The Estonian deep-tech startup New Standard Oil has integrated thermal biomass valorisation technologies from the German applied research organisation Fraunhofer into a unified modular platform and launched its first industrial prototype. The goal is to convert currently unused biowaste streams across Europe into valuable renewable products.

How can a respiratory virus be stopped before it spreads throughout the body? In the MucoShield project, Prime Vector Technologies, the NMI Tübingen, and Fraunhofer IGB are developing an intranasal vaccine candidate against human metapneumovirus (HMPV), which causes hundreds of thousands of cases of severe respiratory disease worldwide each year – especially among children, older people, and immunocompromised individuals. The novel approach: A mucoadhesive formulation is designed to activate the immune response directly at the virus’s point of entry – the nasal mucosa.

Industrial drying processes consume large amounts of energy and negatively impact the climate since they burn fossil fuels to heat air. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB are working with industry partners on a new approach to decarbonize this process: Instead of hot air, they are using superheated steam. Combined with a heat pump and smart controls, their superheated steam drying process saves significant amounts of energy and eliminates the need for natural gas.

Gelatin is a versatile natural material. To tailor its properties specifically to the requirements of various applications in medicine, diagnostics, and cosmetics, the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB has developed a toolbox for chemical functionalization. With the help of automated processes, the modifications can now be scaled under defined conditions, and reproducible batches of modified gelatin can be produced on a scale ranging from grams to kilograms for customer sampling.

Microorganisms and microalgae can be used to recover valuable metals from electronic waste – in an environmentally friendly, selective manner with potential for industrial application. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB demonstrated this in a study. At IFAT 2026, the leading trade fair for environmental technologies in Munich, IGB will demonstrate how this biological recycling works using a fixed-bed reactor.

The prices of mineral fertilizers are rising. The Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB is working on alternative production methods: Researchers have developed various processes and demonstrated them on a pilot scale to recover nutrients from locally available waste streams. Fertilizers ready for immediate use can be obtained from digestion residues, manure, and wastewater, as the institute will show at IFAT in Munich in early May. This circular approach strengthens supply security and protects water bodies and the climate.

Overfertilization in agriculture weakens crops, endangers drinking water quality and harms the soil. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB are now developing an alternative fertilizer that is fully biodegradable and only supplies plants with the nutrients they actually need, thus preventing overfertilization.

The processing of crustaceans from the fishing industry, the production of insect protein, and mushroom cultivation generate large quantities of chitin-containing waste. The Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB has established a process chain for chitin processing to create added value from these waste streams. These technologies enable the production of high-purity chitosan, which can be used, among other things, for sustainable coatings. Transparent films made from chitosan are suitable for use as biodegradable single-use packaging and could replace petroleum-based plastics.

Microbial biosurfactants are an alternative to chemically synthesized surfactants in dishwashing detergents, household cleaners, and shower gels. After many years of intensive research and development, the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB now provides samples of high-purity glycolipid biosurfactants – versatile, biodegradable and produced from local renewable raw and residual materials. The optimization of biosurfactants was also investigated as part of the “Alliance Biosurfactants” project. The strategic alliance of partners from research and industry will present its results at a final conference on February 4, 2026, in Stuttgart.

A method developed at the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB enables bacterial, viral, fungal, or parasitic pathogens in sepsis patients to be identified much faster than before and with the highest precision. The approach is based on high-throughput sequencing of cell-free DNA circulating in the blood and was honored with the EARTO Innovation Award in the "Impact Delivered" category on October 14, 2025, in Brussels. The diagnostic kit is already approved for the indication of sepsis and is available as an IVD-certified product in routine care.

How can new bio-based and biohybrid materials with improved features be developed faster? Six Fraunhofer institutes are jointly exploring this question in the SUBI²MA flagship project, using an innovative bio-based polyamide developed by Fraunhofer researchers as a model. Its specific properties make it a promising alternative to fossil-based plastics. The researchers will present demonstrators made from caramides, which were produced as part of the flagship project, at the joint Fraunhofer booth at the K trade fair in Düsseldorf from October 8 to 15, 2025.

Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) has established a collaboration with the Technical University of Munich (TUM) from Germany, German research organisation Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, Nanyang Technological University (NTU) from Singapore, and other leading organisations to drive green technology (GreenTech) advancement and applications with cross-disciplinary research in areas of hydrogen value chain and waste valorisation solutions. The collaboration aims to address the pressing challenge of climate change and support Hong Kong in striving towards carbon-neutrality.