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The test environment for the digital battery passport has gone live. In this first phase, it helps battery manufacturers and suppliers prepare for the battery passport — which is set to become mandatory across the EU from February 2027 — through data validation and eleven distinct test scenarios. These allow companies to verify that their data meets EU standards and that their battery passport solutions interoperate smoothly within the wider battery ecosystem. The project draws on the input of more than 100 associate and supporting partners, whose requirements help keep the test environment firmly geared to real-world needs.

The digital product passport (DPP) is taking shape: At the international conference DPP4EU 2026 (June 1–3, Brussels), the recently published European technical standards for the DPP will be presented to a broad audience of experts. The Fraunhofer Institute for Production Systems and Design Technology IPK played a key role in their development and supports companies and associations in their implementation.

See how Fraunhofer IPK is driving the digital transformation of the aerospace industry.

Initiative aims at possible collaboration in data-driven studies and discussions to increase operational efficiency.

Change at the helm of the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Systems and Design Technology IPK: The Fraunhofer Executive Board has appointed Prof. Dr.-Ing. Holger Kohl to serve as acting director of the institute effective April 1, 2026.

The oldest Fraunhofer Institute in Berlin will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2026. Founded in the divided city and thriving in the federal capital, we have been reinventing production for half a century. Our mission is to use digital tools and methods to make manufacturing economical, resource-efficient, and human-centered.

From November 18 to 21, 2025, Fraunhofer IPK will be presenting its latest developments in the field of additive manufacturing at Formnext 2025 in Frankfurt. The focus will be on post-processing and the processing of demanding materials. Innovative solutions for electron beam melting (EB-PBF) of materials that are difficult to weld, as well as cold spray processes for coating hard materials and copper are at the center of attention.

Compile an emissions balance sheet, evaluate climate-protection measures and implement the most efficient of these first: Researchers from three Fraunhofer institutes have developed a method with which companies from all sectors are able, based on scenarios, to evaluate their climate-protection measures in accordance with ecological and economic criteria.

Cleaning with carbon dioxide (CO₂) is a promising approach to clean components dry and residue-free without the use of harmful chemicals or energy-intensive downstream processes. At parts2clean from October 7 to 9 in Stuttgart, Fraunhofer IPK will present various CO₂-based cleaning processes.

Trying to assess the effects of research and innovation is a recurring topic in science worldwide. A macroeconomic impact study by Fraunhofer IPK and Fraunhofer ISI now confirms that a national research network in Brazil contributes to 0.66 percent of the country‘s gross domestic product (GDP).

Wherever the machine tool music plays, we are there: From September 22 to 26, 2025, Fraunhofer IPK will be presenting solutions at EMO in Hannover together with the IWF of the Technische Universität Berlin. In the Sustainability Area of the VDW – Verein Deutscher Werkzeugmaschinenfabriken e.V. (German Machine Tool Builders' Association), we will be showcasing energy monitoring and digital assistance for production personnel.

Wacken, space, and science – how does that fit together? With Wacken Space Camp! At this year's Wacken Open Air music festival, numerous partners from industry, science, and space organizations came together to provide information about astronomy, space travel, and space technology directly on the festival grounds. Right in the middle of it all: Fraunhofer AVIATION & SPACE and our extended reality expert Kathrin Konkol.

In the KIKERP project, researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Systems and Design Technology IPK are working with partners to develop an AI assistance system that evaluates refrigerators, washing machines and similar appliances that have reached the end of their useful life to determine the most effective next step: Are they suitable for repair and refurbishment, or do they need to be recycled instead? Incorporated into a cloud-based management platform, the system identifies household appliances based on images, helping to determine their quality and price so the used and refurbished products can be sold on e-commerce portals.