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The groundbreaking ceremony marks the start of the expansion of the Cottbus Research Campus in the Lausitz Science Park, a project of great importance to the region. The new buildings for the Fraunhofer Institute for Energy Infrastructures and Geotechnologies (IEG) and the Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems (IPMS), along with the Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems (IKTS), are expected to be completed there by 2030. Other partners on the shared campus include the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and the Leibniz Association. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe groundbreaking for the first construction phase marks an important milestone for the further development of the Lausitz Science Park. As a central component of structural change, it will bring together research institutions and innovative small and medium-sized enterprises and further integrate science, industry, and technology transfer locally,” says Prof. Holger Hanselka, President of the Fraunhofer Society. \u201cWith the new Fraunhofer buildings, we are providing important impetus for new jobs, innovation, and value creation in the region. The Cottbus Research Campus thus contributes to further strengthening Lusatia as a location of the future for energy technologies, intelligent microsystems, and industrial transformation.\u201d<\/p>\n
Brandenburg\u2019s Minister President, Dr. Dietmar Woidke, emphasized at the groundbreaking ceremony: \u201cWith a campus that integrates strong partners such as the Fraunhofer Society, Cottbus continues to raise its profile as a center for research and innovation. This will create sustainable jobs that address the challenges of tomorrow\u2014from digital energy infrastructure to alternative propulsion systems.\u201d<\/p>\n
Researchers at Fraunhofer IEG have been working in Cottbus since 2020 with the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg (BTU) and regional partners on cross-sector energy infrastructures, industrial energy and process engineering, forward-looking heat supply systems, and geotechnologies. Starting in 2030, the institute will relocate and expand its high-performance test environment for technologies to electrify heat supply on an industrial scale to the new research campus. Among other things, the researchers will investigate large-scale heat pumps and storage systems, as well as their grid-friendly operation. In addition, researchers are developing models to plan and operate transmission and distribution grids in an integrated manner. They also serve as points of contact for municipalities and energy-intensive industries seeking to tap into the subsurface as an energy source and energy storage medium for heat transformation. \u201cWe are pleased to be part of a unique innovation community in Cottbus that is transforming the traditional expertise of the Lusatia energy region into future-proof business models,\u201d explains Prof. Dr. Mario Ragwitz, Director of Fraunhofer IEG. \u201cCollaboration across the entire innovation chain\u2014from universities, research institutions, and industry to large companies\u2014promises the right environment to bring ideas to market quickly and transform the energy sector in a way that is future-proof. Our team is happy to contribute to this effort.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the future, 110 employees will work in Fraunhofer IEG\u2019s new office building. The site is complemented by a technical center covering approximately 720 square meters. On an outdoor test site spanning 1,300 square meters, researchers will develop large-scale energy systems\u2014such as those for industrial process heating and cooling\u2014the integration of large-scale heat pumps into energy and heating networks, and the use of thermal and electrical storage systems under realistic operating conditions. The research infrastructure also includes high-performance computers for complex simulations of sustainable energy infrastructures. To accelerate the transfer of expertise, the Fraunhofer IEG is also establishing a digital learning lab: In the so-called \u201cTransfer Quartier,\u201d it will strengthen collaboration between companies, startups, municipalities, and the research community through workshops, training sessions, and specialized events. For the construction of the new Fraunhofer IEG building, the federal and state governments are providing 20 million euros in funding as part of the coal phase-out, as well as an additional 13.5 million euros for scientific facilities.<\/p>\n
In the immediate vicinity, Fraunhofer IPMS is also expanding its \u201cIntegrated Silicon Systems\u201d (ISS) division. The innovations developed there make technical systems smarter, more compact, and more energy-efficient. Microelectronic and micromechanical sensor systems capture physical, chemical, or optical information and convert it into directly usable data. High-performance microelectronics and AI methods enable data processing directly on-site, allowing machines and systems to sense, analyze, and respond to their environment in real time. Examples of research include a compact hyperspectral camera for material and quality analysis, miniaturized ultrasonic, chemical, and optical sensors, as well as terahertz microsystems, which are used in smart manufacturing, energy, environmental, and hydrogen technology, as well as in medicine and the life sciences.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith the new research campus, we are creating the conditions in Cottbus for scientific excellence to translate into concrete innovations for the economy,\u201d says Prof. Dr. Harald Schenk, director of the Fraunhofer IPMS. \u201cFraunhofer\u2019s close ties with BTU enable a direct path to industrial application. In doing so, we not only strengthen the innovative capacity of our partner companies but also create new opportunities for skilled workers and the next generation of scientists. The research campus is therefore much more than just a new building: It is a key building block for successful structural change and for a technologically self-sufficient, competitive Lusatia.\u201d<\/p>\n
Non-destructive testing of materials, components, and systems is a key area of expertise at Fraunhofer IKTS. At the Cottbus location, the \u201cCognitive Materials Diagnostics\u201d project group combines this expertise with methods of artificial intelligence and data analysis\u2014in cooperation with the BTU and the Lusatian Center for Artificial Intelligence. The researchers evaluate measurement, process, and operational data to reliably assess material conditions, component quality, and the behavior of technical systems. Their focus ranges from pattern recognition and acoustic diagnostics to the modeling of continuous industrial processes and digital twins. These methods are used, among other things, in in-process quality control and condition-based maintenance of industrial plants.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith our presence on the new research campus, we are continuing our long-standing collaboration with the BTU. The research group establishes a vital link between materials science, modern testing methods, and digital analysis. The campus offers us the opportunity to help shape the emerging research environment from a technical perspective and to jointly provide new impetus for the industrial sector,\u201d says Prof. Alexander Michaelis, Director of the Fraunhofer IKTS.<\/p>\n
The Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems IPMS is one of the leading research institutions for electronic and photonic microsystems. With its Integrated Silicon Systems (ISS) division in Cottbus, Fraunhofer IPMS develops intelligent sensor technology, microelectronics, and AI-based systems for applications in industry, energy, the environment, and medical technology. This research combines scientific excellence with a consistent focus on technology transfer and makes a significant contribution to the structural transformation of Lusatia.<\/p>\n
Through close collaboration with the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg as well as partners from academia and industry, Fraunhofer IPMS is strengthening the development of an internationally visible innovation ecosystem at the Lausitz Science Park and helping to establish the region as a leading high-tech hub for sensor technology and artificial intelligence.<\/p>\n
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\ud83d\udc49 www.fraunhofer.de<\/a> Graphic: DGI Bauwerk; Visualization: Philipp Obkircher<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" October 1, 2026. Fraunhofer is expanding in Cottbus: With two new Fraunhofer buildings, new innovation centers for the energy transition, microelectronics, and AI-supported materials diagnostics are being established in the Lausitz Science Park. The facilities will support the region\u2019s structural transformation, create new jobs, and accelerate the transfer of research findings into industrial applications.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[4809],"tags":[1954,1982,1970],"class_list":["post-546379","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-entrepreneurship","tag-research-development","tag-resilience","tag-sustainability"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
\ud83d\udc49 www.ipms.fraunhofer.de<\/a>
\ud83d\udc49 www.ikts.fraunhofer.de<\/a>
\ud83d\udc49 www.ieg.fraunhofer.de<\/a> <\/p>\n