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In pharmaceutical production, the interaction of particles with surfaces plays a decisive role. Whether these particles – either in the form of active ingredients or granules – adhere or are easily detached depends on the properties of the surfaces involved. Depending on the product and process, the specific requirements for the production and subsequent application of various medicinal products can vary: For example, strong adhesion can be important in the formulation of stable dosage forms, whereas in other cases the prevention of deposits is crucial in order to avoid expensive cleaning steps.

The Sunrise III mission is an international research project with the aim of investigating the physical processes in the Sun’s atmosphere. At the Fraunhofer IST, special filters were coated which are essential components of the scientific instruments on board the balloon-borne observatory. These high-precision filters enable solar observations to be performed with previously unattainable accuracy, thereby contributing towards research into solar activity and its influence on space weather. We spoke to our colleague Stefan Bruns, who was involved in the work at the Fraunhofer IST.

Integrative Nanotech, a dynamic spin-off from the renowned Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films IST, has joined forces with its parent institution to revolutionize hydrogen leak detection. This strategic partnership will significantly accelerate the development of next-generation hydrogen leak detection systems and prove their production methods on industrial-scale production systems. In this interview, Dr. Hunter King talks about the path to the spin-off, the unique selling points of Integrative Nanotech and the collaboration with Fraunhofer IST.

Efficient purification of effluent from wastewater treatment plants in order to enable its reuse in crop irrigation - This is the aim of the European research project “Sustainable Electrochemical Reduction of contaminants of emerging concern and Pathogens in WWTP effluent for Irrigation of Crops – SERPIC”. Graduate engineer Dr. Jan Gäbler from the Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films IST tells us exactly what the project is all about and what makes the work so exciting.

Sustainability management and life cycle assessments are gaining in importance on the road towards climate neutrality. In order to sensitize and qualify employees from widely differing areas such as purchasing and sales or (prospective) sustainability managers, the demand for suitable further-training formats is increasing. We spoke to Education Manager Doris Jandel about the new Fraunhofer IST certificate course on the topic of sustainability in companies, which starts on the 9th of April 2024.

Sustainability, circular economy, energy and resource efficiency - catchwords that are currently on everybody’s lips. Companies are faced with the major challenge of meeting the growing demands of a sustainability strategy and thereby providing a contribution towards a climate-friendly and resource-conserving future. The topic of sustainability also plays a significant role at the Fraunhofer IST; the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals is an integral part of many projects at the institute. With this in mind, the Fraunhofer IST is establishing the new “Sustainability Management and Life Cycle Engineering” department. In the following interview, Head of Department Prof. Dr. Stephan Krinke presents the goals, tasks and requirements.

In collaboration with Wirtschaftsregion Helmstedt GmbH and the Fraunhofer IKTS, the Fraunhofer IST has been working since 1st November 2023 on the establishment of an innovation center for knowledge and technology transfer in the Helmstedt coal-mining region. The aim is to instigate projects with a business-oriented research and development perspective and to then successfully implement them with regional partners from business, science and politics in collaboration with other Fraunhofer institutes. Dr. Guido Hora, Business Development Manager at the Fraunhofer IST, will be responsible for the internal Fraunhofer coordination and will initiate the establishment of a contact office. In this interview, he presents the goals, tasks and requirements of the project.

In today’s digitalized world, companies are becoming increasingly dependent on information and communication technologies, as a result of which they are exposed to both internal and external threats from hacker attacks. A functioning IT infrastructure and highly effective IT security measures are therefore an essential factor for corporate success. At the Fraunhofer campus in Braunschweig, this area is the responsibility of a 9-person team, which, in addition to operational-continuity management, performs other key tasks such as the development and implementation of security concepts for new institute locations. In the following interview, Andreas Schlechtweg, Head of the IT department, reveals to us the special challenges of working in a research institution and what fascinates him about it.

Living on the Moon? This may perhaps sound somewhat unrealistic today, but the urbanization of the Moon is one of the future topics in space travel. Limited resources on the Moon, the lack of fossil fuels, and extreme conditions such as very high and very low temperatures and a different day/night rhythm necessitate new ideas for energy supply and for the production of the required components and parts.

To come straight to the point: No, assuming it is not coated. Any body with a temperature above absolute zero (-273.15°C) emits electromagnetic radiation whose wavelength λ is linked to its absolute temperature T in Kelvin (K) through Wien's displacement law (named after its discoverer, Wilhelm Wien (1864 - 1928)). Evolution endowed us with eyes with which we are able to see a tiny section of the electromagnetic spectrum, namely wavelengths of between around 400 nm and 750 nm. Longer wavelength radiation is perceived by us as heat, whilst shorter wavelength radiation tans our skin and damages it if such radiation is enjoyed to excess. For thermal radiation, we must distinguish between the near (NIR, λ = 780 ... 3,000 nm), mid (MIR, λ = 3,000 ... 50,000 nm), and far (FIR, λ = 50,000 ... 1,000,000 nm) infrared.