Trade fairs, conferences and events

SPIE Optical Systems Design is an international conference on optical systems, thin-film technologies, and photonic applications. Fraunhofer IST will be represented with three contributions covering topics such as stress management in thin-film processes, microstructured bandpass filters for smart farming applications, and robust infrared coatings for the LWIR range.

From April 20 to 24, 2026, Wasserstoff Campus Salzgitter e.V. will be exhibiting at the Hannover Messe, the world's leading trade show for the manufacturing industry, at the Salzgitter AG booth. Visitors will gain insights into current projects, technologies, and applications related to hydrogen along the industrial value chain.

In this webinar, students, doctoral candidates, and graduates will gain practical insights into current application standards, trends in the job market, and how to strategically put together a compelling application package. As a speaker, Carolin Pfeiffer from Fraunhofer IST will share insights from the perspective of personnel marketing and recruiting and offer valuable practical tips.

Future Day for Girls and Boys at the Fraunhofer Campus gives school students practical insights into the research work carried out at Fraunhofer IST and WKI and provides a hands-on introduction to science and technology.

The 69th SVC Technical Conference will take place from April 25 to 30, 2026, in Long Beach and is one of the most important international events in the fields of coating, thin-film, and surface engineering. It provides a central platform for exchange between research, industry, and early-career professionals on future technologies, industrial applications, as well as digitalization and artificial intelligence. Fraunhofer IST is contributing to the conference with several presentations.

The application seminar “Plasma Technology for Optimized Adhesion” will take place on April 28, 2026, in Copenhagen and on April 29, 2026, in Vejle as a partner event with Tantec A/S, as well as on May 11 and 12, 2026, as a seminar organized by Fraunhofer IST at the Open Hybrid LabFactory in Wolfsburg. The focus will be on modern plasma and corona technologies for targeted surface activation and adhesion optimization. Topics covered will include the COAD® process, sustainable surface functionalization, process control, and current trends in plasma technology.

The Circularity Days 2026 conference will address key issues relating to sustainable, circular production. In an interdisciplinary exchange between industry and science, current research results, technological innovations, and strategic approaches to implementing circular value chains will be presented. The event thus offers a compact overview of developments, challenges, and solutions in the context of sustainable mobility and manufacturing systems. Fraunhofer CCEM is co-organizer of the conference.

The Salon der Wissenschaft (engl. Salon of Science) on June 3, 2026, in Braunschweig brings science and society into direct dialogue. In personal discussion rounds, researchers from the region talk with interested parties about current topics of the future. Dr. Philipp Farr represents Fraunhofer IST with the topic of precision optical coatings.

On June 9, 2026, Fraunhofer IST is hosting the 48th edition of the Industry Working Group on Tool Coatings and Cutting Materials (IAK) in Braunschweig. The event will focus on current developments in tool coating and machining technology for aircraft construction, including new tool and cutting concepts, the machining of lightweight and high-strength materials, as well as CVD diamond, plasma processes, and simulation. The IAK is organized by Fraunhofer IST in collaboration with Fraunhofer IPK, IWF at TU Berlin, and INPLAS e. V. On behalf of Fraunhofer IST, Dr. Sarah Baron will present CVD diamond coatings for machining with intermediate layers.

Sensor+Test 2026 is one of Europe's leading trade shows for sensor, measurement, and testing technology and will take place in Nuremberg from June 9 to 11, 2026. Fraunhofer IST will be represented in the Condition Monitoring Area, showcasing applications of thin-film sensor technology for condition monitoring and high-voltage-resistant thin-film sensors on electrical contact partners.