Press

In the new research project DINKA (Data Interoperability in Disaster Management and Elderly Care), the German Red Cross (DRK) Rhineland-Palatinate and the Fraunhofer Institute for Experimental Software Engineering IESE, together with other partners, are developing a digital platform that can save lives in an emergency. The goal is to provide emergency responders with critical information more quickly in the event of a disaster – especially in areas where people are particularly dependent on support. The DINKA project is funded by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs for a duration of two years. The official kick-off event took place on April 28, 2026, at the Southwest Palatinate District Administration.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Experimental Software Engineering IESE has developed VIMOPROP, a modular software platform that supports pharmaceutical manufacturers in the virtual design, simulation, and commissioning of production processes. The platform makes a concrete contribution to the implementation of Pharma 4.0 by combining digital twins, modular production concepts, and integrated quality assurance in a consistent digital approach. The goal is to make complex production environments – particularly for the manufacture of Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMPs) – more flexible, efficient, and compliant with regulatory requirements.

How can companies securely exchange data, integrate existing IT systems, and at the same time unlock new digital business models? The Fraunhofer Institute for Experimental Software Engineering IESE will provide answers to these questions at Hannover Messe 2026 from April 20 to 24. At three exhibition booths, the institute will demonstrate concrete applications showing how digital data spaces can make industrial processes more efficient and enable new forms of collaboration along the value chain.

In the research project “Cross-Company Material Data and Material Simulation in Production”, PMD-X-MAPRO, which is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space, researchers and industry are working to make material data available in a digital and machine-readable format. The goal is to prepare information about material properties and manufacturing data in such a way that it can be automatically used and exchanged along the entire supply chain. In addition to the Fraunhofer Institute for Experimental Software Engineering IESE and the Fraunhofer Institute for Mechanics of Materials IWM, industry partners are involved: Siemens AG, SHS – Stahl-Holding Saar GmbH & Co. KGaA, tec4U-Solutions GmbH, credativ GmbH, and Deutz AG. The latest results and applications will be presented from April 20 to 24 at the Hannover Messe 2026 trade fair at the Industry 4.0 platform stand (Hall 13, Booth C24).

The Fraunhofer Institute for Experimental Software Engineering IESE is one of the ten nationwide winners of the university competition in the Science Year 2026 – Medicine of the Future with its project "My Twin, My Rules – A Data Café on the Future of Health Data." From a total of 220 submissions, the best communication ideas from young researchers were honored, including the project by Jean Stadlbauer, data scientist in the Digital Health Engineering department at Fraunhofer IESE. The winning teams will each receive 10,000 euros to implement their projects by the end of 2026.

Local authorities that want to make their heat supply climate-neutral face major challenges: they have to evaluate gas and district heating networks, assess future energy requirements, and develop suitable solutions for a CO2-free energy supply. In practice, there is often a lack of overview: data is scattered, scenarios are difficult to compare, and connections remain invisible. A practical report by the Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development (BBSR) shows how digital twins can strategically support municipal heat planning.

Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences, together with the Fraunhofer Institute for Experimental Software Engineering IESE, the Friends of Digital Farming network, and the German Agricultural Society, supports businesses in the digital implementation of sustainability issues.

Although menopause – also known as perimenopause – can significantly impair women's well-being and performance, medical education and support have often been inadequate to date. As part of the joint project “PETRA AI: AI-supported, educational therapy support for perimenopause,” researchers are now developing an AI-supported app that offers personalized information to affected women, thereby helping to improve their symptoms. In addition to the Fraunhofer Institute for Experimental Software Engineering IESE as consortium leader, four partners are participating in the project: the digital health startup FEMNA, the junior professorship for health and e-health at Ruhr University Bochum, the social research center of the Faculty of Social Sciences at Dortmund Technical University, and the Berlin Institute of Health at Charité. The project for gender-equitable medicine is being funded by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space with around two million euros over a project period of three years.

On November 1, 2025, Jörg Dörr joined the institute management team at the Fraunhofer Institute for Experimental Software Engineering IESE. Together with the current director Peter Liggesmeyer, he will co-lead the institute, which specializes in efficient software development. They will share responsibilities: Jörg Dörr will serve as scientific director while Peter Liggesmeyer will act as managing director.

From October 21 to 22, Rotterdam hosted Synergy Days, the leading conference for digital innovation in the European agricultural and food sector. This was the first time that the European Common European Agricultural Data Space (CEADS) project was presented to a broad international audience.