Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials IFAM

Fraunhofer IFAM – Research shaping the future

Fraunhofer IFAM is one of Europe's leading independent research institutions in the fields of adhesive bonding technology, surfaces, shaping, and functional materials. Our mission: We develop innovative solutions for key future topics such as sustainable mobility, the energy transition, the digitalization of production, and resource efficiency – and bring them to industrial application.

With about 700 employees at locations in BremenDresdenStadeWolfsburg BraunschweigHelgoland and Cuxhaven

we offer a wide range of expertise:

  • Material development & functional materials: From metallic, polymer, and hybrid materials to battery materials and smart materials.
  • Shaping & additive manufacturing: Technologies such as powder metallurgy, 3D printing, and sintering processes enable innovative component designs and high-precision applications.
  • Adhesive bonding & surface technology: Solutions for secure, durable joining and the targeted functionalization of surfaces – essential in aviation, automotive engineering, and medical technology.
  • Automation & digitalization: Development of intelligent manufacturing processes, robot-assisted application systems, and automated quality assurance solutions.
  • Qualification & technology transfer: We impart expertise to specialists and decision-makers from industry and research through a wide range of training courses.

Discover our projects, technologies, and expertise – and find out how we can shape the industry of tomorrow together.

Fraunhofer IFAM on LinkedIn

🚀 Halbzeit im Projekt KORALU

𝗞𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗸𝘁𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗶𝘇𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲 𝗔𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗯𝗲 𝗳ü𝗿 𝗱𝗶𝗲 𝗸𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗲𝘂𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗟𝘂𝗳𝘁𝗳𝗮𝗵𝗿𝘁

Wie entwirft man einen elektrischen Flugantrieb 30 Prozent schneller – und dabei ressourceneffizienter? Im Rahmen des 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗸𝘁𝘀 𝗞𝗢𝗥𝗔𝗟𝗨 arbeiten wir an der Antwort. Beim 2. Konsortialtreffen am Fraunhofer IFAM in Bremen haben die Projektpartner den aktuellen Stand diskutiert, technische Ergebnisse vorgestellt und die nächsten Schritte abgestimmt.

𝗜𝗺 𝗙𝗼𝗸𝘂𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗻:
✅ Live-Demo parametrischer Modelle für 3D-gedruckte Verschaltungsringe – automatisierte Designvariation auf Knopfdruck
✅ Additive Wicklungskomponenten für E-Motoren – weniger Material, mehr Designfreiheit
✅ Durchgängige Optimierungskette: Elektromagnetik-, Thermik- und Fertigungsmodelle verknüpft
✅ Kreislaufgerechtes Design von Anfang an: Demontage, Remanufacturing und Additive Repair als Entwurfskriterien

𝗗𝗶𝗲 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘃𝗼𝗻 𝗞𝗢𝗥𝗔𝗟𝗨: Elektrische Flugantriebe schneller, kompakter und ressourceneffizienter entwickeln – mithilfe automatisierter Designmethoden, additiver Fertigung und einer konsequenten Betrachtung des gesamten Lebenszyklus. 𝗭𝗶𝗲𝗹: Entwicklungszeit um 30 Prozent reduzieren, Ressourceneffizienz um 25 Prozent steigern.

Besonders gefreut hat uns der Austausch mit unserer neuen Projektträger-Betreuung beim DLR Projektträger – ein frischer Blick und sehr gute Zusammenarbeit! Ein herzliches Dankeschön auch an alle Projektpartner für den intensiven Austausch und die sehr gute Zusammenarbeit. Wir freuen uns auf die nächste Projektphase – jetzt geht es an die weitere Integration der entwickelten Werkzeuge und Demonstratoren! ✈️⚙️

Bei Fragen wenden Sie sich gerne an Michael Gröninger und Dennis Jahnke vom Fraunhofer IFAM.

Das Projekt wird im Rahmen des Luftfahrtforschungsprogramms LuFo durch das Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Energie gefördert.

#IFAMdrivesInnovation

𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗸𝘁𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿:
Additive Drives GmbH | Markus Oettel | Vedant Sane | Technische Universität Clausthal (TU Clausthal, Clausthal University of Technology) | David Inkermann | Lukas Domanski | DLR Projektträger | Christian Temme

🌍 Verbundprojekt CDRterra: CO₂-Entnahme mit BECCS

Im Teilvorhaben »𝗖𝗢₂- 𝘂𝗻𝗱 Ö𝗸𝗼𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘇𝗶𝗲𝗿𝘂𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗵𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗴 𝘃𝗼𝗻 𝗕𝗘𝗖𝗖𝗦-𝗧𝗔𝗕-𝗔𝗻𝗹𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗻« des Verbundprojekts CDRterra untersuchen Forschende des Fraunhofer IFAM, wie sich die Umweltwirkung von CO₂-Abscheidung und -Speicherung wissenschaftlich belastbar bewerten lässt.

𝗗𝗲𝗿 𝗙𝗼𝗸𝘂𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗴𝘁 𝗱𝗮𝗯𝗲𝗶 𝗮𝘂𝗳:
✅ der Entwicklung standardisierter 𝗟𝗖𝗔-𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲 (𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗖𝘆𝗰𝗹𝗲 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁) für die gesamte Prozesskette von der Müllverbrennung über die CO₂-Abscheidung bis zur Speicherung
✅ dem Aufbau einer 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗺ä𝗿𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗻-𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗿𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗹𝗮𝗴𝗲 gemeinsam mit den Projektpartnern
✅ der Erstellung von 𝗧𝗿𝗲𝗶𝗯𝗵𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗴𝗮𝘀-𝗕𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘇𝗲𝗻 und Empfehlungen für die Bewertung technischer 𝗖𝗗𝗥-𝗢𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗻 (𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗯𝗼𝗻 𝗗𝗶𝗼𝘅𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗮𝗹)
✅ der Identifikation von 𝗨𝗺𝘄𝗲𝗹𝘁-𝗛𝗼𝘁𝘀𝗽𝗼𝘁𝘀 und Optimierungspotenzialen
✅ der Abschätzung des 𝗖𝗗𝗥-𝗣𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘇𝗶𝗮𝗹𝘀 thermischer Abfallbehandlungsanlagen

💡 𝗕𝗲𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝗰𝗵𝘁𝗶𝗴: Wir betrachten nicht nur einzelne Prozessschritte, sondern das gesamte System. So schaffen wir eine belastbare Grundlage, um den tatsächlichen Beitrag von BECCS an thermischen Abfallbehandlungsanlagen zur Erreichung der Klimaziele bewerten zu können.

Bei Fragen wenden Sie sich gerne an Gideon Abels und Lena Vorspel vom Fraunhofer IFAM.

𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗸𝘁𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿:
Bundesanstalt für Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe
Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, PTB
Wuppertal Institut für Klima, Umwelt, Energie gGmbH
EEW Energy from Waste GmbH

𝗪𝗲𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗻:
https://s.fhg.de/m7Wi
https://s.fhg.de/uSZC
https://s.fhg.de/ZPZB

Das Bundesministerium für Forschung, Technologie und Raumfahrt fördert dieses Projekt/diese Initiative im Rahmen der Strategie »Forschung für Nachhaltigkeit (FONA)« (Förderkennzeichen 01LS2518C).

#IFAMdrivesInnovation

Biofouling never sleeps - and neither does our community

The 𝟮𝟭𝘀𝘁 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗼𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 (𝗜𝗖𝗠𝗖𝗙) is taking place from 𝗝𝘂𝗹𝘆 𝟮𝟲–𝟯𝟭 𝗶𝗻 𝗕𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗶𝗻. This year, the ICMCF is being organized by Fraunhofer IFAM on behalf of the Comité International Permanent pour la Recherche sur la Préservation des Matériaux en Milieu Marin (COIPM). The congress was opened by Prof. Dr. Bernd Mayer, institute director of Fraunhofer IFAM.
 
Since its foundation, the ICMCF has been regarded as the most important international scientific congress on marine biofouling and corrosion. Every two years, it brings together experts from science, industry, defense and government organizations – each time on a different continent.
 
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝘀 𝗮 𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀, 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁.
 
𝗝𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗢𝗜𝗣𝗠 / 𝗜𝗖𝗠𝗖𝗙 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗻 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗱𝗜𝗻: https://lnkd.in/eveZAWFh

#IFAMdrivesInnovation

Tim Heusinger von Waldegge | Dorothea Stübing | Malinn Kastens | Paula Schick

Starting in Stade Center for Sustainable, Circular and Human-Centered Lightweight Manufacturing & Center for Cognitive and Humanoid Robotics

🎉 Great news from Stade: the ZIRKULUM project has been approved! With the funding notification from NBank - Investitions- und Förderbank Niedersachsen, Fraunhofer IFAM in Stade can now officially begin establishing a forward-looking research infrastructure.

🔬 ZIRKULUM is dedicated to building a future-oriented infrastructure for resource-efficient, circular lightweight production and cognitive human-robot interaction. The project focuses on setting up a high-performance research and transfer platform that will provide companies – especially SMEs – with an easy access to key future technologies. These range from resource-efficient process chains for high-performance fiber-reinforced composite structures to automated joining, machining and repair processes as well as cognitive and humanoid robotics for industrial applications.

The project is embedded in the joint site strategy developed together with Deutsches Zentrum für Luft-und Raumfahrt e.V., Stade and HPCFK at Research Center CFK NORD. The aim is to further develop the Stade location into an internationally visible hub for sustainable, circular and human-centered lightweight production.

With ZIRKULUM, we are contributing to the transformation of industrial production systems: reduced resource consumption, increased circularity, flexible automation and new ways for humans and machines to collaborate safely.

♻️ For this purpose, new facilities and demonstrators will be set up for the automated processing, joining, machining and repair of high-performance fiber-reinforced composite structures. They are designed to significantly reduce material use, waste and energy demand in production.

🤖 In addition, a Test and Training Center for Cognitive and Humanoid Robotics will be established to explore a wide range of industrial application scenarios. The center will demonstrate how flexible, intuitive and safe human-robot interaction can be implemented in cross-sector manufacturing, inspection and handling processes.

📣 Stay tuned – we will share more news about ZIRKULUM soon.

🤝 We would like to thank the Niedersächsisches Ministerium für Wissenschaft und Kultur and NBank – Investitions- und Förderbank Niedersachsen for their support, whose funding makes this project possible. The project is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

We look forward to the next steps, to exciting research activities and to bringing the results into industrial application together.

🔗 Further information about Fraunhofer IFAM in Stade: https://s.fhg.de/xcg

Björn Reichel Simon M. Kothe Christian Böhlmann Urs Roemer

Hashtag#IFAMdrivesInnovation Hashtag#Stade

Fraunhofer IFAM

Take a Virtual Tour of our Laboratories for Adhesive Bonding Processes, Plasma and Laser Technology and our Coating Technology Centre

Magazine

 

Expansion of offshore wind energy in Europe

The Interreg North Sea project DIOL (Develop Innovative Offshore Logistic) deals with the implementation of the Esbjerg Declaration, which was signed by the Prime Ministers of Denmark, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands at the North Sea Summit in Esbjerg on 18.05.2022. Its aim is to turn the North Sea into Europe's "green power plant".

 

Extension of the durability of rotor blades

Offshore wind turbines are exposed to extreme weather conditions. These lead to damage, e.g. erosion of the coatings on the leading edges of the rotor blades. The MARiLEP joint project aims to achieve a significant improvement in the service life of the leading edge coatings of wind turbines.

 

Hybrid casting for joining CFRP and aluminum

In the "HyFKAl" project, experts from Fraunhofer IFAM and the Faserinstitut Bremen e.V. are developing an economical hybrid casting process for joining CFRP and aluminum. This involves joining thermoplastic and thermoset CFRP structures with the aluminum partner using the primary forming aluminum die casting process.

 

Printed batteries

Manufacturing technology for batteries of the future: Fraunhofer IFAM offers alternatives for battery production using the screen printing process. New manufacturing concepts enable higher active material loads and greater freedom in electrode design. On the one hand, completely printed batteries help to overcome the limitations of current production technology and, on the other hand, reduce the use of solvents and subsequent drying processes.

Press Releases

28.5.2026

Plasmatreat and Fraunhofer IFAM Collaborate on Rapid Industrial Implementation of PFAS-Free Coating Technologies

Plasmatreat GmbH and the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials IFAM are expanding their collaboration specifically in the field of environmentally friendly coating technologies. The focus is on technology transfer and the rapid industrial implementation of the PFAS-free low-pressure plasma coating systems PLASLON® and UltraPLAS®, which were developed by Fraunhofer IFAM. Plasmatreat contributes its system and application expertise, acts as a contract coater and equipment manufacturer, and thus enables the application of these technologies in various industrial fields.
more info

31.3.2026

Major BMFTR Project for the Production of Sodium-Ion Battery Cells in Germany started

With the funding project SIB:DE ENTWICKLUNG, the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) has launched the largest German consortium to date dedicated to sodium-ion battery technology. Twenty-five partners from academia and industry are collaborating to develop a sustainable, safe, and cost-effective alternative to lithium-ion batteries. The focus is on the production of large-format, market-ready cells and the assessment of their recyclability. The goal is the rapid transfer of research results into industrial applications.
more info

3.11.2025

Innovative Surfaces to Rapidly Load Bone Implants with Antibiotics

Infectious complications are not uncommon after implant placement. The risk is higher in heavily contaminated wounds, which are particularly common in war zones such as Ukraine, where many bone injuries require treatment. Research-ers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials IFAM in Bremen have developed a new functionalized surface that can be loaded with antibiotics.
more info

Events

24.2.2027

Symposium on Innovations in Drones and Autonomous Systems for Wind Park Operations

This symposium will convene scientists, researchers, and industry experts to explore the latest advancements in technologies for wind turbine inspection and maintenance across various environments. The program will focus on innovative inspection methods, challenges in maintenance within offshore and onshore environments, successful repair strategies, and the integration of robotics and automation. Additional topics will include the training and qualification of service personnel, as well as sustainability and environmental protection during inspection and repair activities.
more info

8.10.2026

Workshop Electrolysis 2026

We are very much looking forward to welcoming you to the 9th Industry Workshop on Advanced Alkaline-based Electrolysis in Dresden.
more info

29.9.2026

Composite Repair Seminar and Experts Forum

The Seminar will be presenting the recent innovations and research results, as derived from the academic community, while providing practical application examples and demonstration with possibilities of hands-on experience to its participants in a 2-days course. It mainly targets composite repair engineers and technicians (working either in engineering, technical or training departments) of airlines and MROs, as well as PhD candidates and postgraduate students, with R&D interests in bonded composite repairs and potential employment outlook in the aeronautical industry.
more info

26.8.2026

Drone Days 2026

Drone Days is a platform for anyone who wants to play an active role in shaping the future of aviation. The event brings together stakeholders from a wide range of fields, from start-ups to established industrial companies and from research institutions to government agencies.
more info