Microelectronic components for autonomous driving, lightweight materials made of plastic for car manufacturing, durable insulation materials made from renewable materials or high-performance membranes for water desalination and hydrogen electrolysis: The Fraunhofer IMWS supplies essential knowledge and technologies, which begin on the level of a few atoms, for all these future technologies. Precise understanding of the structure and property of materials at the smallest levels enables solutions to be found for major global challenges: Materials and systems become more reliable and efficient – their life increases, demand for resources falls. In addition, it will be possible to develop innovative materials with completely new properties, for example, which are more heat resistant, lighter or can be produced with less energy than materials already known to us.
The Chancellor pointed out the importance of material research: 70 percent of all product innovations are based on new materials – this underlines the relevance of this field of research including with regard to resource efficiency and sustainability. »Following reunification the challenge in the research landscape was to create large networks out of small units. This has been achieved here in Halle in an exemplary way«, Ms. Merkel said in her talk according to information provided by the event organizer.
The new Fraunhofer Institute in Halle is the second in Saxony-Anhalt; throughout Germany there are 67 Fraunhofer Institutes and establishments. The Fraunhofer IMWS arose from the Fraunhofer Institute for Material Mechanics IWM in Freiburg/Breisgau, which had been at the Halle location since 1992.
»The foundations for the new Fraunhofer Institute were created during my time as the Minister for Economic Affairs. At that time, we established regional networks in close cooperation with Baden-Württemberg. They were the basis for the success story in Halle and thus for an efficient, independent institute. I am certain that with its thematic orientation, the Fraunhofer IMWS will establish itself as an important motor for industry in the State«, said Dr. Reiner Haseloff, Minister President of the State of Saxony-Anhalt at the official opening, during which a panel of top-class experts also »25 years of East-West research« at the Saxony-Anhalt research summit.
»The successful activities in Halle also reflect the generally positive development of the Fraunhofer Institutes in the New Länder. As we started in 1990/91, eight institutes were integrated in the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft. Today there are 14 institutes with 5000 employees in the New Länder – not including Berlin« said Prof. Reimund Neugebauer, President of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft.
The funding pledge for the new Chemical and Biosystems Engineering Centre was also handed over at the start of the Fraunhofer IMWS. In total, 13 million euros will be invested by the State of Saxony-Anhalt, the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft and the industrial partners involved. In the new high-performance center, process chains are to be optimized from the raw material through to the product.
»With the center we are helping science and industry to work together systematically and across different branches of chemical, biotechnical and biomedical research«, said Professor Ralf B. Wehrspohn, Institute Director of the Fraunhofer IMWS. »I am very pleased that with this impetus the State and the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft are further profiling the Central German chemical region, in order to develop forward-looking solutions for the chemical industry.«
Fraunhofer Institute for Microstructure of Materials and Systems IMWS