Press releases

The Fraunhofer Application Center for Optical Metrology AZOM stands for optical measurement solutions tailored to industrial needs. On June 18, 2025, more than 100 guests from industry, science, government, and academia gathered in Zwickau to mark the center’s tenth anniversary. Established as a joint initiative by Fraunhofer IWS and West Saxon University of Applied Sciences Zwickau (WHZ), AZOM today stands for hands-on research, strategic cooperation, and customized solutions for businesses – particularly small and medium-sized enterprises. The center combines optical precision with industrial applicability, thereby contributing to the region’s innovation capacity.

Electric mobility is making great strides in Germany and across Europe. Building further momentum will require an extensive build-out of production capacity for battery cells in this country. Production methods will also have to use little energy and be much less expensive. A team of researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology IWS in Dresden has developed DRYtraec, a revolutionary method that permits cost-effective, eco-friendly manufacturing of battery electrodes. For this pioneering technology, the research scientists were presented with the Joseph von Fraunhofer Prize for 2025 at the Fraunhofer annual assembly.

Acoustic emissions expose whether a laser process runs steadily or drifts off course. Fraunhofer IWS develops acoustic monitoring systems that evaluate laser machining directly and instantly. The goal: robust, economical process control to interpret sound emissions in real time and detect deviations immediately. The Dresden Institute showcases a market-ready module at Laser World of Photonics 2025 (June 24–27, Munich) while expanding the approach to laser welding and cutting applications.

A new testing system shall detect leaks in filter modules automatically, non-destructively, and in real time. DBI Gas- und Umwelttechnik spearheads the CLeo project, where the system is currently under development. The Fraunhofer Application Center for Optical Metrology and Surface Technologies AZOM contributes a laser-based leak detection method and an AI-driven analysis process. The system aims to fundamentally improve the currently manual quality control in membrane production. It will help reduce production costs, meet environmental standards, and ensure the long-term quality of industrial filtration systems – efficiently, precisely, and sustainably.

Dr. Filofteia-Laura Toma, Senior Research Scientist at the Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology IWS in Dresden, has been named the recipient of the 2025 “TSS President’s Award for Meritorious Service”. Presented on May 7 by the U.S.-based Thermal Spray Society (TSS), the award honors her scientific excellence and her long-standing leadership within the international materials engineering community.

In an effort to improve both the cost efficiency and quality of hydrogen-powered vehicle production, a consortium of Fraunhofer Institutes is developing innovative manufacturing techniques for fuel cells as part of the “H2GO” project. Key innovations originate from the Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology IWS and the Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology IWU. Engineers from Dortmund, Dresden, and Chemnitz are creating modular components for bipolar plate (BPP) production lines, which are crucial elements of fuel cell stacks.

On February 19, 2025, the Fraunhofer Founder Award, endowed with 50,000 euros, was presented to Fusion Bionic GmbH. The Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology IWS’s spin-off impressed with its bio-inspired laser technology, creating a new standard in ultrafast surface processing for a wide range of industrial applications.

The scarcity of raw materials poses severe challenges to global industries. Recycling and the increased use of secondary raw materials have become essential for many companies. At the same time, rising raw material prices and uncertainties in supply chains are driving further research into materials. The Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology IWS in Dresden is now involved in a new Fraunhofer flagship project, which aims to ensure the supply of structurally and functionally secure materials, particularly for the energy transition.

The development of a continuous process chain for the sinter-based additive manufacturing of nickel-based alloys is at the center of the “Simsalabim” project. The Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials IFAM in Dresden together with the Dresden University of Applied Sciences (HTW) and the Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology IWS are addressing all steps from design and sintering simulation through to verification on real parts. The requirements of the industrial manufacturers and endusers are incorporated through close exchange of feedback.

Making harvesting robots, submarine grippers, and autonomous rovers on distant planets more universally applicable and autonomous in the future – researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology IWS in Dresden work on enabling them to “feel”: In various projects, they are working with academic and industrial partners on biomimetic artificial grippers. Combining 3D and dispensing printing with other technologies shall achieve this – fish also have a major influence.