Press Archive 2025

The energy industry faces major challenges: security of supply, climate neutrality, and efficiency must all be achieved simultaneously. At E-world Energy and Water 2026, the industry's leading trade fair, the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics ITWM demonstrates how digital technologies and mathematical models are accelerating this transformation. With Digital Twins, researchers are laying the foundation for precise analyses, reliable forecasts, and intelligent control systems – and thus for a flexible, sustainable, and secure energy supply.

From November 16 to 21, the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics ITWM will be presenting innovative solutions for parallel programming and artificial intelligence at Supercomputing 2025 in St. Louis, USA. Two Fraunhofer spin-offs will be represented at joint booth 3740: ThinkparQ will present its roadmap for the parallel file system BeeGFS. The spin-off UNEEC Systems will demonstrate the STX processor and its system approach for an energy-efficient and cost-effective computing infrastructure. The STX processor accelerates HPC simulations while ensuring easy programming. Researchers from the division »High Performance Computing« will present new developments in the areas of parallel programming, agent-based AI, and accelerated I/O.

How can Artificial Intelligence and simulation advance biotechnology? What innovations from research can help companies use resources more efficiently and increase value creation? These questions were the focus of the workshop »AI and Simulation in Biotechnology« at the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics ITWM in Kaiserslautern. On November 7, 2025, experts from research, industry, and politics discussed sustainable and efficient solutions for the pharmaceutical and chemical industries.

Before a car rolls off the production line, manufacturers run virtual tests on it. Simulating tires is particularly challenging since they are subject to extreme stress when driving over potholes and bumps. This is where CDTire comes into play. The tire modeling software developed by Fraunhofer researchers enables realistic tire models and supports the automotive industry in a wide range of analysis scenarios. Manfred Bäcker and Christoph Burkhart from the Fraunho-fer Institute for Industrial Mathematics ITWM explain how the new software also helps reduce costs and shift timeconsuming test drives from the real-world test track to the vehicle simulator.

Efficient battery technology is a key component in achieving national and European climate targets. Lithium-ion batteries have dominated the market to date, but are increasingly reaching their physical and technological limits. Lithium metal battery systems are considered a promising successor technology. In the EU project STELLAR, the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics ITWM is working with 16 European partners to develop a cost-efficient test facility for the safe and sustainable production of lithium metal anode foils.

In a world where healthcare systems are under pressure, can Artificial Intelligence help doctors make faster and smarter decisions and save more lives. The EU-funded research project »AI4Lungs« is working on precisely that. The Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics ITWM is working with international partners to develop digital tools, methods, and models for the optimal selection of clinical treatment pathways for lung patients, with the aim of providing resource-efficient and medically optimized care.

Intensive exchange and networking also characterized the third edition of the Kaiserslautern Applied and Industrial Mathematics Days – KLAIM: More than 60 scientists accepted the invitation from the two organizers, Prof. Dr. Anita Schöbel, Director of Fraunhofer ITWM, and Prof. Dr. Bernd Simeon from the Department of Mathematics at the Rhineland-Palatinate Technical University of Kaiserslautern-Landau (RPTU). KLAIM has thus established itself as a forum for applied mathematicians from universities, research laboratories and industry.

Lightweight yet sturdy – these are the requirements that fiber-reinforced composites must meet in lightweight construction – and they must also be sustainable. This aspect in particular is the focus of the new research project »Predict-TPC,« which researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics ITWM and the Leibniz-Institut für Verbundwerkstoffe GmbH IVW are working on together. The Rhineland-Palatinate Ministry of Science and Health is supporting the project with €1.1 million. Ministerial Director Katharina Heil presented the funding approval.

Mechanical engineering is a cornerstone of the German economy and plays a crucial role in promoting innovation and technological development in many sectors. The textile industry in particular faces the challenge of continuously adapting to the demands of globalization, sustainability and the rapid progress of digitalization. Digital simulations are indispensable tools for optimizing production processes, testing design alternatives and increasing efficiency. With two software solutions developed at Fraunhofer ITWM, our researchers are creating added value for the clothing industry.

Digital Twins are considered a key technology in many industrial processes, including the virtual development process for tires. Their use makes it possible to minimize tire abrasion, wear, and noise generation as early as the product design stage. To further develop these technologies, the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics ITWM, with support from the EU and the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, is building a laboratory with modern testing facilities for tires in a specially constructed technical center as part of an ERDF program. The institute in Kaiserslautern is thus laying the foundation for precise simulations and sustainable innovations in tire research.

This year's meeting of the European Metaheuristics Community (EU/ME) is taking place for the first time in Germany at our institute. For three days, around 60 participants focus on innovative optimization methods at the interface of metaheuristics and quantum-based approaches. A summer academy is held for doctoral students.

Under the motto »Lighter – More Durable – More Digital«, the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics ITWM presents its technologies and software solutions for the plastics and rubber industry at K 2025 in Düsseldorf from October 8 to 15, 2025. At the joint Fraunhofer booth (Hall 7, Level 0, Stand SC05), the researchers showcase their latest developments in digital material simulation, quality assurance and process optimization.

On August 11, 2025, Kaiserslautern appointed three new technology ambassadors: Prof. Dr. Anita Schöbel, Director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics ITWM, Prof. Dr. Arnd Poetzsch-Heffter from University of Kaiserslautern-Landau, and Frank G. Froux, founder and CEO of matelso GmbH. They succeed Prof. Dr. Ralf Korn and Prof. Dr. Norbert Wehn. The event took place in the new 42kaiserslautern building – a place for exchange between science, business, and society.

Ammonia has been traditionally known for fertilizer production. In the future, it could also play a key role in the Energy Transition as an efficient source of hydrogen and a climate-friendly substitute for fossil fuels since it can be produced from nitrogen and hydrogen with zero carbon emissions. Furthermore, ammonia offers a wealth of advantages in terms of transportation and storage. Fraunhofer IMM, Fraunhofer ITWM, and Fraunhofer UMSICHT are working together on a decentralized cracking technology to make hydrogen available on demand, with low emissions and high energy efficiency.

The rapid progress of Artificial Intelligence (AI) offers new opportunities for manufacturing companies. With the »KI4KMU-RLP« program, the state government of Rhineland-Palatinate is specifically supporting small and medium-sized enterprises in making their business processes more efficient with AI methods. Companies can now apply for the pilot phase. They can also find support from the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics ITWM.

Quantum sciences have made great strides in recent years. Technologies such as quantum sensing and quantum computing in particular will radically change the future. To establish a strong European center for quantum sciences, the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics ITWM is also participating in the»UpQuantVal« project. It is co-financed by the European Union through Interreg, the program for European territorial cooperation.

Today's groundbreaking ceremony marked the official start of construction on the expansion of the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics ITWM in Kaiserslautern. The federal and state governments are investing around € 31 million in this construction project, which will add two new wings to the building.

Our employee Dr. Petra Gospodnetić has been working in the »Image Processing« department at the Fraunhofer ITWM since an internship during her studies. Now she is being supported by AHEAD – the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft's technology transfer program – in founding a start-up. She successfully completed the first phase of the program and even got a prize with her team.

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.