Press Releases 2026

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.