➀ Saarland University researchers are developing lightweight elastomer films for smart textiles, touch displays, and speakers with haptic feedback.
➁ These films can be precisely controlled to vibrate, flex, press, or pull using electrical voltage.
➂ The research focuses on creating more efficient, stable, sensitive, and responsive smart film actuators.
➀ The Technische Hochschule Aschaffenburg offers Bachelor's degree programs in Electrical and Information Engineering and Business Engineering for working professionals looking to advance their careers.
➁ The programs, offered in collaboration with the Hochschule Darmstadt and supported by the zfh – Zentrum für Fernstudien im Hochschulverbund, combine self-study phases with on-campus sessions for high flexibility.
➂ The labs of TH Aschaffenburg are integrated into the on-campus events and can be used for research and thesis work.
The IDA Institute strengthens its further development in the research and development sector.
The research institute, as a successful part of the regional innovation system, achieves this through various cooperations.
The IDA ends its fiscal year 2024 with record third-party funding, patents, and invention notifications. The institute has raised more than 5.7 million euros in third-party funding since 2019 and currently employs thirteen staff. The IDA cooperates closely with universities, universities, and industry. These collaborations enable mutual exchange of ideas between IDA, business, and society. The Institute achieves a regional reputation with its expertise and provides effective research and development support for large companies as well as small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Research partners benefit from well-equipped laboratories, participation in in-house training, and the opportunity to obtain a guest researcher status, as well as the granting and supervision of bachelor's, master's, and doctoral theses. There is also the possibility of completing a doctorate in collaboration with universities. Doctoral students can remain in the IDA or in the regional industry. "This has the advantage that the region is supplied with scientifically trained personnel and this personnel does not have to migrate to urban areas," says Professor Jürgen Ulm, director of the IDA Institute.
➀ ETH Zürich researchers have developed an ultra-wideband MHz to THz plasmonic EO modulator that achieves terahertz data transmission;
➁ The modulator can convert data signals with frequencies above 1 Terahertz efficiently into optical signals for transmission through fiber optic networks;
➂ The technology could have applications in 6G mobile networks, medical imaging, material analysis, and high-performance measurement technology.
➀ A research team in Saarland, Germany is developing miniaturized pumps and valves using dielectric elastomeric silicone films, which are lightweight, compact, and energy-efficient.
➁ These devices operate without compressed air, motors, or lubricants and are suitable for cleanroom environments.
➂ The technology is scalable and can be used in various applications, including automotive, medical, pharmaceutical, and industrial processing.
➀ Dr. Kathrin Goldammer has been appointed as an honorary professor at HTW Berlin, Faculty 1 Engineering – Energy and Information.
➁ She brings extensive experience in the energy industry and expertise in applied energy research to the renewable energy programs.
➂ Goldammer's professorship focuses on the energy and electricity industry, energy policy, and the social framework for the use of renewable energy.
➀ Researchers at the Fritz-Haber Institute have made progress in electrocatalysis, revealing how catalysts can remain in unexpected forms during nitrate reduction processes.
➁ The study, published in Nature Materials, uses advanced microscopy and spectroscopy techniques to observe changes in catalysts during reactions, challenging previous assumptions about catalyst behavior.
➂ The findings could pave the way for more efficient catalyst designs, particularly in ammonia production from nitrates, offering a potential alternative to traditional Haber-Bosch process with reduced carbon emissions.
