The Ernst-Abbe-Hochschule Jena (EAH Jena) is strengthening its international ties and actively responding to global challenges. With the DAAD-funded project 'Space, Bioprocess and Environmental Engineering, Sustainable Economy and Development' (SpEEED), the university is intensifying cooperation with partner universities in South America and Southeast Asia. The project, which runs from January 2025 to the end of 2027, focuses on developing innovative solutions for urgent issues such as climate change and increasing resource consumption.

Global cooperation for sustainable solutions: 'The major problems of our time can only be overcome through international dialogue and cooperation. SpEEED opens up new opportunities for our students to gain international experience and develop practical solutions for global issues,' explains Prof. Dr. Alexander Richter, Professor of Electrical Measurement Technology and Optoelectronics and project contact at EAH Jena.

Student benefits: More than 40 percent of EAH Jena students benefit directly from the measures within the SpEEED project. Especially students from the fields of business administration, electrical engineering and information technology, medical technology and biotechnology, and business engineering can apply for funding for international exchange programs.

➀ Researchers from the University of Glasgow and other institutions have developed compostable smart sensors to improve sustainability in digital agriculture.

➁ These sensors consist of a biodegradable patch and a reusable electronic module, reducing environmental impact by up to 79% over five years compared to traditional sensors.

➂ The sensors can monitor soil pH levels and detect harmful substances like ethephon, contributing to optimized crop production with minimal environmental harm.

➀ Battery production is crucial for industrial and climate policy, with a growing demand for energy storage systems. Challenges include raw material dependence and supply chain fragility.

➁ Advanced laser technology offers solutions for efficient, precise, and sustainable battery production, addressing issues in material processing, electrode production, and recycling.

➂ Innovations in electrode production, cell assembly, and module/pack production are highlighted, along with the integration of AI for process optimization and predictive maintenance.

➀ DigiKey推出新的视频系列《可持续未来》，关注推动环保技术创新的最新进展。

➁ 该系列由Analog Devices赞助，共有三个环节，探讨了在组织内部推动绿色技术和可持续实践的领先企业和个人。

➂ 第一集《优化可持续性》聚焦可持续制造挑战和解决方案，特别强调了灵活制造。

➃ 第二集《连接数字信号》探讨了工厂地面的数字连接和可持续性，例如嵌入式视觉系统如何帮助组织做出更明智的决策。

➄ 第三集《打造可持续未来》讨论了物流技术，例如智能物料流动、工业视觉和自动化机器人系统。

➀ The Reiner Lemoine Institute (RLI), in collaboration with other institutions, demonstrates the potential of heat storage systems in Berlin's quest for climate-neutral heating;

➁ The project highlights the importance of land availability, legal uncertainties, and geological conditions for the implementation of heat storage solutions;

➂ Seasonal heat storage systems, particularly aquifer heat storage, are suggested as suitable for Berlin, helping to shift excess heat from summer to winter and increase the use of renewable energy sources.

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.