Aerospace

Laser technology is breaking into new dimensions: Ultrashort-pulse and continuous-wave lasers with average powers in the multi-kilowatt (kW) range promise to boost efficiency for material processing and pave the way for entirely new fields of applications. At the AKL’26 - International Laser Technology Congress, taking place from April 22 to 24, 2026, in Aachen, several sessions will focus on multi-kW lasers.

Solid-state batteries promise greater safety, higher energy density, and new degrees of freedom in cell design. Yet the path from laboratory cell to industrial production is challenging. Laser processes can overcome key hurdles and enable a breakthrough.

State Secretary Matthias Hauer presents funding approval for the InnoWaerm project at Fraunhofer ILT. The project, funded by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) with approximately 1.5 million euros, develops high-temperature-resistant lightweight reactors made from titanium aluminide that can be manufactured using additive manufacturing. They are intended to generate hydrogen directly on board aircraft, agricultural machinery, or heavy-duty vehicles.

Industrial manufacturing is under increasing pressure. Sales markets that were considered secure for decades are becoming unstable. Robust supply chains are being threatened. Energy and material costs are rising, markets demand a growing number of variants, and new products must reach production readiness ever faster. In this environment, the laser has established itself as a reliable manufacturing tool. Its physical principles are well understood, and many laser-based processes are mature and proven in industrial use. As a result, the focus of research is clearly shifting. The key question is no longer whether a process can be realized with a laser, but how efficiently, robustly, and economically it can be operated in everyday production.