Fraunhofer IKTS

What Fraunhofer IKTS does

Fraunhofer IKTS (Fraunhofer-Institut für Keramische Technologien und Systeme) is a non-profit applied research institute within the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft network, conducting research on advanced ceramic materials, ceramic processing, characterization methods, and system integration. Founded in 1992 and headquartered in Dresden with additional sites in Hermsdorf, Arnstadt, Freiberg, and Forchheim, the institute operates at pilot scale, bridging laboratory research and commercial production across nine business divisions covering energy, electronics, medical technology, water, environmental engineering, materials, non-destructive testing, and mechanical/automotive engineering.

The institute's technology portfolio includes proprietary platforms such as CERENERGY ceramic solid-state batteries (sodium-nickel chloride chemistry for stationary storage), PERLUCOR transparent ceramics, RECOSiC silicon carbide recycling, COMOBASE modular acoustic emission monitoring systems, PCUS pro-LAB non-destructive testing software, and autartec water treatment systems. It has also developed high-temperature electrolysis (SOEC) stacks for green hydrogen production in partnership with thyssenkrupp nucera, with a pilot manufacturing plant opened in May 2025.

Fraunhofer IKTS generates revenue through four streams: German federal and state public research funding, direct industry R&D contracts, technology licensing, and EU-funded research projects such as the 40M EUR CARE-O-SENE sustainable kerosene initiative. Its customer base spans named enterprise clients including CATL, thyssenkrupp nucera, Salzgitter, and Hyundai, alongside broader industrial partners across battery, hydrogen, steel, automotive, medical, and water sectors. As part of the Fraunhofer Society, it does not pursue venture-style equity funding and operates on a contract-research model where intellectual property and licensing structures vary by partner.

Name

Fraunhofer IKTS

Legal name

Fraunhofer-Institut für Keramische Technologien und Systeme IKTS

Website

https://ikts.fraunhofer.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Fraunhofer IKTS is a German non-profit applied research institute within the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft network, conducting pilot-scale R&D on advanced ceramic materials, batteries, hydrogen technologies, non-destructive testing, and water systems for industrial partners including CATL, thyssenkrupp nucera, Hyundai, and Salzgitter.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Advanced Ceramics Research and Industrial R&D Services

NAICS

Instruments and Related Products Manufacturing for Measuring, Displaying, and Controlling Industrial Process Variables (334513), Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516), Instrument Manufacturing for Measuring and Testing Electricity and Electrical Signals (334515), Engineering Services (541330), Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413), Electrical Equipment Manufacturing (33531)

SIC

Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826), Instruments For Meas & Testing Of Electricity & Elec Signals (3825), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Test, Measurement & Calibration Equipment Manufacturing Services (ATE, DAQ, metrology electronics) (IMAGAGAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Electronics & Enclosure Prototyping (Additive) (IMAAAFAH), Reliability, Safety & Risk Engineering (RAMS/PSM) Consulting (BPAHAIAK)

Keywords

• Ceramic materials research
• Applied industrial R&D
• Non-destructive testing services
• Battery technology development
• Pilot-scale ceramic manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Dresden

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Publicly Funded Research: Fraunhofer IKTS receives significant funding from German federal and state governments as part of the Fraunhofer Society network, supporting basic and applied research programs.
2. Industry R&D Contracts: Direct contract research and development services for industrial partners, including technology development, characterization, testing, and consulting services.
3. Technology Licensing: Licensing of developed technologies and processes to industrial partners for commercialization.
4. EU Research Projects: Participation in European Union funded research programs including Horizon Europe and other collaborative research initiatives.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Fraunhofer IKTS conducts application-oriented research in advanced ceramic materials, manufacturing processes, and systems, developing prototype components and pilot-scale production lines for industrial partners. It offers R&D contract services, materials characterization and non-destructive testing, technology licensing, and branded product lines (e.g., CERENERGY, PERLUCOR, RECOSiC, PCUS pro-LAB, COMOBASE, autartec) across nine business divisions covering energy, medical, electronics, environmental, water, and mechanical engineering applications.

Product overview

Fraunhofer IKTS is a research institute offering applied research services and technologies across ceramic technologies and systems. The organization operates nine business divisions: Bio- and Medical Technology, Electronics and Microsystems, Energy, Environmental and Process Engineering, Materials and Processes, Materials and Process Analysis, Mechanical and Automotive Engineering, Non-Destructive Testing and Monitoring, and Water. Key product offerings include PCUS pro-LAB software for ultrasonic testing, COMOBASE acoustic emission monitoring systems, cerenergy ceramic solid-state batteries, PERLUCOR transparent ceramics, autartec water treatment systems, and RECOSiC silicon carbide recycling technology. The institute provides research and technology services, developing modern ceramic high-performance materials, industry-relevant manufacturing processes, and prototype components and systems up to pilot scale, along with materials diagnostics and testing services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• PCUS pro-LAB
• COMOBASE / COMOBASE 3
• cerenergy
• PERLUCOR
• autartec
• RECOSiC
• Software für Prüfsysteme (NDT Software Suite)
• Contract R&D and Pilot-Scale Manufacturing Services

Quantifiable outcome

• CO2 emissions in steel production reduced from 100% to 5% through new technologies
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability8 records

Feature10 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Kongju National UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2026Joint R&D platform establishment as part of glocal university project with Chungnam National University. Discussions at EKC 2026 conference in Toulouse covered professor-student exchanges, international joint research, global research projects, joint utilization of research infrastructure, and global research hub center establishment.
• Chungnam National UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2026Joint glocal university project partner for establishing Fraunhofer-type joint R&D platform with Kongju National University in South Korea.
• K-FASTcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2026Korean partner organization involved in discussions for establishing joint R&D platform and global research hub center with Kongju National University.
• thyssenkrupp nuceracoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 March 2024Strategic partnership in SOEC (Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cell) technology. First SOEC pilot manufacturing facility for stacks opened in May 2025. Partnership focuses on industrialization of high-temperature electrolysis for green hydrogen production. Fraunhofer IKTS brings research expertise, thyssenkrupp nucera provides industrial scaling capability.
• CATL (Contemporary Amperex Technology)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 October 2023High-end test center cooperation for long-lasting batteries. CATL and Fraunhofer IKTS expanded collaboration for battery testing and development services.
• HyundaicoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 January 2023Research partnership for sustainable shipping and energy. Cooperation with Hyundai Heavy Industries/Hyundai Korea Shipbuilding.
• ECU (Edith Cowan University)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to launch Western Australia's first research and innovation lab. Opened February 2025.
• TU9 UniversitiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic network partnerships with German technical universities for research collaboration.
• ERC (European Research Council)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerERC Synergy Grant 4D+ nanoSCOPE project for osteoporosis research in collaboration with University Hospital Erlangen and FAU Erlangen-Nuremberg.
• TRIDELTA CAMPUS Hermsdorf PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional innovation cluster at Hermsdorf including SAPHIR high-performance ceramics alliance (12.7M EUR funding), with multiple industrial partners focused on advanced ceramics development.
• TIPA (Korean Project Management Agency)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation agreement with Korean project management agency TIPA for research funding coordination.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Broad incumbents

• Corning Incorporated: Global specialty glass and ceramics company with strong R&D in materials science, including transparent ceramics and high-performance substrates. Comparable in advanced transparent and specialty ceramics as well as materials characterization capabilities for industrial customers.
• Forschungszentrum Jülich: Large German research center with strong programs in energy (including hydrogen and SOEC electrolysis), materials science, and battery research. Comparable as a publicly funded German research organization conducting applied R&D in overlapping technology areas, especially SOEC stacks and stationary energy storage.
• Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT): Major German research and teaching institution combining university and large-scale applied research, with strong programs in energy (hydrogen, batteries), materials science, and process engineering. Comparable in applied research portfolio, hydrogen/battery focus, and German public-research status.
• Fraunhofer IFAM: Another Fraunhofer Society institute focused on advanced materials and manufacturing processes, including shaping, joining, and surface technology. Highly comparable as a sibling applied-research institute operating under the same funding model and serving overlapping industrial partners in ceramics and materials characterization.
• Saint-Gobain Research Provence: Industrial R&D arm of Saint-Gobain covering ceramics, glass, and building materials. Comparable as a large industrial research organization with overlapping materials science capabilities and similar focus on high-performance ceramics for industrial and construction applications.

Direct peers

• CeramTec: Industrial manufacturer of advanced technical ceramics including oxide and non-oxide ceramics for electronics, medical, and automotive applications. Comparable as a specialist in technical/industrial ceramics with overlapping product categories such as transparent ceramics, structural ceramics, and ceramic components.
• Olympus Industrial (Evident): Manufacturer of ultrasonic, eddy current, phased-array, and other non-destructive testing instruments and software. Comparable as a direct competitor in industrial NDT equipment, where Fraunhofer IKTS sells PCUS pro-LAB software and ultrasonic testing systems for similar end customers.
• CoorsTek: Global manufacturer of engineered technical ceramics serving semiconductors, medical, aerospace, and energy markets. Comparable in advanced ceramic materials and components, particularly for industrial applications, with overlapping customer segments and technology focus.

Emerging players

• Solid Power: Developer of solid-state battery technology primarily for automotive applications. Comparable as an emerging player in solid-state battery R&D, an area where Fraunhofer IKTS has its CERENERGY ceramic solid-state battery program; both target next-generation stationary and mobile storage.

Regional players

• CSIRO: Australia's national science agency with applied research in advanced materials, hydrogen, and energy storage. Comparable as a publicly funded applied research institution; regional overlap given Fraunhofer IKTS's Western Australia partnership with Edith Cowan University.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/fraunhoferikts
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fraunhoferikts
• Instagraminstagram.com/fraunhoferikts

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Fraunhofer IKTS