Press Releases

In the future, plastic packaging must be both resource-efficient and recyclable. To this end, Fraunhofer IVV is collaborating with partners to develop AI-based packaging solutions. These tools have been designed to optimise the life cycle assessment, design and material of packaging. All information is shared via a digital data room. This enables recyclates to be used more efficiently and packaging to be designed in a more sustainable way.

The Fraunhofer flagship project "FutureProteins" brings together six Fraunhofer Institutes to develop sustainable solutions for the future of food. The project focuses on year-round, climate- and location-independent production of protein-rich foods from alternative sources such as plants, fungi, algae, and insects. Using closed, space-efficient indoor systems—like vertical farming, insect farming, bioreactors, and photobioreactors—researchers produce proteins in a resource-saving way. These raw materials are combined to create innovative and nutritionally valuable food prototypes. By utilizing by-products in a circular economy approach, the project offers sustainable alternatives to meat and other animal-based foods in response to environmental challenges and the global need for healthy nutrition.

At CosmeticBusiness, the Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging IVV will be presenting a multi-sensory experience at the MOC Event Center Messe München on June 4-5, 2025. In Hall 2 at Stand A31, visitors will learn how cosmetic products with scientifically proven effects are developed. The Fraunhofer IVV supports companies in the development of products that appeal to all the senses. This includes the identification and extraction of innovative ingredients, their formulation and processing as well as the creation of an appealing packaging concept. The sustainable effectiveness of the products can be precisely measured and confirmed by legally validated claims. For safe and hygienic cosmetics production, the institute presents innovative technologies in a Clean & Smart area that enable safe production with needs-based cleaning processes. Simultaneously, they can qualify machine operators in virtual reality.

From May 3-8, 2025, the leading international trade fair IFFA in Frankfurt am Main will revolve around the topic "Technology for Meat and Alternative Proteins". In line with this, the Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging IVV will be showing how alternative ingredients and textured proteins can be used to create meat substitute products with the typical meat structure. Technologies for automated cleaning will be presented for resource-saving and efficient production. The Fraunhofer IVV will be exhibiting at the VDMA stand C31 in Hall 11.

Freising, Germany – After three and a half years of intensive research, the EU project CIRCULAR FoodPack has developed new processes to effectively recycle flexible polyethylene food packaging, blazing the trail for a sustainable circular economy in this sector. The project partners have applied and validated a tracer-based sorting technology that can separate food and non-food packaging waste. A combination of novel pre- and post-treatments with mechanical or solvent-based recycling processes is used to remove printing inks, odours and other impurities from the food packaging waste. The resulting post-consumer recyclates fulfil the quality requirements for their further processing in new flexible packaging.

Culinary foam made from the whites of chicken eggs makes baked goods light and airy. In the LeguFoam project, Fraunhofer researchers are working on a plant-based alternative made from legumes.

Freising, Germany – Following five years of intense research, the Circular Flooring consortium has proven that it is possible to produce plasticiser-free PVC recyclates from end-of-life flexible floor coverings. The solvent-based recycling process, which is operated with CreaSolv® formulations1 jointly developed by Fraunhofer IVV and CreaCycle, can efficiently remove critical legacy plasticisers from waste PVC flooring. The recovered PVC complies with EU REACH legislation and can therefore be used to produce new PVC flooring. The project thus supports the EU objective of establishing a European circular economy. In addition, the consortium has demonstrated the technical feasibility of the process on a pilot scale, paving the way for scaling up to commercial dimensions. The Fraunhofer Institute for Processing Engineering and Packaging IVV in Freising, Germany, carried out the project together with ten companies and research facilities from five European countries. The European Union provided Circular Flooring with funding of around €5.4 million from its Horizon 2020 programme.

From June 10-14, 2024, the Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging IVV will be exhibiting at ACHEMA in Frankfurt am Main at the booth of the Fraunhofer Chemistry Alliance in Hall 6.0, Booth D49. In line with this year's trade fair motto "INSPIRING SUSTAINABLE CONNECTIONS", the Fraunhofer IVV will be presenting high-performance, plant-based alternatives to mineral oil-based lubricants and lubricant additives as well as an innovative GC sensor system for the efficient quality assurance of processes and materials.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging IVV will present new processes for the development and production of high-quality natural cosmetic products at CosmeticBusiness at the MOC Event Center in Munich on June 5–6, 2024. In line with the slogan “Working together towards effective, sustainable cosmetics using scientivically optimized products and processes”, visitors to Booth C19 in Hall 2 can look forward to a wide range of services in the personal care sector.

Increasing sustainability in the paper recycling cycle and counteracting the shortage of skilled workers: In the BMWK joint project "KIBAPap", the Fraunhofer IVV and its project partners are developing a self-learning assistance system for machine operators that makes a significant contribution to reducing resource requirements in the highly complex process of paper production from waste paper. In addition, it enables the sustainable safeguarding of experience in the company and thus offers an answer to the challenges of the shortage of skilled workers. On February 19, 2024, the "KIBAPap" research project was presented with the European Paper Recycling Award 2023 for innovative technologies and R&D in Brussels.