Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials IFAM
Dear readers,
the year 2024 was characterized by profound social and political changes that presented us all with new challenges. At the same time, change offers exciting opportunities to shape the future.
As one of the most important independent research institutes in the fields of adhesive bonding technology and surfaces as well as shaping and functional materials, we at Fraunhofer IFAM have continued to work hard this year to develop innovative and practical solutions for the pressing challenges of our time. The global efforts towards the energy transition and the increasing importance of sustainable technologies have significantly influenced our research and development work in the energy, aviation, maritime technologies, mobility and medical technology segments.
In particular, our research focused on advances in hydrogen technology, the development of lightweight and efficient materials for aviation and the optimization of materials for the maritime industry. At the same time, we have dealt intensively with the various requirements relating to mobility in all its facets and medical technology in order to create solutions for a sustainable society worth living in.
In 2024, we continued to use our expertise in materials science and our close collaboration with industrial partners at all institute locations to bring innovative technologies to market maturity. The opening of the Offshore Drone Campus Cuxhaven (ODCC) was just one of the highlights of the year. It is particularly pleasing to see how many projects and project ideas have resulted from this so far.
This annual report gives you an overview of the most important events, projects and milestones of Fraunhofer IFAM in 2024 and we hope that we can give you an entertaining insight into our work. With this review, in addition to figures, data and facts, we would also like to bring the research topics themselves to life and take you on a journey to see how our research and development helps us to overcome the major challenges of our time and at the same time strengthen the competitiveness of our partners.
We would also like to take this opportunity to thank all employees, customers and project partners who have accompanied us this year and made what we are presenting here possible. Together, we look forward to continuing to work towards a sustainable and innovative future.
Best regards
Prof. Bernd Mayer und Prof. Thomas Weißgärber
Fraunhofer IFAM
Fraunhofer - Transfer for Our Future
