Press Releases 2026

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.

Quantum repeaters are considered a key technology for future quantum networks. One day, they could transmit quantum information and entanglement over long distances and therefore enable applications such as quantum-secure communication via quantum key distribution, distributed quantum computing, or networks of quantum sensors. Fraunhofer ISI’s new roadmap, compiled as part of the Umbrella Project for Quantum Communication Germany (SQuaD), compares different technology approaches and outlines the possible development steps leading to the commercial use of quantum repeaters in the future.

In Europe's largest automotive market, battery electric vehicles became about 18 percent cheaper in real terms between 2020 and 2025, even as average prices appeared to rise as a result of a changing model mix. Meanwhile, the number of electric models available on the market has more than quadrupled. That is the finding of a new joint study by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) and the Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research ISI, covering the German market as a key indicator of broader European trends. The study draws on more than 100,000 individual data points across six vehicle segments, from small to luxury cars.

How will emerging technologies such as electric mobility, renewable energy and artificial intelligence impact raw material demand? This question is addressed in the new edition of the “Raw Materials for Future Technologies” study which was presented today. In it the Fraunhofer Institutes ISI and IZM analyze the future development of 34 technologies and 14 raw materials on behalf of the German Raw Materials Agency (DERA) at the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR). Early action is required in order to avoid supply bottlenecks and enable a sustainable transformation.

The German automotive industry’s transformation toward electric mobility is more advanced than is often assumed. This is shown by a strategy paper based on a survey of managers in the automotive industry.

In a meta-analysis for the “H2 Companion” project researchers from Fraunhofer ISI analyzed more than 100 fact checks on hydrogen. The results have been recorded on 77 interactive cards and deliver basic hydrogen knowledge and findings such as market ramp-up, infrastructure or costs: They show for example in which areas hydrogen could be indispensable and where there are more efficient alternatives. The fact check provides well-founded, evidence-based guidance for policymakers, industry and society to plan and shape the long-term use of hydrogen.

The new research project “BEWEGT – The Energy Transition Society” by the Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research ISI and the Institute for Ecological Economy Research (IÖW) networks and supports numerous research projects in the funding priority “Energy Transition and Society” of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE). The new web portal www.energiewende-gesellschaft.de now presents the diverse research and the minds behind the projects.