➀ Researchers at the Chemnitz University of Technology are studying the efficiency of organic solar cells;

➁ The slow current flow in organic solar cells is due to the disordered structure of the light-absorbing layers;

➂ Transport resistance, caused by slow charge carriers, reduces the fill factor and power output of the solar cells.

➀ Researchers are developing nuclear batteries that could last for decades or even millennia without recharging, offering a promising alternative to lithium-ion batteries.

➁ The technology uses carbon-14, a radioactive isotope of carbon, which emits beta particles that can be safely shielded with thin materials.

➂ By enhancing the energy conversion efficiency through a titanium dioxide-based semiconductor sensitized with a ruthenium-based dye, the researchers achieved a significant increase in efficiency from 0.48% to 2.86%.

➀ The University of Stuttgart will showcase its groundbreaking research and innovative projects at Hannover Messe 2025;

➁ The Center for Integrated Quantum Science and Technology (IQST) is focusing on photonic chips for quantum computers and networks;

➂ The Cluster of Excellence IntCDC is researching sustainable, resource-conserving construction methods.

➀ Researchers at JILA and the Technical University of Vienna have discovered a resonant mode in thorium atom nuclei with a low temperature coefficient, which could be a replacement for atomic oscillators in national-level frequency standards.

➁ The preferred isotope is 229mTh, which has nuclear resonances in the ultraviolet, accessible by lasers.

➂ The team found a transition with almost cancelled effects, shifting only 62kHz across the measurement range, showing great promise for precision timekeeping.

➀ The Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) is establishing a unique research environment at the High Power Grid Lab (HPGL) to study the behavior of innovative power grid components under realistic conditions.

➁ The test platform is designed to mimic real power grids and will focus on low and medium voltage networks for regional electricity distribution.

➂ The HPGL is scheduled to be operational by 2030 and is being funded with 32.8 million euros from the Helmholtz Association's strategic expansion investment fund.

➀ Researchers from the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) have developed a thin solid electrolyte membrane using a dry process. This membrane is significantly thinner than traditional solid electrolyte membranes, enhancing energy density while reducing battery size.

➁ The new membrane is achieved by fibrillating binder materials under mechanical shear force, resulting in a thickness of just 18µm. This compares favorably to the 1 mm thick membranes commonly used today.

➂ ETRI plans to further optimize ion conductivity and electrode interface stability. Preliminary tests using a pouch-type cell show promising results, indicating potential for commercial application.

➀ The University of Saarland's research team, led by Professors Stefan Seelecke and Paul Motzki, has developed a new climate technology that is more energy-efficient and sustainable than current methods.

➁ The technology, called Elastocaloric, uses thin wires and sheets made of nickel-titanium to transport heat through deformation.

➂ The team is working on prototypes for vehicles and aims to have the technology ready for practical use within five years.

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 The Hochschule Heilbronn (HHN) and OPTIMA pharma GmbH have entered into a comprehensive cooperation agreement.

➁ The partnership aims to advance the connection between science and medium-sized industry in the region and address the skilled labor shortage.

➂ A new degree program in 'Artificial Intelligence and Industrial Digitalization' is to meet the specific needs of the industry.

Dr. Kathrin Goldammer has been appointed as a Honorary Professor at HTW Berlin, starting from the summer semester of 2025. She brings extensive practical experience in the energy sector and expertise in applied energy research to the Bachelor and Master programs in Renewable Energies.

Goldammer has been teaching at HTW Berlin as a lecturer since 2023, focusing on the economic aspects of renewable energy utilization.

Her teaching focuses on energy and electricity economics, energy policy, and social frameworks for the use of renewable energies. Goldammer emphasizes problem-based learning, using practical cases and specific questions related to energy economics to teach her students.

➀ Students from the University of Stuttgart are launching a ferrofluid experiment aboard the REXUS sounding rocket from the European spaceport in Sweden between March 10 and 15, 2025.

➁ The mission aims to explore the performance of ferrofluid-based technologies in weightless conditions and under extreme forces and temperatures.

➂ The use of magnetic fluid is intended to improve technologies for space travel, focusing on durability and sustainability.

Students from the University of Stuttgart are launching a Ferrofluid experiment on the REXUS research rocket. The goal is to investigate how Ferrofluid-based technologies behave in microgravity and under extreme forces and temperatures. The technology could improve maintenance and sustainability of space vehicles.

The FINIX experiment tests a Ferrofluid-based pump and switch system. The students aim to demonstrate that these technologies can withstand space conditions through optimized magnetic field geometries and manufacturing processes.

The rocket is set to launch from the European Space Center in Sweden between March 10th and 15th, 2025, reaching an altitude of approximately 90 kilometers for a brief three-minute test period in zero gravity.

The University of Kiel leads an international team of researchers in creating a network of millions of synthetic 'cells'.

This breakthrough, published in Nature Communications, involves the development of a synthetic tissue that is both stable and fluid, mimicking the properties of living biological tissues.

The researchers have replicated the behavior of living cells by using a molecular machine inspired by the flagellum of swimming bacteria, studying the mechanical properties of the tissue network.

➀ Fraunhofer researchers have developed sensor systems and measuring equipment to detect leaks in hydrogen lines and tanks;

➁ The systems are designed for continuous monitoring of hydrogen shipments and facilities in the chemical industry;

➂ Multiple sensor technologies are used to provide safety equipment for various scenarios of the future hydrogen economy.

➀ The Technical University of Darmstadt has introduced a state-of-the-art humanoid robot, TALOS, to its research portfolio, marking the launch of the new Laboratory for Humanoid Robotics.

➁ TALOS, from Pal Robotics, is a versatile robot capable of handling heavy objects, climbing stairs, and interacting with humans and mechanical colleagues.

➂ The robot is equipped with advanced sensors and computing power, including an AI accelerator, to perform complex tasks and movements.

➀ The Baelz Foundation has for the 22nd time awarded outstanding Bachelor's and Master's theses;

➁ Johannes Spangler, a graduate of HBC, received the second prize in the Master's category;

➂ Spangler's thesis focused on the analysis and evaluation of refrigeration systems using new software tools.

➀ Scientists in South Korea have developed a conductive-bridge interlayer contact, overcoming efficiency limitations in 2D semiconductor-based photodiodes.

➁ This interlayer, comprising an insulating oxide material embedded with gold nanoclusters, enhances charge transport and mitigates Fermi level pinning.

➂ The technology was implemented in a tungsten disulfide photodiode, achieving improved photoresponsivity, dynamic range, and power conversion efficiency.

➀ The HEAD-Genuit-Stiftung supports the establishment of the new graduate college 'MOSAIC' at RWTH Aachen, involving the UKA and TU Berlin.

➁ The graduate college focuses on researching acoustic well-being in various indoor and outdoor spaces, with a special emphasis on the new research direction 'Soundscape'.

➂ The interdisciplinary research group considers numerous factors influencing acoustic experience, including interactions with temperature, light conditions, air quality, room height, and geometry.

➀ Swansea University has hosted a course on semiconductor cleanroom skills at its Centre for Integrative Semiconductor Materials (CISM).

➁ The course aims to equip students with the expertise to become semiconductor scientists and engineers.

➂ The facility houses an ultra-clean advanced processing environment for semiconductor processing.

➀ The UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) has decided to abandon the current program of experiments into controlled thermo-nuclear fusion using ICSE (Intermediate Current Stability Experiment).

➁ The authority has concluded that it is not the best time to construct the large apparatus due to the extensive effort and resources required.

➂ ICSE was initially announced in the 1959/60 Annual Report for UKAEA, intended for fundamental studies without power-producing potential.