Press releases, interviews and news

Housing companies and real estate firms face the challenge of making their housing stock climate-neutral, affordable, and future-proof. The multitude of technical options, regulatory requirements, and funding opportunities makes decision-making complex – especially when measures are considered in isolation. Integrated district energy concepts provide clarity here: They consider heat, electricity, buildings, grids, and mobility in context, identify synergies, and provide a robust foundation for strategic investments. In this interview, Pierre Krisam from our Energy Systems Integration department explains what such a holistic approach looks like in practice and what added value it offers compared to individual measures.

Cleaner water in the Aller river, in groundwater, and in agricultural areas – that is the goal of a joint project between Wolfsburg’s wastewater treatment facilities and the Fraunhofer Institutes UMSICHT and ISI. This is to be achieved with the help of a fourth treatment stage at the Wolfsburg-Stahlberg wastewater treatment plant. For the first time, the combination of membrane filtration with a regenerable adsorbent resin stage and activated carbon will be tested. This is expected to eliminate trace substances much more effectively and efficiently in the future. Concurrently, measures at Wolfsburg Hospital will reduce pollution from X-ray contrast agents.

How can small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) implement digital technologies and climate-friendly energy solutions more quickly and effectively? This question is at the heart of the newly launched joint research project “EQUIT – Campus2Company.” The objective: to sustainably strengthen knowledge transfer between research institutions and SMEs in the EmscherAchse+ region – and thus make a concrete contribution to the digital and energy transformation of the economy in the northern Ruhr region.

Fraunhofer UMSICHT operates a laboratory and technical research center in Dortmund dedicated to the development of materials based on fungal mycelium and has consolidated its research activities on mycelium-based materials under the FungiFacturing® brand. The open participatory lab formerly known as DEZENTRALE has evolved into a research facility with a robust infrastructure dedicated to developing mycelium as a sustainable material.

Practical research, interdisciplinary collaboration, and a strong sense of teamwork characterize Tadashi Kadowaki’s work at Fraunhofer UMSICHT. The mechanical engineering student is writing his master’s thesis in the “Power to Chemicals” department and works closely with his team. In this interview, he talks about his path to UMSICHT, his day-to-day research tasks, and why the collegial work environment is particularly important to him.

Advancing the circular economy in the metalworking and chemical industries – that is the goal of the “SäureWert” research project. Recovering acids and valuable resources reduces the demand for primary raw materials and the volume of hazardous waste. This conserves resources, cuts costs, and reduces environmental impact. Fraunhofer UMSICHT, together with project partner FNE Entsorgungsdienste Freiberg GmbH, is paving the way for industrial application.

The UMSICHT Research School was launched ten years ago. Its objective: to support doctoral candidates on their way to a doctorate – within three to four years. The figures show that the Research School concept has proven its worth: To date, almost 90 graduates have successfully completed their dissertations. We spoke to some of them about their experiences, including Dr. Christian Geitner.

Plastics are essential for the electrical industry – they insulate and protect and must therefore be heat-resistant, flame-retardant, and mechanically robust, for example. Currently, fossil-based plastics such as polyamides or polycarbonates are predominantly used for this purpose, and there is a lack of bio-based alternatives. In the recently launched two-year joint research project "HighTechPLA," Fraunhofer UMSICHT works with partners* to develop a bio-based high-performance compound based on polylactic acid (PLA).

Fraunhofer UMSICHT analyzed the environmental impact of sewer pipe rehabilitation for the companies RelineEurope GmbH and Impreg GmbH. The institute used life cycle assessment to compare the rehabilitation of sewer pipes using the liner method (CIPP: cure-in-place pipe) with the replacement of pipes with new concrete pipes.

The UMSICHT Research School is celebrating its tenth anniversary. Since its founding, it has supported doctoral students on their path to a doctorate and provided opportunities for exchange, structure, and support. The numbers show that the concept is working: around 90 doctoral students have already successfully completed the program. In this interview, initiator Prof. Dr.-Ing. Anna Grevé talks about how it all began – and what makes the UMSICHT Research School what it is today.