Press Releases

Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics ITWM are using innovative technologies to focus on battery behavior during charging and discharging, the optimization of battery production and the aging of batteries. They use modern simulation tools and innovative measurement techniques to drive forward the further development of battery cells for electric cars. They will be presenting their research results at the Battery Show Europe 2025 from June 3 to 5.

Over the past three decades, Machine Learning has permeated the optimization of production processes, material and machine design and can now be found everywhere in industrial practice. It is therefore important for industry professionals to develop a basic understanding of it. Prof. Dr. Anita Schöbel, Director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics ITWM, together with Prof. Dr. Jürgen Franke from the Universitiy of Kaiserslautern-Landau (RPTU), has published the book »Statistical Machine Learning for Engineering with Applications«, which provides an accessible introduction to the concepts and methods of Machine Learning.

News from the Dutch Schoonschip: Since January, the floating energy community of 30 houses has been connected to the energy and flexibility markets. The innovative solution from the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics ITWM for the real-time prognosis of consumption and local generation and price optimization enables the community to buy and sell electricity at the best possible prices on the day-ahead energy market. In addition, the 30 batteries are marketed by a trader on the imbalance market. This allows the community to further increase its flexibility and reduces energy costs for its members.

The EIOPA (European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority) published a consultation paper on »Value for Money« in October 2024. As a scientific partner, the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics ITWM has helped to evaluate insurance products and thus support supervisory authorities in measuring and monitoring the benefits for customers.

A book of success stories that inspires young women to take up mathematics, computer science, natural sciences and technology (STEM) with examples from science? That alone would not be enough for the Fraunhofer researchers Manja Mai-Ly Pfaff-Kastner, Esther Packullat, Dr. Isabel Michel, Lisa Martha Kunkel and Prof. Dr. Tanja Manuela Kneiske. »Forscherinnen im Fokus – Wir schaffen Veränderung« (Female Researchers in Focus – We Are Creating Change) wants more: to look at the world of artificial intelligence and simulation through the eyes of extraordinary female scientists and tell exciting, very personal stories in the process. ›Frau N. Hofer‹, as it is known for short, traces a variety of (life) paths in science and, in doing so, »incidentally« draws attention to fascinating opportunities for shaping the future, particularly in applied research.

From the automotive sector to production: Simulations and digital twins are crucial to many companies. highly dynamic processes often cannot be satisfactorily mapped with conventional software, researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics ITWM have developed a new method that works without a rigid computational grid and is able to simulate complex processes with great time savings and thus cost-effectively. Their efforts have earned them the 2024 Joseph von Fraunhofer Prize.

Optimizing batteries, whether for e-mobility or for large storage systems, is one of the most important tasks for industry and science. At the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics ITWM, the simulation of battery models has been part of day-to-day business for years. The Rhineland-Palatinate Ministry of Science and Health is now supporting a new project with just under one million euros to model the entire manufacturing process.

A first vaccine against the SARS-Cov-2-virus is expected to be available soon. But many questions are still open: How many vaccine doses are available? Who should be vaccinated first? Where should people be vaccinated? How many doctors are needed for vaccination? Researchers of the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics ITWM have now examined the last two questions together with the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) and the Technical University of Kaiserslautern (TUK).

In order to drive forward the digitization of the energy infrastructure, there is a need for real, traceable measurement data from the energy world. Where there is already a good data situation for large generation units - thanks to obligations for transparency - there is still a large amount of blank space for real measurement data from energy consumers. However, this data represents an important basis for innovations in energy system transformation, whether for the creation of smart grids, efficiency measures or business models based on artificial intelligence. The Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics ITWM is contributing to the development of the "Open Energy Meter Data" platform, which aims to create a web-based contact point for collecting and analyzing energy consumption data.

The process of developing new generations of commercial vehicles and heavy equipment is complex. The hardware-in-the-loop technique gives researchers at Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics ITWM the opportunity to reproduce and virtually test machines in a software simulation, making machine development faster and more affordable. This technology also enables the testing of malfunctions and critical borderline situations without endangering people or the machine.