Fraunhofer is tackling the current challenges facing industry head on. Its lighthouse projects put the focus on strategic objectives with a view to developing practical solutions from which economies such as Germany’s can benefit. The topics these projects address are geared towards economic requirements. By pooling their expertise and involving industrial partners at an early stage, the Fraunhofer Institutes involved in the projects aim to turn original scientific ideas into marketable products as quickly as possible. The following topics have emerged as lighthouse projects: Elektromobility, E³-Production, Critical rare earths, Cell-free bioproduction.

Digitization is both driver and enabler of innovative business models. Key resource for enterprises to succeed in this endeavor is data. A prerequisite for smart services, innovative value propositions and automated business processes is the secure exchange and the easy combination of data within value networks. In this context, the Industrial Data Space initiative aims at creating a secure data space that supports enterprises of different industries and different sizes in the autonomous management of data. The Industrial Data Space initiative is not limited by any geographic boundary, but clearly has a European and international ambition.

Through its »Morgenstadt« initiative, the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft is supporting the German federal government in implementing an innovative project entitled “The CO2-neutral, energy efficient and climate-adapted city”, which is one of 10 projects selected to form part of the government’s High-Tech Strategy 2020.