Press releases 2021

Since October 2020, twelve institutions of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft have been working on the development of new technologies that enable service robots to clean and disinfect public buildings and public transport in a targeted and resource-saving manner. Led by the Fraunhofer IPA, the partners in the "Mobile Disinfection" (MobDi) research project, which has now been successfully completed, joined forces within the "Fraunhofer vs. Corona" program to contribute to a "New Normal" in the lasting pandemic. The Fraunhofer Institute for Organic Electronics, Electron Beam and Plasma Technology FEP examined how effective these robots disinfect.

Scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute for Organic Electronics, Electron Beam and Plasma Technology FEP have succeeded in realizing a multicolor OLED microdisplay that consumes the lowest power of all available microdisplays with an extended range of applications compared to monochrome displays. This OLED microdisplay was realized within the "Backplane" project funded by the Saxon State Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour and Transport (SMWA, funding reference: 100392259). It will be presented at CES, January 05 – 08, 2022, in Las Vegas/USA, at the joint booth of the Organic Electronics Association (OE-A), No. 51139, at the Venetian Expo Center.

Within the project "Backplane", funded by the Saxon State Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour and Transport (SMWA, grant number: 100392259), scientists from the Fraunhofer Institute for Organic Electronics, Electron Beam and Plasma Technology FEP have succeeded in presenting a multicolor OLED microdisplay that consumes the least power compared to all available microdisplays. The new all-rounder can be seen for the first time in the exhibition at the 4th OptecNet Annual Conference, November 24  – 25, 2021, in Hannover, Germany.

In the EU-funded project NanoQI (GA number: 862055), eight partners are working together to develop an industry-ready, real-time, in-line technology for the characterization of nanomaterials. NanoQI will be the first consortium to optimize and multimodally combine X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) and X-ray reflectometry (XRR) with novel hyperspectral imaging (HSI) technology to provide industry access to real-time assessment of nano-dimensions, structure and morphology of thin film nanomaterials, as well as correlative imaging of their homogeneity and defects.

Fifty-five percent of the final energy consumption in Germany are expended for heating and air conditioning. In order to reach climate neutrality by 2050, it is essential to avoid the use of fossil fuels for heating and instead rely on the number one energy supplier: the sun. In the domains of photovoltaics and solar thermal energy collection thin film systems contribute to the effective use of a broad spectrum of solar radiation, both for electricity generation and for heating. Vacuum technologies developed by the Fraunhofer Institute for Organic Electronics, Electron Beam and Plasma Technology FEP are used to deposit layers and layer systems serving the exploitation of solar energy and the storage of heat on an industrial scale, contributing to the increased use of this important energy source.

A programme to train thousands of industry workers in the adoption and development of innovative photonics-based solutions to some of society’s biggest challenges, from environmental sustainability to healthy living and smart infrastructure, has been established by a consortium of over 50 of Europe’s top photonics competence centres.

Project launch for the joint project "InnoVET CLOU - Future Cluster for Innovative Vocational Training The project "CLOU" (FKZ 21IV007D), funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, supports adaptive and pathway-open education and training (DQR 5-7) in the chemical and pharmaceutical industry, which at the same time opens up technical innovations to vocational training. In cooperation with network partners from industry, research and education policy, this leads to excellent vocational qualification offers and learning locations.

On July 1st, 2021, Ceravis AG and the Fraunhofer Institute for Organic Electronics, Electron Beam and Plasma Technology FEP founded a collective joint venture, the "E-VITA" GmbH. The Fraunhofer spin-off is dedicated to the chemical-free, sustainable treatment of seeds and feedstuffs to free them from pathogenic fungi, bacteria and viruses.

As of June 1, 2021, Prof. Elizabeth von Hauff is the new director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Organic Electronics, Electron Beam and Plasma Technology FEP in Dresden. In addition, Prof. von Hauff has been appointed to the Technische Universität Dresden (TUD), Chair of Coating Technologies for Electronics.

On June 4, 2021, Dr. Gösta Mattausch was ceremonially appointed Honorary Professor of Electron Beam Technology at the West Saxon University of Applied Sciences Zwickau (WHZ).