INTERVIEW WITH HOLGER ALTHUES – FRAUNHOFER IWS
For a successful transition of the transport and energy sectors to clean energy while preserving jobs and global market share, accelerated innovation is essential.
Althues Holger, Division Manager Battery Materials at Fraunhofer IWS explains in this interview how to bring technologies from the lab to industry as well as the importance of Europe to lead innovation in clean energy.
How does Fraunhofer help bring new technologies from the lab to industry?
Bringing technologies from the lab to industry drives our daily work and is undoubtedly one of Fraunhofer’s main missions. Through close collaboration with our industrial partners, we continuously gain insights into current market trends and the challenges of product development and commercialisation. In exchange with excellent academic partners, we acquire a deep and fundamental understanding of the latest research findings. Our aim is to translate ideas from early lab work into initial prototype demonstrations. With proof of concept for the prototype, we typically involve industrial partners for stepwise scaling and ultimately technology transfer. The rights to use our inventions are accessible through license agreements.
Could you provide an example of a successful technology transfer?
One example of “lab to industry” transfer from our team is the DRYtraec technology—a solvent-free process for battery electrode production. We started with the manual rolling of small sheets until our engineers built the first prototype machine and invented DRYtraec. Today, several pilot-scale machines are operating at our industrial clients’ facilities. In current R&D projects, we are extending the technology to new applications, including next-generation batteries. European projects such as Talissman provide an excellent environment for advancing technologies from early stages to demonstration through collaboration with academia and industry.
Why is it important for Europe to lead innovation in clean energy?
Clean energy is not only a necessity but also a significant market opportunity that Europe should not miss. For a successful transition of the transport and energy sectors to clean energy while preserving jobs and global market share, accelerated innovation is essential. Key technologies for clean energy, including batteries, will be critical and need to be developed independently in Europe to become fully sustainable and resilient.