On February 10, 2026, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) Matthias Hauer presented the funding approval for the InnoWaerm project to project leader Andreas Vogelpoth and his team at the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT in Aachen, Germany.
"With the High-Tech Agenda Germany, we are setting clear research and economic policy impulses for Germany as a location for innovation. The goal is to systematically transfer scientific excellence into marketable technologies and societal applications," said Matthias Hauer. "The BMFTR's VIP+ validation funding program creates a reliable bridge between research and value creation – open to all topics and exploitation paths. The VIP+ funded project InnoWaerm demonstrates this impressively and will make an important contribution to competitive and sustainable mobility of the future with its innovative manufacturing process. I wish the project team the greatest possible success."
In addition to representatives from the ministry, researchers from both participating Fraunhofer Institutes ILT and IMM attended the event. Representing Fraunhofer ILT were, among others, Institute Director Dr. Jochen Stollenwerk, Dr. Tim Lantzsch, Head of the Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) Department, as well as Alexander Neuke, who will assume scientific leadership of the project.
"With InnoWaerm, we are developing a solution to make hydrogen compact, lightweight, and robust for mobile heavy-duty applications. With our technology, we are creating the foundation for climate-neutral drives for aircraft and large agricultural machinery, where batteries reach their limits," explains Andreas Vogelpoth.
Afterwards, the delegation visited the laboratory where the project team is developing the novel lightweight heat exchangers and reactors.
Dr. Gunther Kolb represented the Fraunhofer Institute for Microengineering and Microsystems IMM in Mainz, where he is deputy director and head of the decentralized hydrogen technology division. The meeting provided an opportunity for a direct exchange on the technological challenges, the opportunities offered by additive manufacturing, and the next steps on the road to industrial implementation.
Fraunhofer ILT coordinates the project; the project duration is 24 months. Fraunhofer IMM contributes its many years of experience in the field of compact reactor systems for hydrogen production. Both institutes are working closely together to link the new manufacturing technology with concrete application requirements from energy and mobility research.
"With our many years of experience in hydrogen technology, we bring the perspective of system integration to InnoWaerm, from the chemical process in the microreactor to the application," explains Gunther Kolb.
Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT
