Fraunhofer-Institut für Silicatforschung ISC

Scientific progress thrives on collaboration and the exchange of ideas.

From 7-11 September 2026, researchers from Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research ISC | Fraunhofer TLC-RT will present their latest work at the 35th Annual Conference of the European Society for Biomaterials (ESB 2026) in Antwerp, Belgium.

As one of Europe's leading conferences in biomaterials research, ESB brings together scientists and innovators to discuss new developments in biomaterials, tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.
Our team will contribute two oral presentations highlighting current research at the Fraunhofer TLC-RT:

🔹 Katja Nadler will present a biodegradable wound dressing combining silica-based fibres and electrospun poly (3-hydroxybutyrate) fibres in a bilayer architecture. The scaffold is designed to support dermal wound regeneration and serves as a platform for incorporating hydrophobic active ingredients. Its performance is evaluated using a human wounded in vitro full-thickness skin model.

🔹 Dr. Tobias Weigel will present , a platform for physiological bioinks based on the physical formulation of extracellular matrix molecules into polyelectrolyte complexes. The approach improves the applicability of extracellular matrix molecules for bioprinting while maintaining their biological and structural properties, providing a platform technology that can be applied to different extracellular matrix types.

We look forward to engaging with the international biomaterials community, sharing our latest research and discussing new approaches for advancing regenerative therapies through innovative biomaterials.

See you in Antwerp!

What a technology can achieve is very often a question of materials
Replacing Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) means rethinking how surface functions are created.

For decades, PFAS have provided surfaces with reliable repellence and resistance to water, oil, grease, and dirt. The same carbon–fluorine bonds that enable this exceptional performance are also responsible for the remarkable environmental persistence of these substances.

A viable alternative must therefore preserve the required function without transferring this persistence to the next generation of materials.

At Fraunhofer ISC, one of the ways we address this challenge is with ORMOCER® coatings. Their inorganic-organic structure combines materials properties associated with both glass or ceramics and organic polymers. By adjusting the chemical composition, incorporating specific additives, and structuring surfaces at the nano- and microscale, functions such as repellency, non-stick behavior, and barrier performance can be created without fluorine.

There is currently no single fluorine-free formulation that reproduces every property of PFAS. Effective substitution therefore starts with the application and the related requirements: the required function, substrate, manufacturing process, and service conditions determine how the coating must be designed.

This approach enables industry to replace PFAS according to specific performance requirements rather than through one universal substitute. It opens pathways toward durable coatings for textiles, packaging, medical devices, industrial equipment, and other applications while reducing reliance on persistent chemicals and supporting more resource-efficient products and processes.

What a technology can achieve is very often a question of materials
When windows adapt to changing light, their surfaces become active elements of energy management.

Electrochromic materials change their optical properties through an electrically induced redox reaction. Integrated into a functional layer system, electrochromic devices provide dynamic, low-power control over light and heat transmission, enhancing energy efficiency and indoor comfort without blocking outdoor views.
At Fraunhofer ISC, the central question is how this materials response can remain fast, efficient, and stable when transferred from an individual layer to a functional device and large-area system. Our researchers combine active materials with conductive components and gel or polymer electrolytes, aligning optical performance with switching behavior and long-term stability.

Wet-chemical deposition at room temperature and roll-to-roll processing create a pathway toward large-area flexible films and scalable manufacturing.
This brings adaptive light control closer to practical use in buildings, vehicles, and aircraft. For industry, it opens up new possibilities for integrating dynamic shading into different surfaces and production processes. For society, it can contribute to comfortable interiors and lower energy demand for cooling.

What remains after a product has fulfilled its function is part of its material
design.

For hair styling products, this means considering not only hold, volume and feel, but
also what enters wastewater when the product is washed out.

Researchers at Fraunhofer ISC and IPPM Technologies have developed a
biodegradable, silica-based hairspray. It provides strong hold and a soft,
natural feel without conventional synthetic film-forming polymers.

Storage-stable silica clusters remain stable inside the spray can and form a flexible network only after application. When the hair is washed, the network dissolves as
silicic acid without leaving microplastic residues or buildup behind.

For consumers, the benefit is clear: reliable styling performance with a material concept designed to reduce persistent plastic residues. The development also demonstrates how knowledge originally gained in regenerative medicine can create value in everyday products.

This article is part of the “How Knowledge Moves Us Forward” campaign. Through this initiative, the Alliance of Science Organizations highlights how free science contributes to solving societal challenges, fostering sustainable growth, and promoting well-being.



Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Research Foundation Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft Helmholtz-Gemeinschaft -Gemeinschaft Akademie der Wissenschaften Leopoldina -Planck-Gesellschaft

Materials enable innovation.
Continuous learning drives scientific excellence.

At Fraunhofer ISC, scientific excellence is built not only on outstanding research, but also on the continuous development of the people behind it. Creating opportunities
to strengthen expertise, broaden perspectives and acquire new competencies is
an essential part of advancing applied research.
One example is Fraunhofer , the career and development programme of the for female scientists and leaders.
Through tailored qualification opportunities, mentoring, networking and dedicated
career time, supports women at different career stages in developing
their scientific and professional profiles.
By
investing in people, the programme helps strengthen the future of applied
research.
As part of the programme, Tamara Piock recently completed the two-week course "Project Management from Theory to Practice, including PRINCE2® certification" at HU University of Applied Sciences Utrecht.
The course combined project management theory with practical application and
concluded with the internationally recognised PRINCE2® certification.
Professional development is more than an individual achievement - it strengthens
interdisciplinary collaboration, enables new perspectives and equips
researchers with the skills needed to successfully navigate increasingly
complex scientific projects.
Because advancing research also means advancing the people who make it possible. |

Reducing the cooling demand of data centers begins long before the cooling system.
It begins with the materials that control light.

Photonic modulators must process signals at hundreds of gigahertz, fit into extremely compact architectures, scale to wafer-level production and remain stable in continuous operation.

Established materials systems cannot yet combine all these properties without trade-offs.
Inorganic thin films offer thermal stability, but their moderate electro-optic response results in larger components.

Chromophores embedded in organic polymers provide a much stronger response, yet become unstable at elevated temperatures and require more intensive cooling.
The new project explores a route toward establishing a new class of electro-optic hybrid materials.

Led by Fraunhofer IOF, it aims to develop compact, temperature-stable modulators for high-speed signal processing.
At Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research ISC, we embed electro-optic chromophores in a robust hybrid matrix and align them within plasmonic structures and silicon-based slot waveguides.

The objective is to combine a strong electro-optic response with the stability required for continuous operation with reduced cooling requirements.
This could reduce both the energy demand and the physical footprint of data centers. For society, it means that growing digital and AI infrastructures could process more data without increasing their demand for energy, cooling capacity and space at the same rate.

demonstrates why digital efficiency is also a materials question.
The project is funded by the German Federal Ministry (Bundesministerium für Forschung, Technologie und Raumfahrt).

When every minute counts for a patient, reliable information can make all the
difference.

Timely medical decisions rely on accurate and continuously available health data.
Technologies that enable healthcare professionals to detect changes in a
patient's condition at an early stage can support better clinical decisions and
ultimately contribute to improved patient care.
This is the objective of , a research project funded through the BMFTR VIP+
validation programme.

Together with Fraunhofer IIS (coordinator) and the Technische Hochschule Würzburg-Schweinfurt, researchers are developing an intelligent wireless
monitoring system that continuously records vital parameters such as oxygen
saturation, heart rate and respiration.

By providing real-time physiological data, the technology supports informed
medical decision-making whenever rapid patient assessment is required.
At FraunhoferISC, we contribute our expertise in advanced electrode materials as well as assembly and interconnection technologies to develop a storable sensor patch that functionality with practical usability. The project demonstrates how advances in materials science can enable medical technologies that translate research into tangible benefits for patients and healthcare professionals alike.
Looking ahead, the technological approach developed in also offers potential beyond its initial field of application. Continuous physiological monitoring
could support future healthcare solutions, including telemedical patient
monitoring and other data-driven medical applications.

https://www.iis.fraunhofer.de/de/ff/sse/health/medical-sensors-and-analytics/vitalsensorikpflaster.html

Eine nachhaltige Zukunft für Batterien beginnt schon lange bevor eine Batterie das Ende ihrer Lebensdauer erreicht.

Die Rückgewinnung kritischer Rohstoffe, die Verlängerung der Nutzungsdauer wertvoller Batteriekomponenten und die Stärkung der Ressourcenresilienz Europas erfordern ein ganzheitliches Verständnis der gesamten Batterie-Wertschöpfungskette.

Dies ist das Ziel von – Nachhaltige Prozesse für die Entsorgung von Altbatterien und die Rückgewinnung kritischer Rohstoffe.
Das europäische Projekt schließt bestehende Lücken im Recycling und in der Wiederverwendung von Lithium-Ionen-Batterien, indem es ein detailliertes Verständnis der Wechselwirkungen und Abhängigkeiten zwischen den Recycling- und Wiederverwendungsprozessen schafft – von der Batteriediagnostik bis zur Herstellung von Hochleistungs-Batteriematerialien.
Anstatt sich auf eine einzige Batteriechemie zu konzentrieren, verfolgt einen chemieunabhängigen Ansatz, der sowohl Nickel-Mangan-Kobalt- (NMC) als auch Lithium-Eisenphosphat- (LFP) Batterien berücksichtigt, um sowohl kurz- als auch langfristige Auswirkungen für eine widerstandsfähigere europäische Batterie-Wertschöpfungskette zu erzielen.

Über die technologischen Entwicklungen hinaus leistet das Projekt auch einen Beitrag zum „Safe and Sustainable by Design“ (SSbD)-Rahmenwerk, unterstützt die Einführung des „Digital Battery Passport“ und entwickelt Schulungsmaterialien zur Förderung des Wissenstransfers und der Zukunftskompetenzen.
Wir vom ISC sind stolz darauf, gemeinsam mit Partnern wie der CEA (Französische Kommission für alternative Energien und Atomenergie) unser Fachwissen in diese europäische Zusammenarbeit einzubringen.

Gemeinsam arbeiten wir an nachhaltigeren Verfahren für das Batterierecycling und die Rückgewinnung kritischer Rohstoffe.