Functional integration: technologies for clean water and chemical-biotechnological recycling

The High-Performance Center Integration of Biological and Physical-Chemical Material Functions in the Potsdam Science Park combines knowledge and expertise for the functional integration of materials. It organizes the collaboration between university and non-university research and industry. The activities are coordinated by the joint office of the High-Performance Center Functional Integration at the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research IAP and the Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses Department of the Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology IZI-BB.

In 2023, the performance center called for project ideas on the topics of “Design to Recycle,” “Materials for 3D printing” and “Materials for the integration of sensor systems.” A total of 14 proposals were received. In a project design workshop, the scientists pooled the proposals and their expertise into two projects: “Adaptive material platform for the detection and isolation of pollutants and recyclable materials for water management” (Mat4Water) and “Securing raw materials through chemical-biotechnological recycling technologies.” The Mat4Water project will be financed through project funds from the High-Performance Center and through cooperation funds from the partner universities. The High-Performance Center is exploring suitable funding programs on the subject of recycling.

“Biofunctionalized plastics offer a wide range of potential applications, for example, in the areas of specialty chemicals, biology, pharmaceuticals and wastewater treatment.”

Tahani Adnan, Head of the High-Performance Center Office

Interview With Tahani Adnan

The preliminary project Mat4Water combines research from the Fraunhofer Institutes IAP and IZI-BB as well as from partner universities: the University of Potsdam, BTU Cottbus - Senftenberg and TH Wildau. It investigates the resource of water as a carrier of valuable, raw and hazardous materials of both a chemical and biological nature. The project team plans to develop an adaptive material platform for water management that is capable of detecting and isolating harmful and valuable substances. This will enable biological water-borne hazards to be detected more efficiently and valuable substances to be recovered from the water at the same time. In 2021, the High-Performance Center already supported the development and scaling up of special polymers for use in water purification. This knowledge is now helping to develop a material technology that can be flexibly adapted to different problems and enables a rapid response to hazardous situations. The researchers receive feedback from industry, particularly from the agricultural sector.

Events with partner organizations accompany the work of the High-Performance Center throughout the year. In June 2023, the association 3DDruck e.V. provided informative insights and prospects on 3D printing through various pitch presentations, keynote speeches, panel discussions and networking opportunities. At the event, held in conjunction with the VDI Bezirksverein Berlin Brandenburg e.V., participants presented and discussed current projects and application opportunities at the High-Performance Center under the slogan “Intelligent Materials & Integrated Systems.” Another highlight was a collaboration with the University of Potsdam. As part of the module “Transfer and Innovation Management” (TIM), the High-Performance Center contributed to lectures and discussion rounds and presented topics from current projects. The students then developed transfer concepts relating to the products, allowing them to expand their skills in the areas of knowledge and technology transfer.