Foreword

Dear Readers,

When looking at the most important results and developments in 2024 from the perspective of the Fraunhofer IMWS, the first thing that strikes me is the astonishing parallels between our institute and the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft as a whole. A focus on consolidation and strengthening our unique selling points after years of strong growth, an emphasis on entrepreneurial action, flexible management and efficient processes in our research work, an increased international reach and a clear commitment to our mission as an R&D partner to industry - all this unites the goals set by the new Fraunhofer Executive Board and the course I am pursuing for the Fraunhofer IMWS as Institute Director.

The guiding principle for this is the strategy process currently underway, in which we have continued to work on strengthening our core competencies and aligning our portfolio with the needs of our clients in 2024, for example by developing an overarching SWOT analysis and updating the respective strategies of our individual business units, in which we have also relied on external expertise, for example from our industry advisory boards. These very valuable discussions clearly showed that we are on the right track with our focus on researching reliable, high-performance and multifunctional materials to strengthen resource efficiency, sustainability and the circular economy, so that we can continue to provide competent, creative and valuable support for our customers in the future.

I also see it as confirmation of our strength that our institute is expected to end the year on strong financial footing. I am particularly pleased that we have been able to significantly increase our industry revenue in a number of business units. This is not only a sign of our ability to react to difficulties, but also that our portfolio is indeed aligned to industry needs. In an environment characterized by challenging economic developments and reduced research funding in many areas, I do not take this positive result for granted. I would like to thank all of the Institute's employees who have contributed to this and all of our clients, who have also made this possible by placing their trust in our expertise.

I also recall a proud moment in the year, with the Intel Outstanding Researcher Award awarded to Sebastian Brand and Michael Kögel for their enormous progress in the application possibilities of lock-in thermography for highly complex microelectronic components. Another good example of our targeted transfer of expertise to industry is the successful development of our spin-off matrihealth. The start-up company was able to acquire a seven-figure sum in a round of investors in 2024 in order to start the industrial production of medical-grade elastin.

For me, 2024 was also shaped by our collaborative activities, such as supporting the Research Fab Microelectronics Germany (FMD), the Fraunhofer flagship projects “MaNiTu” and “Waste4Future“, the Central German RUBIO alliance and the expansion of our international network. We have agreed to work even more closely with partners from South Korea in the field of renewable energies, and our institute was also prominently presented to an international audience of experts at the Fall Meeting of the Materials Research Society in Boston.

Pooling scientific expertise and discussing the development of markets in such networks also strengthens our institute so that we can face the challenges of the new year with confidence. For example, I am already looking forward to the Nanobrücken Conference, which will be hosted by the Fraunhofer IMWS from March 4-6, the further cooperation with the FMD - and of course to many promising project ideas and valuable research results that will emerge together with you as our partners.

 

Best regards

Prof. Dr. Erica Lilleodden

Institute Director