Press releases 2026

After two years of research and development, the German-Chilean project Power-to-MEDME-R&D was successfully completed. The focus was on sustainable production of green hydrogen as well as the derivatives methanol and dimethyl ether (DME) in Chile. Researchers at Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research IAP in Germany developed iridium-reduced catalysts for hydrogen electrolysis. These reduce the cost of hydrogen production and are scalable through a unique process – a central foundation for industrial-scale hydrogen production and economic utilization.

Combining expertise and accelerating future-oriented developments – at the beginning of the year, the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research IAP in Potsdam Science Park is sharpening its institutional profile through structural and personnel changes, thereby strengthening its strategic orientation in line with growing research and industry requirements. The restructuring of the institute is reflected not only in personnel changes, but also in renaming and departmental changes.

Is it possible to recover plastic recyclates from previously unused waste streams in order to produce high-quality fibers and films? How can bio-based polymer fibers be manufactured so as to allow adjustable biodegradability? These are the questions being addressed by researchers from the Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence Circular Plastics Economy CCPE in the Zirk-Tex project. As an alternative to mechanical processes, they are jointly developing innovative recycling methods for the production of sustainable roof underlayments and geosynthetics. This involves the analysis of the entire value chain at pilot scale.