Trade fairs, conferences and events

Why do we need hydrogen? The answer is simple: For a climate-neutral economy. Wherever direct electrification is not possible, hydrogen can replace fossil fuels - directly or in bonded form for example as powerfuel Where can I get hydrogen and how can I use it? Green hydrogen is produced by splitting water with the help of renewable energies. In our program, you will learn how to produce, transport and use green hydrogen. In the process we share with you the latest research knowledge from the Fraunhofer IST and show you how hydrogen is already being used by our associate companies. You will have the opportunity to exchange ideas with scientists and entrepreneurs, but you will also get an introduction to the components of tomorrow's hydrogen economy. You don't need any prior knowledge. We will start from where you are now. We look forward to meeting you!

The Hannover Messe is the most important international platform for all technologies related to industrial transformation. It will take place from March 31 to April 4, 2025. Numerous exhibitors, speakers and visitors are expected again this year. In particular, the electrical engineering & electronics, mechanical and plant engineering, automation technology, research and development, and automotive and vehicle industries will be represented at the fair. The guiding theme of this year's Hannover Messe is “shaping the future with technology”. The Fraunhofer IST is participating in the trade fair with the Zukunftslabor Circular Economy and the Wasserstoff Campus Salzgitter at two booths.

The 32nd CIRP Conference on Life Cycle Engineering (LCE2025) will take place in Manchester from April 7-9 and will provide a platform for researchers, academics and professionals to exchange ideas on life cycle engineering and sustainability. Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christoph Herrmann will give a keynote speech on the first day of the conference, followed by a presentation by Svenja Weber-Harmann on life cycle assessment on the second day.

The pro flex conference, launched by the Fraunhofer FEP in 2004, is an important event for the roll-to-roll processing of flexible materials. It consists of a combination of plenary lectures, a tour of the Fraunhofer FEP laboratories, a poster session and a get-together. The Fraunhofer IST is participating in the conference program with a lecture on the topic “Expansion of the deposition of thermochromic coatings based on vanadium dioxide for large surfaces”.

The SVC Technical Conference, one of the most important conferences in the field of coatings, thin films and surface technology, is taking place for the 68th time. From May 19 – 22, 2025, the event will once again open its doors in Nashville to researchers, industry representatives, decision-makers and newcomers, creating a space for the exchange of ideas on the importance of coating and surface technology in products and services in our daily lives, but also on the influence of artificial intelligence on the industry. This year, the Fraunhofer IST is represented at a joint booth together with the Fraunhofer IWS and FEP as well as Fraunhofer USA. The Fraunhofer IST contributes to the SVC program with its expertise in the fields of “Optical Systems and Applications” and “Diamond-Based Systems and CleanTech”.

The Optica OIC - Optical Interference Coatings Conference is the world's leading conference in the field of optical interference coatings. It will take place in Tucson, Arizona, from May 19 to 23 and offers its participants various lectures and poster presentations as well as an active exhibition. In addition, there are numerous opportunities for discussion and networking. The Fraunhofer IST is participating in the conference program with several short lectures on posters.

The webinar “CO2-Fußabdruck in der Dünnschichttechnik | Herausforderungen für Wirtschaft und Wissenschaft“ (engl. CO2-Footprint in Thin Film Technology | Challenges for Business and Science) will take place from May 26-27, 2025. The event is particularly relevant in the context of climate change, as it contributes to the development towards a CO2-neutral economy. Experts from business and science will present solutions for reducing emissions and using the new reporting obligation as a competitive advantage. The director of the Fraunhofer IST, Prof. Dr.-Ing Christoph Herrmann, will give a lecture on sustainability assessments and life cycle engineering as innovation drivers for coating and surface technology.

On June 4 and 5, 2025, the Fraunhofer IST will be represented at the vocatium Braunschweig/Wolfsburg with over 100 other exhibitors to introduce itself as an employer to pupils and students. In pre-scheduled talks, the participants can obtain comprehensive information about training and studies from the exhibitors. The Fraunhofer IST trains physics laboratory technicians, surface coating technicians, IT specialists and office management assistants. Furthermore, the institute offers students the opportunity to work during their studies.

In the “Salon der Wissenschaft” (engl. Salon of Science), participants will have personal discussions with scientists from the region on topics such as sustainability, climate protection, digitalization, healthcare, mobility, education and much more. The Fraunhofer IST will be represented this year by Dr. Dennis Barton.

Music meets science - on June 21, 2025, TU Braunschweig's North Campus will open its doors for a one-day festival. In addition to a scientific supporting program with hands-on experiments and exciting keynotes, there will be live music and a DJ. The Wasserstoff Campus Salzgitter, whose office is managed by the Fraunhofer IST, is part of the scientific program and is looking forward to presenting its activities in demonstrative experiments and also to exchanging ideas with all interested parties.

Automatica is the leading international trade fair for intelligent automation and robotics and will take place in Munich from June 24 to 27, 2025. The focus will be on the topics of digitalization and AI, sustainable production and the future of work. The Fraunhofer IST is presenting on the topic of "In-process monitoring using integrated thin-film sensors" with the Fraunhofer autoMOBILE Production Alliance at the joint booth of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft.

The Laser World of Photonics is the world's leading trade fair for photonics components, systems and applications. Its 27th edition will take place in Munich from June 24-27, 2025. This year, once again 1.300 exhibitors from 40 different countries and 40.000 trade visitors are expected to attend, where they can exchange ideas about the latest trends, challenges and future prospects in photonics technology. The Fraunhofer IST will be represented at the Fraunhofer joint booth and will be exhibiting with a focus on optical coatings.

The 15th International Conference on HIPIMS provides a platform among leading international scientists, engineers and students for a discussion of recent achievements in High Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering plasma and coating technology. The 15th HIPIMS conference will take place from June 25-26, 2025 at the Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films IST in Braunschweig, Germany.