Fraunhofer IWS

What Fraunhofer IWS does

Fraunhofer IWS (Fraunhofer-Institut für Werkstoff- und Strahltechnik IWS) is a non-profit applied research institute headquartered in Dresden, Germany, operating under the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft umbrella and focused on laser-based manufacturing, materials science, surface engineering, and battery technologies. The institute is structured around six technology fields — thin-film technology, battery technology, additive manufacturing and surface technology, cutting and joining, materials characterization, and optical metrology — and operates through dedicated research centers (ABTC, AMCD, CAMP, TICD, AZOM, DOC) with satellite project groups in Zwickau and Dortmund. Its technology portfolio includes proprietary platforms such as Laser Direct Plating (50–100 kg/h deposition, 5x energy reduction), PAPURE (CO-laser adhesive-free paper sealing), DRYtraec (solvent-free dry battery electrode coating), DLIP (direct laser interference patterning), HICLAD (high-power laser cladding), HESTIA/CONTIjoin (thermoplastic composite fuselage joining with Airbus), and LAwave (laser-acoustic non-destructive testing), with demonstrated deployment targets including 60–100 aircraft fuselage shells per month, 10 packages per minute in PAPURE pilot lines, and €17M–€46M scale funding programs in hydrogen shipping and solid-state batteries.

The institute serves industrial clients across aerospace (Airbus, GE Shanghai), automotive (Volkswagen), energy (Altech Batteries, Green Energy Storage, PowerCell, Verkís, RINA, De Nora), maritime (TOPIC Fleet), and manufacturing sectors (EMA Indutec, Sitec, Karl Fuhr, Maschinenfabrik Arnold Ravensburg), as well as transatlantic partners (Fraunhofer USA CMW, RMIT University, ITRI Taiwan). Its business model is a hybrid of (a) public core funding from federal/state/EU sources including BMBF, SAB, and Horizon Europe; (b) contract research and industry-funded R&D for bespoke manufacturing challenges; (c) technology licensing of proprietary processes; and (d) spin-off formation (e.g., Fusion Bionic in 2021 for DLIP commercialization). Pricing is project-scoped and not publicly disclosed; commercial outreach runs through industry events (Hannover Messe, formnext, EuroBLECH), the IWSfokus newsletter, LinkedIn/YouTube/Instagram channels, and direct enterprise field sales rather than transactional channels. The institute has won multiple international awards (EARTO Innovation Award 2016, Berthold Leibinger Innovationspreis 2016, Joseph von Fraunhofer Prize 2025, TSS President's Award 2025) and is led by Institute Director Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christoph Leyens.

Name

Fraunhofer IWS

Legal name

Fraunhofer-Institut für Werkstoff- und Strahltechnik IWS

Website

https://iws.fraunhofer.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1949

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Fraunhofer IWS is a German non-profit applied research institute under Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, developing laser-based manufacturing, surface engineering, and battery technologies for aerospace, automotive, energy, maritime, and industrial clients through public funding, contract research, licensing, and spin-offs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Applied Industrial Research and Laser Manufacturing Technology

NAICS

Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing (33351), Industrial Machinery Manufacturing (3332), Other General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing (3339), Other Specialized Design Services (54149)

SIC

Special Industry Machinery (No Metalworking Machinery) (3550), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Sheet Metal Machinery (Laser/Plasma/Waterjet Cutting, Punching) (IMAHADAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Test, Measurement & Calibration Equipment Manufacturing Services (ATE, DAQ, metrology electronics) (IMAGAGAH), Optics & Laser/Light Engine Components (Lenses, Galvos, Laser Modules, UV Engines) (IMAAAIAC)

Keywords

• Laser materials processing
• Battery technology research
• Additive manufacturing services
• Surface engineering coatings
• Industrial R&D

Headquarters

HQ city

Dresden

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations

Revenue model

1. Public Research Funding: Core funding from Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft and government research grants (BMBF, EU Horizon programs, state-level SAB funding) for basic and applied research projects.
2. Contract Research Services: Industry-funded R&D contracts and commissioned research for specific technology development, process optimization, and custom solution development for manufacturing clients.
3. Technology Licensing: Licensing of developed technologies, processes, and know-how to industrial partners for commercialization.
4. Spin-off Companies: Formation and support of spin-off ventures based on institute technologies, creating equity value and commercial enterprises.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Fraunhofer IWS conducts applied research and develops industrial-grade laser, materials, and surface engineering technologies for manufacturing clients. It offers contract R&D, technology licensing, custom system development, and operates specialized centers delivering solutions in laser cladding, dry battery electrode coating (DRYtraec), additive manufacturing, hyperspectral metrology, and non-destructive testing to automotive, aerospace, energy, and medical technology industries.

Product overview

Fraunhofer IWS is a German research institute offering a comprehensive portfolio of laser-based manufacturing technologies, battery systems, and materials science solutions. The portfolio centers on six technology fields: Thin-film Technology (PVD coatings, tribological coatings, LAwave testing, reactive multilayers), Battery Technology (solid-state batteries, DRYtraec dry electrode coating, filtration), Additive Manufacturing and Surface Technology (laser cladding, laser roll cladding, laser direct plating, powder bed systems), Cutting and Joining (laser welding, DLIP surface functionalization, bonding), Materials Characterization (fatigue testing, HEA alloys, tomography), and Optical Metrology (hyperspectral imaging, fiber technology). Specialized centers include the Advanced Battery Technology Center (ABTC), Additive Manufacturing Center Dresden (AMCD), Center for Advanced Micro-Photonics (CAMP), Tribology Innovation Center Dresden (TICD), and Fraunhofer AZOM for optical metrology. Key product families include LAwave non-destructive testing, laser cladding systems (HICLAD, COAX), laser roll and direct plating technologies, DRYtraec/DRYplatform battery coating systems, and AI-enabled systems like LASER-KI, DiWan, and HyperImage. The institute serves automotive, aerospace, energy, medical, and manufacturing industries with solutions ranging from component coating to complete battery cell production.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Advanced Battery Technology Center (ABTC): Center focused on advanced battery technology research and development
• Additive Manufacturing Center Dresden (AMCD)
• Center for Advanced Micro-Photonics (CAMP)
• Tribology Innovation Center Dresden (TICD)
• Fraunhofer AZOM
• Dortmunder OberflächenCentrum DOC

Products and services

• LAwave Laser Acoustic Test System Non-destructive laser-acoustic testing system for coating quality assurance on brake discs, foils, and industrial components; used by manufacturing QA teams for in-line inspection.
• Laser Direct Plating (Laserdirektplattieren) High-performance laser coating technology for rotationally symmetrical metal components; offers deposition rates of 50-100 kg/h with 100% material utilization and approximately 5x energy reduction versus conventional coating processes.
• Laser Roll Cladding (Laserwalzplattieren) Continuous roll-to-roll laser cladding process for producing bimetal strips and sandwich elements at process speeds up to 50 m/min with deposition zones up to 22 mm wide.
• Laser Cladding (Laser-Auftragschweißen) High-precision laser cladding using powder or wire filler for wear-resistant coatings on engine/turbine components, hydraulic cylinders, and tooling.
• HICLAD Laser Cladding System High-power laser cladding platform for resilient, fast, and sustainable coating of industrial components requiring wear and corrosion protection.
• PAPURE Laser Paper Sealing CO laser-based sealing process that converts natural paper components (cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin) into fusible compounds for heat-sealing paper packaging without adhesives or plastics; seals as small as 2 cm x 3 mm support up to 20 kg load.
• DRYtraec Dry Battery Electrode Coating Environmentally friendly dry coating technology platform for battery electrode production without solvents, enabling sustainable cell manufacturing.
• ICON-FREDY Fluorine-Free Dry Battery Coating Fluorine-free dry coating process for high-performance battery electrodes developed in cooperation with ITRI under the ICON-FREDY project.
• DLIP (Direct Laser Interference Patterning) Laser-based micro/nano surface structuring technology for functionalizing surfaces, including the DLIP Revolution system for industrial applications.
• Reactive Multilayer Systems (MoReBond, Join-ZiSi, RMS) Reactive multilayer foil technologies for hermetic sealing, plastic-to-metal joining, and rubber door seal production using self-propagating high-temperature reactions.
• COAX System Technology Coaxial processing heads and systems for laser cladding and additive manufacturing, including the COAXwire mini for precision wire cladding.
• Emaqs / LOMPOCpro Process Control Systems Camera-based temperature measurement and control systems (Emaqs) and induction-hardening controllers (LOMPOCpro) for laser hardening and cladding processes.
• HyperImage Hyperspectral Imaging System Hyperspectral imaging system for drone-based analysis, vertical farming, autonomous driving, and industrial inspection across multiple spectral bands.
• DIVE Hyperspectral Imaging Hyperspectral vision system for rapid foil and surface inspection in chip production and manufacturing quality control.
• CLeo Laser Safety Monitoring Laser-based monitoring system for safety filter quality assurance and leak detection in safety-relevant applications.
• LASER-KI AI-based software platform for real-time data management, process monitoring, and optimization of laser manufacturing processes.
• DiWan Expert System AI-driven virtual materials expert system for knowledge retrieval and decision support in materials science and coating process optimization.
• UltraGRAIN Microstructure Control Additive manufacturing technology for on-demand microstructure control, enabling customized grain structures in 3D printed metal components.
• SpreeTec neXt Powder Bed AM System Powder bed additive manufacturing system designed for industrial-scale production of metal components.
• BioGrip Additive Manufacturing Process Additive manufacturing process for producing bio-inspired grip surfaces and structures for industrial and consumer applications.
• PulLoop Real-Time Powder Stream Monitoring Real-time monitoring system for powder streams in laser melting processes, reducing scrap in profile manufacturing.
• Solid-State Battery Technology Research Comprehensive solid-state battery research program covering lithium-sulphur (SoLiS, TALISSMAN), silicon-based anodes (KaSiLi), and sulfide-based systems, with FoFeBat research production lines and FestBatt competence cluster.
• Hydrogen Technology Solutions Hydrogen production and storage technologies including 3D structured electrodes for alkaline electrolysis, fuel cell components, and bipolar plate manufacturing.
• SAXFUSION Nuclear Fusion Technologies

Quantifiable outcome

• 5x reduction in energy consumption for Laser Direct Plating compared to conventional coating processes
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability8 records

Feature9 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• TECNALIAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2026European collaboration in the TALISSMAN project focused on solid-state lithium-sulphur battery development. TECNALIA is developing 3D carbon structure lithium anodes and scalable manufacturing processes targeting quasi-solid-state batteries by 2027 and all-solid-state sulphide-based batteries by 2030.
• AirbuscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 May 2026Collaboration in the HESTIA project (2023-2026) funded by German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action to develop lightweight thermoplastic composite fuselage shell technologies for next-generation zero-emission aircraft.
• Leibniz-Institut für Verbundwerkstoffe (IVW)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 May 2026Collaboration on aircraft window frames using recycled carbon fiber TPC materials with topology-optimized fiber orientation to improve material efficiency and reduce CO₂ emissions.
• ITRI (Industrial Technology Research Institute)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 May 2026International research collaboration in ICON-FREDY project for fluorine-free dry battery coating technology development.
• VecocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 February 2026Partnership to develop 3D structured electrodes using electroforming technology for improved efficiency in alkaline water electrolysis for green hydrogen production. NiE3 electrodes demonstrated substantially improved performance over traditional expanded nickel meshes.
• PowerCell GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 January 2026Participation in the €17 million GAMMA Horizon Europe project led by Verkís to demonstrate hydrogen-based fuel cells for decarbonizing deep-sea shipping. Project involves retrofitting a 60,000 DWT bulk carrier with 1 MW fuel cell power system.
• VerkíscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 January 2026Lead partner in GAMMA Horizon Europe project for hydrogen-powered shipping. Icelandic engineering company leading consortium of 16 European partners.
• TOPIC FleetminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 January 2026Owner of 60,000 DWT bulk carrier being retrofitted with hydrogen fuel cell system in GAMMA project.
• Green Energy Storage (GES)coreTechnology or Integration · 15 January 2026Collaboration on manganese-hydrogen battery technology validation, testing platforms, chemical production, and R&D. GES unveiled new battery achieving over 75% efficiency, 10,000+ cycles, expected commercially available in 2027.
• Altech BatteriescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 January 2026Partnership in development of CERENERGY sodium-chloride solid-state battery technology. €46 million German government funding supporting 120 MWh manufacturing plant in Saxony for grid storage applications.
• DRESDEN-conceptminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 October 2024Dresden research consortium partner in the Fraunhofer in Dresden network.
• Fraunhofer USA CMWminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 October 2024Transatlantic partnership within the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft network for collaborative research.
• RMIT UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 August 2020Partnership in Additive Manufacturing research, combining expertise in 3D printing and materials science.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Fraunhofer ILT: Sister Fraunhofer institute specializing in laser technology and laser-based manufacturing. Directly comparable as a publicly funded applied-research organization offering laser processing, additive manufacturing, and contract R&D to industrial clients.
• SLM Solutions: Specialist in selective laser melting (powder bed fusion) additive manufacturing machines for metals. Comparable as a focused vendor of laser-based metal AM systems targeting aerospace and industrial customers — directly adjacent to IWS's SpreeTec neXt and AMCD capabilities.
• EOS GmbH: Industrial 3D printing systems vendor for metals and polymers, with deep materials and process expertise. Comparable in industrializing laser-based additive manufacturing for aerospace and automotive customers, similar to Fraunhofer IWS's AMCD work.
• Altech Batteries: Battery company commercializing CERENERGY sodium-chloride solid-state grid storage technology with Fraunhofer IWS. Comparable as a direct spin-out/industrialization partner that takes institute-developed battery IP toward commercial production.

Broad incumbents

• Trumpf: Global leader in industrial lasers and machine tools, with deep R&D in laser cladding, cutting, and additive manufacturing. Comparable as a vertically integrated laser manufacturing incumbent that monetizes similar process IP through equipment sales.
• IPG Photonics: Leading manufacturer of fiber lasers and laser systems used in materials processing, welding, cladding, and additive manufacturing. Comparable as the dominant supplier of the laser sources underpinning Fraunhofer IWS's process technologies.
• Renishaw: UK-based manufacturer of metal additive manufacturing systems, Raman spectroscopy, and precision measurement instruments. Comparable in combining laser-based metal AM with metrology and process control — overlapping with Fraunhofer IWS's PulLoop and LAwave offerings.
• Carl Zeiss (ZEISS Industrial Metrology): Global leader in optics and industrial measurement, including surface inspection and hyperspectral/multi-spectral imaging. Comparable through Fraunhofer AZOM's optical metrology products (HyperImage, DIVE) that compete in industrial quality inspection.
• Pratt & Whitney (RTX): Major jet engine OEM with extensive repair, MRO, and advanced manufacturing operations. Comparable as a customer/collaborator profile for Fraunhofer IWS's laser-based engine component repair systems (Emaqs, LOMPOCpro) deployed with GE Shanghai and Maschinenfabrik Arnold.

Regional players

• Manz AG: German equipment maker specializing in laser processing, wet chemistry, and battery cell production lines. Comparable in serving European automotive and battery customers with laser-based manufacturing and coating systems adjacent to IWS's DRYtraec and laser cladding lines.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCzkxD0_FfwnG9nMdW33j6hw
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fraunhofer-gesellschaft
• Instagraminstagram.com/fraunhofer.iws

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Fraunhofer IWS