Press

This week, the German government’s investment summit sent a clear signal. As an innovation location, Germany, and indeed the whole of Europe, is facing mounting pressure from international competition. A new study by Fraunhofer ISI on behalf of the European Round Table for Industry (ERT) reveals the role that powerful innovation clusters could play in Europe’s competitiveness in the future. Although Europe still has strong research locations and industrial innovation clusters, there is the risk of the continent falling behind the US and China when it comes to investment in new and emerging fields of technology. The study therefore recommends consolidating existing strengths and focusing on enhancing internationally competitive innovation clusters in Europe.

A new technical report by Fraunhofer ISI and the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) provides a detailed picture of where and when charging demand for battery electric trucks is likely to arise across Europe through 2045. Using the newly developed VESUVIO model, the researchers show that charging demand will grow strongly in the coming decades, remain highly concentrated in a limited number of locations, and differ substantially across countries.

Less data protection, more innovation? A new policy paper by Plattform Privatheit (Platform Privacy), which is coordinated by Fraunhofer ISI, shows why this simple equation falls short. Instead, the authors argue for a European approach that combines innovative capacity and competitive strength with data protection, self-determination and digital sovereignty. The policy paper’s findings are also part of the Platform’s 11th annual conference Innovation, Competition and Value Orientation: Data Protection and Digital Regulation between Innovation Barriers and Competitive Advantages, which will take place in Berlin on October 8 and 9, 2026.

Industrial progress is increasingly shaped by digital and AI-driven technologies. Automation, data-driven systems and intelligent machines are fundamentally transforming production and innovation processes. At the same time, it is becoming clear that: Technological performance does not arise solely from new systems, but largely from the way employees are integrated into production and change processes. A new study by the Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research ISI makes it clear that human-centered value creation can be a key factor for innovation and productivity in companies.