Fraunhofer IWKS

What Fraunhofer IWKS does

Fraunhofer IWKS (Fraunhofer-Einrichtung für Wertstoffkreisläufe und Ressourcenstrategie IWKS) is a legally non-independent applied research institution within the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V., headquartered in Munich. Established in 2011 and operating primary sites in Alzenau and Hanau, Germany with 78 employees, IWKS focuses on materials science and recycling technologies for circular economy applications. Its work targets industrial customers in automotive, electronics, energy, recycling, and manufacturing sectors that face supply risks for critical raw materials, regulatory pressure to recover value from end-of-life products, and the need for sustainable material substitution. The institute's research portfolio directly serves Germany's and the European Union's strategic priorities for raw material independence, electromobility, hydrogen economy, and plastics circularity.

The institute operates eight core research competencies — Separation and Sorting Technologies, Bioeconomy, Magnetic Materials, Energy Materials, Recyclate Analytics, Materials Technology, Digitalization of Resources — supplemented by two specialized infrastructure assets: ZDR-EMIL (Center for Dismantling and Recycling for Electromobility in Hanau) for battery and e-mobility component recycling, and the High Performance Center Hydrogen (Leistungszentrum Wasserstoff) for hydrogen production, storage, and utilization research. Notable technical workstreams include the development and additive manufacturing of Nd-Fe-B permanent magnets with reduced heavy rare-earth content (MagCycleAM, Scale2PM, UPGRADE), sodium-ion battery research under the EU Horizon-funded SPRINT consortium (targeting €0.04/kWh per cycle and >200 Wh/kg energy density), AI-supported waste sorting under the BMBF-funded K3I-Cycling hub, and recovery of silver and silicon from end-of-life PV modules (SiSil project).

IWKS is funded through a hybrid public-research model anchored by institutional base funding from Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft and supplemented by competitive project grants from EU programs (Horizon Europe, Horizon 2020, EIT RawMaterials), German federal ministries (BMBF, BMWK, BMDV, BMUV), and the state governments of Hesse and Bavaria. Revenue is generated through collaborative research contracts (Verbundprojekte) where industry partners co-fund defined R&D objectives, supplemented by direct contract research with individual industrial clients. Commercial products are not sold at list prices; technology transfer to industry occurs via joint R&D projects, licensing of developed technologies, and consulting engagements, with pilot-scale facilities enabling industrial validation. Go-to-market is enterprise-field-sales oriented, driven by direct outreach, conference participation, scientific publications, and long-term partnerships with universities and other Fraunhofer institutes.

Name

Fraunhofer IWKS

Legal name

Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.

Website

https://iwks.fraunhofer.de

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Fraunhofer IWKS is a German applied research institute within the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft that develops materials science and recycling technologies — covering magnetic materials, battery and PV recycling, bioeconomy, and hydrogen — for industrial and public-sector partners across the circular economy value chain.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Alzenau

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, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft Base Funding: Core institutional funding from the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V., which is a publicly funded nonprofit applied research organization.
2. Public Research Project Funding: Funding from EU programs (Horizon Europe, Horizon 2020, EIT RawMaterials), German federal ministries (BMBF, BMWK, BMDV, BMUV), state governments (Hesse, Bavaria), and foundations. Projects include BATRAW, FREE4LIB, SPRINT, RESTORE, MagCycleAM, SiSil, and many others spanning battery recycling, rare earth recovery, and circular economy.
3. Collaborative Research Contracts (Verbundprojekte): Jointly funded R&D projects where industry partners contribute financially to specific research goals, with Fraunhofer IWKS managing organization, implementation, and reporting.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Fraunhofer IWKS is an applied research institute that develops circular materials and materials-science technologies for a sustainable circular economy. It works through collaborative research projects, contract research, pilot-plant demonstrations and analytical services to substitute critical raw materials with sustainable alternatives, regenerate advanced materials, and energy-efficiently recover secondary raw materials (from batteries, magnets, PV modules, e-waste and clinical waste) for industrial and healthcare partners. Its portfolio spans separation and sorting technologies, bioeconomy, magnetic and energy materials, recyclate analytics, materials technology, digital resource management and hydrogen technologies, delivered via specialized centers including ZDR-EMIL and the High Performance Center Hydrogen.

Product overview

Fraunhofer IWKS is a research institution (not a commercial product company) offering a portfolio of research competencies and specialized centers focused on circular economy and sustainable materials science. The core offerings include departmental research competencies in Separation and Sorting Technologies, Bioeconomics, Magnetic Materials, Energy Materials, Recyclate Analytics, and Materials Technology, supported by specialized centers such as ZDR-EMIL (Center for Dismantling and Recycling for Electromobility) and the High Performance Center Hydrogen. These competencies work together to provide comprehensive solutions for substitution of critical raw materials, intelligent regeneration of advanced materials, and energy-efficient recovery of secondary raw materials for sustainable production.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ZDR-EMIL Center for Dismantling and Recycling for Electromobility A specialized center located at Fraunhofer IWKS in Hanau that provides pilot-scale and demonstration services for dismantling and recycling processes for electric vehicle batteries and electromobility components, enabling industry partners to validate recycling technologies under real-world conditions.
• High Performance Center Hydrogen (Leistungszentrum Wasserstoff) A research facility run as part of a network of Hessian Fraunhofer institutes, providing applied research services on hydrogen production, storage and fuel cell technologies for industry partners in the regional hydrogen economy.
• Contract Research and Collaborative R&D (Verbundprojekte) Jointly funded R&D projects and direct contract research in which Fraunhofer IWKS manages organization, implementation and reporting for industry and public-sector partners across circular economy, critical raw materials, batteries, magnets, PV modules, hydrogen and bioeconomy topics.
• Recyclate Analytics Services (Rezyklat-Analytik) Analytical services that characterize and assess the quality and composition of recycled materials, providing industry and recycling-sector customers with purity and quality assurance data for recyclate streams.
• International Conference on Resource Chemistry (ICRC) A biennial conference organized by Fraunhofer IWKS that brings together international scientists, industry decision-makers and policymakers on resource chemistry, with published participation fees per event.

Quantifiable outcome

• The SPRINT project targets cost reduction to €0.04/kWh per cycle for sodium-ion batteries and energy density improvement to >200 Wh/kg and >420 Wh/L.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SPRINT Project Consortium (18 European partners)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2025The SPRINT project, funded under EU Horizon Europe, brings together 18 industry and research partners across Europe to advance sodium-ion battery technology using abundant, non-toxic materials originating in the EU. Fraunhofer IWKS leads development of quasi-solid electrolytes and conducts ecological and social impact assessments (LCA and Social-LCA).
• EIT RawMaterialscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019EIT RawMaterials is a co-funding partner for multiple IWKS projects including UPGRADE (strip-casting process for permanent magnets), REGINA (rare-earth magnet production from Brazilian resources), and numerous other European research initiatives. EIT RawMaterials is the European Institute of Innovation and Technology's raw materials knowledge and innovation community, providing strategic funding and network access for critical raw materials research.
• Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019CEA, the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission, serves as the coordinator of the UPGRADE project on strip-casting for heavy rare-earth-lean permanent magnets. Fraunhofer IWKS is one of several European partners contributing specialized expertise in magnetic materials processing and characterization.
• Vacuumschmelze GmbH & Co. KGcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Vacuumschmelze, a leading manufacturer of soft and permanent magnetic materials based in Germany, is an industry partner in the UPGRADE project, contributing industrial perspective and facilitating the transfer of research outcomes to commercial magnet production.
• Centro Ricerche Fiat S.C.p.A. (CRF)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019CRF, the Fiat Research Center in Italy, participates in the UPGRADE project to ensure industrial requirements for magnet grades in electric motors are integrated into the alloy development process.
• Less Common Metals Ltd.minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019UK-based supplier of rare earth and specialty metals, Less Common Metals is a partner in the UPGRADE project providing specialized alloy materials and production expertise.
• Universities and colleges networkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIWKS maintains formal collaborative relationships with universities and higher education institutions across regional, national, and international networks, supporting joint research, student supervision, and knowledge transfer.
• Other Fraunhofer institutescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIWKS collaborates closely with other institutes within the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, including Fraunhofer IMWS, ISC, LBF, and others, through shared projects and the Leistungszentrum Wasserstoff (Hydrogen High Performance Center) network of Hessian Fraunhofer institutes.
• KIOpti-Pack (AI Application Hub for Plastic Packaging)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the AI Application Hub for Plastic Packaging (K3I-Cycling sub-project), funded by BMBF. IWKS contributes AI-based optimization of plastic packaging recycling. The hub comprises innovation labs KIOpti-Pack (design/production) and K3I-Cycling (closing the loop), supported by BMBF.
• European and non-European stakeholders (Morocco, Tunisia, Kenya, Sierra Leone)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWithin the SPRINT project, IWKS collaborates with stakeholders in Morocco, Tunisia, Kenya, and Sierra Leone to explore broader application possibilities for sodium-ion battery technology.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Fraunhofer ISI: Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research ISI, a sister institute within Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft conducting research on resource strategies, innovation systems, and circular economy policy. Comparable as it complements IWKS's technology focus with systems-level and policy research on the same critical raw materials and circular economy themes.
• VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland: Finland's national applied research organization with established circular economy and bioeconomy research programs, plus battery materials expertise. Comparable as a publicly funded institute translating materials science research into industrial applications and participating in EU consortia similar to those IWKS joins (Horizon Europe, EIT RawMaterials).
• Fraunhofer IMWS: Fraunhofer Institute for Microstructure of Materials and Systems IMWS, a sister institute within Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft conducting applied materials science research. Directly comparable as it shares the same funding model (German federal base funding plus competitive grants), operates similar pilot infrastructure, and collaborates with IWKS on circular materials projects including the hydrogen high-performance center.
• EMPA: Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, an applied research institution with strong competencies in materials recycling, energy materials, and circular economy. Directly comparable as a publicly funded applied research organization with parallel portfolios in battery recycling, magnetic materials, and resource analytics serving industrial clients across Europe.
• TNO: Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research, a publicly funded applied research institute with programs in circular economy, energy materials, and resource recovery. Comparable to IWKS in its mix of contract research for industry, participation in EU funding programs, and focus on translating materials science into industrial sustainability outcomes.
• Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy: German research institute focused on sustainability, resource strategies, and circular economy with strong policy and industry research programs. Comparable as a publicly funded applied research organization working on the same critical raw materials substitution and resource efficiency themes that drive IWKS's research agenda.
• Fraunhofer IWM: Fraunhofer Institute for Mechanics of Materials IWM, a sister institute within Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft focused on materials behavior, damage, and recycling. Comparable as another Fraunhofer applied research unit working on materials science and circular economy with similar funding mechanisms and industrial contract research model.
• BAM Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing: German federal institute under the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action conducting materials research, testing, and analytics. Comparable to IWKS's recyclate analytics and materials characterization competencies and shares the publicly funded applied research mandate with industry-facing services.
• Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA): French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission, a large publicly funded research organization already partnering with IWKS as coordinator of the UPGRADE magnet project. Comparable as a major European applied research player with deep magnetic materials and energy materials competencies and shared participation in EU critical-raw-materials consortia.
• Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT): Germany's largest research university and member of the Helmholtz Association with extensive materials science, battery research, and hydrogen programs. Comparable as a major German publicly funded research institution with overlapping competencies in energy materials, magnetic materials, and circular economy R&D, participating in many of the same EU consortia.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fraunhofer-iwks

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

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 IWKS