Prof. Dr. Michael Reke and Prof. Dr. Alexander Ferrein were awarded the FH Aachen Research Prize for developing a cross-vehicle software architecture for autonomous vehicles.

The university emphasized the importance of curiosity-driven research and its role in mobility, sustainability, and digitalization. The prize, sponsored by the Sparkasse Aachen Citizens Foundation, recognizes outstanding research and innovation, with additional support from the FH Aachen Sustainability Fund.

Both researchers expressed their gratitude for the prize, which they plan to use to further their vision. The university celebrates the research prize as an annual event, highlighting the importance of research freedom and academic collaboration.

➀ According to a recent study, UNSW scientists are investigating nanomedicine to develop more affordable and environmentally friendly agrichemicals.

➁ Dr. Cong Vu, from the School of Chemistry at UNSW, realized that the nanoparticles created for delivering medications to cancer cells could also be used to encapsulate pesticides for farmers.

➂ Dr. Vu founded NanoSoils Bio to develop more affordable nano-agrochemicals using knowledge from nanomedicine.

➀ Many technical applications integrate new and autonomous functions, making them 'smart'. These products operate based on information from the environment and knowledge bases, evaluated through artificial intelligence methods.

➁ The success of such products depends on mastering today's innovation dynamics and increased product complexity from the idea phase through the entire lifecycle.

➂ The Fraunhofer Smart Systems Community supports companies and explores new dimensions for reliable, trustworthy, and secure applications.

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.

➀ ASML and imec have signed a new strategic partnership agreement, focusing on research and sustainability.

➁ The agreement aims to deliver valuable solutions in two areas: advancing the semiconductor industry and developing sustainable innovation initiatives.

➂ The collaboration includes ASML's full product portfolio, focusing on high-end nodes and advanced technologies.

➀ The IU Innovation Award 2025 is initiated by IU International Hochschule, in cooperation with meravis Immobiliengruppe, to honor forward-thinking ideas for the real estate and housing industry.

➁ The award aims to address the challenges of the real estate industry in achieving climate neutrality by 2045, focusing on sustainable innovation and smart energy solutions.

➂ The award ceremony will take place on May 15, 2025, at the Real Estate Arena 2025 in Hanover, providing a platform for winners to present their concepts to leading experts.

➀ Researchers at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) have demonstrated the production of climate-friendly fuels like kerosene using Power-to-Liquid (P2L) methods from CO₂, water, and green electricity.

➁ In the Kopernikus P2X project, an innovative and highly efficient co-electrolysis process has been coupled with fuel synthesis for the first time at an industrial scale of 220 kilowatts.

➂ The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) is funding this project.

➀ The HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management is part of the European research project SAFELOOP, which is advancing the development of a new generation of safe, sustainable, and high-performance lithium-ion batteries (LIB) for electric vehicles.

➁ SAFELOOP brings together 15 leading academic and industrial partners from 11 countries to develop innovative technologies for a competitive and environmentally friendly battery economy in Europe.

➂ HHL supports technology strategy and IP management, analyzing the global value chain of the LIB industry, evaluating the international patent landscape, and developing viable business models for European innovators.

➀ The IDcycLIB project, funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, has successfully concluded after three years, focusing on sustainable battery lifecycle development.

➁ A significant achievement was the transition of cathode production to an aqueous process, enhancing sustainability and economic viability of battery recycling.

➂ The project developed a digital battery passport system, enabling individualized data collection and tracking of battery cells throughout their lifecycle.

➀ Researchers at Rice University have developed a groundbreaking method for lithium extraction using solid-state electrolytes (SSEs) as membrane materials, achieving near-perfect lithium selectivity in aqueous solutions.

➁ The traditional lithium extraction methods are resource-intensive and environmentally harmful. The new method using SSE membranes in an electrodialysis system can achieve high lithium purity levels efficiently.

➂ This breakthrough could provide a sustainable solution for lithium harvesting, reducing reliance on mining and chemical-intensive purification processes, and potentially inspiring new technologies for extracting other critical elements.

➀ The EU project led by Empa significantly improved batteries for electric vehicles over four years;

➁ The goal was to scale new materials and technologies to market as quickly as possible;

➂ The project developed a new battery module with higher energy density, better environmental footprint, and improved safety features.

➀ Epishine, a Swedish specialist in printed organic solar cells, is collaborating with tesa, an adhesive tape manufacturer, to develop printed electronics production processes.

➁ The aim is to integrate printed solar cells, flexible sensors, or interactive displays on adhesive substrates.

➂ Jona Bergqvist, CTO of Epishine, highlights the challenges in selecting encapsulation adhesives for organic and printed electronics.

The formal inauguration of Prof. Dr. Martin Braun as the director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Energy Economics and Energy System Technology IEE in Kassel was held recently. The event was accompanied by a symposium on 'Sustainable and Smart Energy Systems,' which addressed the central challenges and future perspectives of the energy transition. The focus was on the current key themes of the Institute: resilience, digitalization, and sector coupling.

In his speech, Timon Gremmels, the Minister for Science, Research, Art, and Culture of Hesse, welcomed Prof. Braun to his new position and emphasized the importance of the work of Fraunhofer IEE in the transition to renewable energies. Prof. Constantin Häfner, the Board Member for Research and Transfer at Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, also praised Prof. Braun's contributions to the practical application of research results in the economy.

Prof. Martin Braun, who has significantly shaped the development of Fraunhofer IEE for many years, views the leadership of the Institute as a central responsibility. The Institute aims to develop innovative solutions for the design and automation of energy plants and the entire energy system, with a particular emphasis on close collaboration with partners from science and industry.

Fraunhofer Heinrich-Hertz-Institut (HHI) has initiated the SUSTAINET project, a €30 million research effort to develop sustainable and resilient network technologies. The project, running from January 2025 to December 2027, aims to integrate fiber optics, radio, and mobile networks to improve network availability and sustainability. It is divided into three sub-projects focusing on advanced technologies, intelligent solutions, and sustainable network architectures.

➀ Engineers at the University of Colorado Boulder have developed a thermophotovoltaic (TPV) device that challenges fundamental thermal physics by converting thermal radiation into electricity more efficiently than ever before, bypassing Planck’s law.

➁ The device, led by Assistant Professor Longji Cui, doubles the power output compared to conventional designs and operates at 1,000°C, producing power comparable to existing designs at 1,400°C.

➂ The innovation involves replacing the vacuum gap between the heat source and solar cell with an infrared-transparent glass spacer, enhancing power density and opening up commercial potential for clean electricity generation in heavy industries.

➀ The UK government has announced a £20 million investment in Orbex's Prime rocket, which will be the first orbital rocket manufactured in the UK and launched from British soil.

➁ Orbex, a UK-based private company specializing in low-cost orbital launch services, is set to launch the first Prime rocket towards the end of 2025.

➂ The Prime rocket is powered by renewable bio-propane fuel, making it an ultra-green launch system and aiming to reduce carbon emissions.

➀ The Ruhr-University Bochum and Vonovia are developing a project called EMSiQ which aims to create a sustainable energy management system in an intelligent residential area using renewable energy sources.

➁ The project integrates solar power, heat pumps, and electric mobility solutions to reduce the pressure on public power grids and minimize costs for residents.

➂ The project is funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection with around 2.9 million euros over four years.

➀ Researchers at Purdue University have developed a transparent conducting polymer, n-doped poly(benzodifurandione) (n-PBDF), which could revolutionize electrochromic displays by making them more sustainable and energy-efficient.

➁ The n-PBDF polymer acts as both a transparent conductor and an ion-storage material, simplifying device architecture and reducing power consumption.

➂ The team plans to improve film uniformity, expand compatibility with other electrochromic materials, and explore applications in batteries, solar cells, and organic LEDs.