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The “Pilot Center for Powder Synthesis and Extrusion” was officially inaugurated after a two-year construction period and adds approximately 600 m² of usable space to the facilities of the Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS in Hermsdorf. Research topics in the new building are stationary energy storage and ceramic membranes for material separation. The construction was funded by the federal government and the Free State of Thuringia with 6.4 million euros.

High-performance ceramics provide key components for liquid filtration, sensors or solid electrolyte high-temperature energy storage systems – but only if they are defect-free. To detect rejects at an early stage, researchers at Fraunhofer IKTS have developed a fast, non-destructive and in-line inspection method based on laser speckle photometry.

With modern non-destructive test methods, scientist of Fraunhofer IKTS and the research group Smart Ocean Technologies (SOT) analyze the battery state of underwater robots, so-called Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUV). Such underwater vehicles are being used more and more frequently and for longer periods of time: they inspect drilling platforms, maintain underwater gas pipelines, search for cracks in offshore wind turbines, collect marine data or map the fauna and flora on the seabed. Better battery management should now reduce deployment costs and ensure that these underwater robots can dive for longer.

In the "MAG4INK" research project, researchers from Fraunhofer IKTS, Fraunhofer FEP and the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) aim to demonstrate that flexible magnetic field sensors can be printed cost-effectively at industrially relevant scales. The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) is funding the project with a total of 1.5 million euros for three years.

The SONIQ RAIL EXPLORER (SRE), a development of Vossloh Rail Services GmbH, Fraunhofer IKTS and WOLFRAM designers and engineers, was awarded 2nd place in the SET4FUTURE Innovation Award 2021 of Saxony's Rail.S rail technology cluster.

As the first event of the Tridelta Campus Sensor Space, the Fraunhofer IKTS Sensor Space Summer School welcomed participants at the Hermsdorf Vocational School from August 6 to 8, 2021. “Learn programming!” – that was the request of all students, and it was fulfilled.

The competition for two large-scale research centers in Lusatia in Saxony and in the Central German coalfields is currently underway. The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the Free State of Saxony want to create perspectives for the coal regions. In mid-2022, the players who will be allowed to implement their scientific concept on site will be selected from the national and international applicants.

The use of hydrogen holds great potential for decarbonizing industry and thus makes an important contribution to protecting the climate. Innovative hydrogen technologies are the key to a promising and growing market. The state of Thuringia is therefore supporting the new hydrogen application center at the Erfurter Kreuz research campus “Industrial Hydrogen Technologies Thuringia (WaTTh)” with 6.9 million euros over three years. The state is providing a further 3.4 million euros for the purchase of a building in which Fraunhofer IKTS researchers can develop and test hydrogen technologies.

The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research is funding the “SAPHIR” innovation concept coordinated by TRIDELTA CAMPUS HERMSDORF e.V. with 12.7 million euros. Including the 19 project members' own contribution, the total financial volume amounts to 17.8 million euros. The funding will be used for research and development by the partners to advance the development of materials as well as products and applications in technical ceramics. The funding plays a significant role in the structural development of Hermsdorf and the entire East Thuringian region.

Due to the energy transition, new technological and resource-strategic challenges arise for the German economy and for society as a whole. Many basic materials for electromobility, fuel cells, electrolyzers, power electronics and information technology will play a much more important role in the future. Often, these high-performance materials must be imported from other countries, which is a risk for material cycles in Europe. In addition, strategically important materials are lost to the economic cycles on a large scale every year because current recycling methods are not yet matured. Fraunhofer Technology Center High Performance Materials THM in Freiberg works on innovative solutions for all of these questions. Saxon Minister of Science Sebastian Gemkow gathered information on site about the progress.

Many devices whose availability and reliability are essential are now electronically controlled. It is simply inconceivable what the consequences would be of the failure of a respirator or a vehicle assistance system. In particular, the soldered joints between the microelectronic components are of special importance. Scientists at Fraunhofer IKTS develop material models based on real measurement data for a wide variety of solder alloys in a uniquely wide temperature range. This makes virtual electronics design more accurate, faster and cheaper.

The reliable operation of safety-relevant structures, such as bridges or pipeline networks, requires holistic lifecycle management. Operators must keep an eye on safety aspects as well as on the reliability of the structure and the safeguarding of the investment. The Canadian-German project, which is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research and the National Research Council Canada, is entitled "Digital Twin Platform for Infrastructure Asset Lifecycle Management" (DTPIALM) and aims to improve the lifecycle management of critical infrastructure.

The Corona pandemic has greatly increased worldwide interest in rapid yet reliable virus testing. The Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS has now developed innovative “μPCR” laboratory modules to significantly accelerate the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for such tests. Rapid temperature changes are required for the samples, which are made possible by a combination of ceramic 3D printing and applied electronics.

Highly persistent plastic waste enters our environment via multiple ways, where it slowly weathers and decomposes into micro- and nanoparticles. Due to their hydrophobicity and small size, these particles can bind and transport pollutants. What toxicity they possess, where they remain and what damage they cause in the human body is being researched by Fraunhofer IKTS together with its partners in the EU project "PlasticsFatE".

The Battery Innovation and Technology Center (BITC), Fraunhofer IKTS site in Arnstadt, presents works by national and international artists in an art exhibition. The current collection at the institute features works by a Russian artist and a painter from Thuringia on the theme of "Viewpoints".

Fraunhofer IKTS is pleased to announce the nomination of Dr. Christoph Zeh for the Saxon Transfer Award 2021. With his know-how, he decisively advanced the spin-off of Senodis Technologies GmbH from Fraunhofer IKTS. He thus paved the way for the transfer of a technology for digital component identification to the market.

A strong alliance of Saxon scientific institutions, with numerous supporters from business and the region, wants to find groundbreaking solutions to challenges that are on the global agenda and are also particularly visible in the Saxon coal-mining region in the new “Future Factory Lusatia”. The project partners are proposing a large-scale research center to the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), in which interdisciplinary teams will combine modern technologies and circular economy principles on a realistic scale to drastically reduce the consumption of water, energy and usable land.

As of April 1, 2021, the Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS will take over the transparent ceramics division of the company CeramTec-ETEC, known for its brand name PERLUCOR^®. The institute thus significantly expands its existing competencies in the development of transparent ceramics. The technical infrastructure gained in the acquisition enables the establishment of a research and development center for transparent ceramics at the IKTS site in Hermsdorf.

How can industrial CO₂ emissions be reduced? How can material cycles be closed economically? This is being investigated by a consortium led by Fraunhofer IKTS as part of the CarbonCycleMeOH feasibility study funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), using methanol production at the Bitterfeld-Wolfen Chemical Park as an example. The study will offer process engineering and political recommendations for action to integrate the chemical industry into a renewable energy system.

During the virtual annual conference of the German Ceramic Society e. V. (DKG), Prof. Ingolf Voigt, deputy institute director and site manager Hermsdorf at Fraunhofer IKTS, was awarded the Böttger Badge. The badge has been awarded by the DKG since 1929 to individuals for their outstanding services to the interaction of industry, science and teaching.