realistic.

That sounds like a good match. Which sectors and companies are you focusing on?

M.S.: Due to regulation and cost pressure, there is naturally a high demand for solutions in the energy and water industry. At the same time, important issues are developing in the entire field of the bioeconomy. It is no coincidence that we are talking about a water, energy and food nexus that is becoming increasingly intertwined.

Farmers are becoming energy producers and, in future, perhaps also chemical suppliers. Water suppliers are “generating” their own energy and may soon be offering data-based services with information from wastewater. We are here to evaluate these possibilities and think them through.

D.P.-H.: Every company has its own specific challenges, but we see recurring patterns: How can existing energy and material flows be used more efficiently? Are there new recycling routes for previously unused residual materials? And what opportunities do new technologies in the field of renewable energies, hydrogen or recycling offer? These are questions that companies from SMEs to international corporations are currently faced with.

Be it the chemical industry in Saxony-Anhalt, the semiconductor industry in Saxony or the pharmaceutical and food industry in Thuringia – we would like to actively expand our existing networks in Central Germany and demonstrate with reference projects that we can support companies with concrete answers.

Prof. Stelter, you just mentioned the bioeconomy. Can you briefly explain this to us in more detail?

M.S.: Gladly. We are currently experiencing a kind of paradigm shift in the way we view natural resources. Against the backdrop of geopolitical uncertainties and a stable supply of food, energy or water, we are taking a very close look at what potential we can still leverage. This starts with production in agriculture or in controlled environments – the keyword here is vertical farming – through to the use of residual materials in the processing of wood, food and other products. At the same time, we are already seeing conflicts in the use of arable land for food or energy sources or water resources for agriculture or production. At the same time, we are increasingly looking at biomass as a source of carbon for the chemical industry. Here we must always consider and evaluate all flows in the overall picture – which brings us back to the complex models of the CEM as a significant contribution.

What do you see as the unique selling point of Fraunhofer IKTS?

M.S.: I do not think it is an exaggeration to say that we at IKTS can develop truly innovative technologies with key ceramic components. But to do this, we need to understand these components in the overall system and the production environment. This is the only way we can prove that our component is better.

“Plant engineering is playing an increasingly important role here, as it allows us to demonstrate our solutions to our partners in their own environment.”

We are already doing this for systems in the power-to-X or hydrogen sector, and we would like to do the same in other fields in the future, such as water supply or the bioeconomy. With the CEM, we can now significantly extend the balance sheet boundary and work at a level that was hardly feasible before.

D.P.-H.: I come from the chemical industry and therefore know its requirements. Imagine you want to integrate a CO₂ capture system into your existing industrial park – you not only want to know when the economic break-even point will be reached, but also how your existing processes will be affected.

Together, we can first model innovative plant concepts and then accompany them from the analysis of the specific source materials to the integration of a system into the overall process on site – this can sometimes involve containers up to 20 feet in size. This is rather unusual for a research institute. But only in this way can companies make well-founded major investment decisions.

What role does openness to innovation play in all this – in other words, the acceptance of the various stakeholders?

D.P.-H.: That is a good and important question. The acceptance of technologies by both producers and consumers is crucially determined by the messaging that accompanies innovations. Here, overarching information campaigns on the economic and social added value are just as important as the involvement of the local population.

M.S.: At IKTS, we must increasingly ensure that we, with our purely technological lens, do not overlook some important aspects. Many of our technologies are economically and ecologically sensible transformation technologies – but they also require a rethink on the part of users. And this sometimes hinders implementation. In our “Thuringian Water and Innovation Cluster ThWiC”, we have already learned how beneficial the integration of sociological expertise can be. With the CEM, we are now consistently bringing these skills and collaborations to the entire breadth of Fraunhofer IKTS.

Thank you very much. Now one final question. Dr. Pufky-Heinrich, what do you wish for in the coming years?

D.P.-H.: First of all, I would like to thank my colleagues at IKTS for how openly they have welcomed us. If the cooperation continues like this, I see a huge opportunity here to bring the innovative technologies of Fraunhofer IKTS to the world with a new business model. This will allow us to grow together in the future.

Mr. Stelter, what is your wish for IKTS with its new family member?

M.S.: I will keep it short. Together with all our partners, we want to create a Central German research area for transformation technologies that tackles the challenges of our time – pragmatically and with a focus on the future.