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Researchers at the Fraunhofer WKI have developed a bio-based, three-dimensional sandwich structure specifically for lightweight-construction applications in the mobility sector, which is suitable for incorporation into the shell of a caravan. The scientists increased the proportion of renewable raw materials and, at the same time, avoided the utilization of dissimilar materials in order to improve recyclability within the closed loop. The sandwich component can be seen on the Fraunhofer joint stand at the Hannover Messe from 31st March to 4th April 2025.

At BAU 2025 in Munich, researchers from the Fraunhofer WKI will be presenting a building construction made from high-quality pine wood components, a wooden beam comprised of reclaimed waste wood, and with insulation materials made from renewable raw materials as well as insulation materials featuring fungal mycelium as an innovative binding agent. With this model, the researchers are demonstrating resource-conserving innovations for building using recycled materials such as waste wood or hemp hurds.

Building with wood provides an important contribution towards climate protection. By combining wood and concrete, the Fraunhofer WKI is significantly expanding the range of applications for timber constructions. By means of a novel bonding technology, an accelerated production of wood-concrete composite elements (WCC elements) has been made possible. The aim is to establish construction with WCC elements in multi-story buildings as a competitive alternative to pure precast reinforced concrete components.

At BAU 2025 in Munich, researchers from the Fraunhofer WKI will be presenting a project in which innovative aerogels are being developed from waste wood. These sustainable materials are being utilized by the researchers to develop, amongst other things, pollutant-adsorbing air filters and recyclable insulation materials.

Researchers at the Fraunhofer WKI are developing bio-based adhesives on the basis of renewable raw materials and biogenic residues. Adhesives, with their versatile range of application possibilities, are a key technology in the joining of materials and, consequently, the conservation of finite resources. As a result of their broad spectrum of applications, adhesives are a growth market. The substitution of conventional adhesives with bio-based adhesives provides an important contribution towards the realization of a bio-based circular economy.

In collaboration with industrial partners, scientists at the Fraunhofer WKI have developed concepts for the material utilization of humins. Humins are dark, highly viscous compounds. They accrue as a by-product during the production of polyethylene furanoate (PEF), a new bio-based substitute for the bulk plastic polyethylene terephthalate (PET). As a result of their complex chemical structure, humins are suitable for a wide range of applications, for example as binders. According to calculations, tens of thousands of tons of humins will accrue every year in the medium to long term, for which no applications currently exist.

Change in leadership of the Fraunhofer WKI: On the 1st of October 2024, Prof. Dr. Raoul Klingner assumed the acting director position of the institute. He holds a degree in Wood Science and Technology and an honorary professorship at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the Technische Universität Braunschweig. He will complement the successful institute with his expertise and experience in strategic research management.

On 9^th October 2024, the European Wood-based Panel Symposium in Hamburg began with an evening event. The Fraunhofer WKI and the European Panel Federation (EPF) are organizing the networking event for the 13^th time in cooperation with the International Association for Technical Issues Related to Wood (iVTH). The worldwide largest event of this kind offers the around 370 participants from Germany and abroad the possibility, from 9^th to 11^th October 2024, to exchange ideas regarding the most important trends and challenges in the wood-based materials industry.

Autumn is here and with the strengthening winds, the yields generated by wind energy are also increasing. This environmentally-friendly and renewable form of energy generation creates jobs in Germany and promotes technological innovation. Wind energy reduces the dependence on fossil fuels and global supply chains. Researchers at the Fraunhofer WKI are developing solutions that facilitate the inspection of rotor blades. Completely new recycling processes – which are being developed at the Fraunhofer WKI – pursue the goal of achieving the best-possible material recycling. The work of the scientists contributes towards ensuring that, from the outset, wind turbines can be designed to be easier to recycle and can be manufactured from renewable raw materials. As a result, the key technology of the energy transition is becoming both more recyclable and more resource-efficient.

The architecture and chemistry of the bark of the Canary pine effectively protect the trees from forest fires. Taking nature as a model, researchers at the Fraunhofer WKI, in collaboration with partners, have developed bio-based coatings for wooden components for interior and exterior use. The fire-retardant coatings utilizing functionalized microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) are weather-resistant and expand the application possibilities for wood in building construction. The researchers have succeeded in developing a new approach in the production of durable, flame-retardant construction products based on renewable raw materials.

Within the framework of his summer tour, Lower Saxony’s Minister for Science and Culture, Falko Mohrs, visited the Fraunhofer institutes for Wood Research, Wilhelm-Klauditz-Institut WKI and for Surface Engineering and Thin Films IST in Braunschweig on the 8^th of July 2024.

From the 9^th to the 11^th of October 2024, the Fraunhofer WKI and the European Panel Federation (EPF) in cooperation with the International Association for Technical Issues Related to Wood (iVTH) and the company Hywax GmbH will be hosting the 13th European Wood-based Panel Symposium at the Grand Elysée Hotel in Hamburg. The presentation program has now been finalized.

How can finite resources be conserved and dependency on fossil resources reduced? Renewable raw materials are one answer. Researchers at the Fraunhofer WKI are developing new materials and components made from such materials as wood, flax and hemp fibers and fungal mycelium. Together with the Verband Dämmstoffe aus nachwachsenden Rohstoffen e.V. (association for insulation materials made from renewable raw resources, vdnr), the Fraunhofer WKI has been selected to present its expertise in the field of insulation materials at the “Woche der Umwelt” (Week of the Environment) in Berlin on the 4^th and 5^th of June 2024. The expertise ranges from raw-material extraction, through insulation production and its application in the construction industry, and on to recycling and the utilization of recycled raw materials for second-use products. Scientists will be presenting insulation materials made from plant-based raw resources for applications in the construction sector.

Lightweight construction is considered a key technology of the future. It provides an important contribution towards increasing competitiveness and achieving climate and sustainability goals. Lightweight materials, components and products require less transportation energy and often also smaller amounts of raw resources. Lightweight products made from renewable raw materials can be particularly sustainable. Even renewable raw materials will, however, become scarce if they are used to create an ever-increasing number of products and the world’s population continues to grow. Researchers at the Fraunhofer WKI are developing resource-efficient lightweight-construction solutions using renewable raw materials: from the development of alternative raw materials from climate-adapted ecosystems and plant residues, through material and process development, component design and quality control, and on to cascade utilization and recycling.

In collaboration with industrial partners, researchers at the Fraunhofer WKI have developed a vehicle underbody made from natural fibers and recycled plastics for automotive construction. The component fulfills the stringent technical requirements in the underbody area and could replace conventional lightweight vehicle underbodies in the future. With this development, the climate and environmental balance is optimized throughout the entire product life cycle. The focus at the Fraunhofer WKI was directed at the development of the materials for injection molding as well as the hydrophobization of flax and hemp fibers for natural-fiber-reinforced mixed-fiber non-wovens.

Two research highlights from the Fraunhofer WKI will be on display at the Hannover Messe from the 22^nd to the 26^th of April 2024 in the “Schaufenster Bioökonomie” (Bioeconomy Showcase): thermal-insulation bricks filled with beech-wood fibers and a formaldehyde-free bio-adhesive for the production of wood-based materials. The “Bioeconomy Showcase” is a joint stand operated by Project Management Jülich (PtJ) and the Fachagentur Nachwachsende Rohstoffe e. V. (FNR). Research results from current bio-economy projects funded by the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) and the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) will be presented here.

The Fraunhofer WKI will be presenting solutions for lightweight construction using renewable raw materials at the Hannover Messe from the 22^nd to the 26^th of April 2024. A wood-fiber-based molded part demonstrates the potential of lightweight hybrid materials and was produced using an automated molding machine. The process offers possibilities for the precision-fit production of complexly shaped components, furniture or insulation materials. Furthermore, the performance capabilities of renewable raw materials will be demonstrated with a ceiling system module on the basis of wood foam. The module can be utilized for the renovation of suspended ceilings in old buildings. The mosaic-like coffered ceilings exhibit a load-bearing capacity comparable to reinforced concrete, but are significantly lighter. The innovations can be seen on the Fraunhofer stand (Hall 2, Stand B24).

From raw materials to recycling - at the Hannover Messe from the 22^nd to the 26^th of April 2024, the Fraunhofer WKI will be presenting new application possibilities for renewable raw materials at the Fraunhofer joint stand (Hall 2, Stand B24). The examples range from a wooden crash barrier for road traffic through to sustainable concrete construction materials made from residual materials. They demonstrate the potential of renewable raw materials for the circular economy.

Researchers at the Fraunhofer WKI are pursuing the goal of creating alternatives to the use of fossil raw materials. Through their work, they are laying important foundations for a circular bioeconomy – from raw resources, through the development of innovative materials and their utilization, and on to recycling. Within the framework of the federal ministry of agriculture’s call for funding applications “Recyclinggerechte Verwendung von Holz” (Recycling-friendly utilization of wood), the Fraunhofer WKI is involved in five of the six research projects. The focus of the projects is aimed at the development of cross-sector solutions for the resource-efficient use of wood, the circular economy and climate protection.