At KIOptiPack, Fraunhofer IVV and 51 partners develop AI tools and a shared data space to optimize and enable plastic packaging recycling.

Paludiculture plants like peat moss and reeds show potential as sustainable alternatives to wood for paper packaging, proven in feasibility tests by Fraunhofer IVV researchers.

In the NovelSweets project, Fraunhofer IME researchers develop protein-based sweeteners using biotechnology to replace sugar and alternatives, particularly in beverages.

In the BioPlas4Paper project, the Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films IST have used a coating process known as plasma polymerization to create water-repellent and plant-based barrier coatings on paper.

With the help of the CASTN optimization software, shipping companies can select the optimal carton set for each item and order structure.

Force-sensitive, dynamic, energy efficient and with a range of applications – these qualities are what distinguish the new robot gripper created by the Fraunhofer Institute for Mechatronic Systems Design IEM.

Anyone who has ever ruined a cake knows that the correct identification of visually similar substances such as sugar and salt has great significance in food preparation. However, complex compositional analyses can also provide information about the quality, ripeness or freshness of products.

The amount of plastic waste increases every year. Some of this waste is due to plastic packaging used to protect food.

In Germany, around twelve million tons of food end up in the trash every year. Over 30 percent of that is already destroyed in the production process.

Foreign objects – glass splinters, for example – that find their way into foods can be hazardous to consumers. Established X-ray techniques detect primarily metals – glass, plastic and wood pose a challenge. SAMMI^®, a new prototype, fills this gap: using radar, it has already detected glass splinters in sandwich cookies, as well as missing pieces of chocolate in advent calendars.