FOCUS 20 1 9

On July 29th, 2019 we exceeded the world’s biocapacity for this year, There is no “magic bullet” to solve the increasing needs for resource
that is, we consumed more water, energy and raw materials than management, environmental stabilization and general recovery.
can be replenished by natural resources1. The evidence of stress- These issues must necessarily be tackled in many ways. Fraunhofer
ors on our environment and resources is staggering. For example, USA, as nonprofit applied research and development organization,
trillions of cubic meters of fresh water are used globally every year. partners with universities and companies to contribute in many
Ground water is siphoned off, climate change is causing drought, areas, including water, transportation, food supply, health etc. This
and human encroachment and developments are removing natural is what our Focus 2019 report is all about, to give you a glimpse of
water filtering and cleaning areas such as wetlands. Freshwater what we can do together to take on the challenge. We hope you
withdrawals have tripled over the last 50 years. In 2019 the city reser- enjoy reading our project briefs discussing innovation on desalinating
voirs in Chennai, India, a city of over 7 million people, ran dry. This is water using renewable energy, optimizing trucking logistics through
an alarming and tragic portent of the scale of the issue. Furthermore, software, developing automated instrumentation that supports
70% of the available fresh water is used in agriculture to ensure food efficient industrial agriculture for sustainable food production, PFASs
supplies. Simultaneously we continue to pollute. In 2018 we had remediation and others.
4 billion passengers traveling by airplane and current estimates put
the number of motorized vehicles on the planet at above 1 billion. We understand that it is risky for private companies to invest in
Conventional vehicles cause about 100 billion liters of wasted (not early stage technologies. This can impede necessary innovation. At
used for movement) fuel consumption and associated emissions just Fraunhofer USA we have applied research and development Centers
to overcome friction within the engine. Meanwhile new sites are staffed with technical experts and equipped with state-of-the-art ma-
being identified that have PFASs-tainted water. PFASs are per- and chinery that can help to de-risk such investments. We partner with
polyfluoroalkyl substances that are used in clothing, fire retardants, innovative companies across industries and excellent universities to
non-stick applications etc. and extremely difficult to destroy and have develop new processes, products and technologies for real-world ap-
adverse health effects. plications. Our focus is on accelerating the technology transfer to cre-
ate opportunities for successful businesses. We work with companies
These examples clearly show how the overuse of natural resources, of any size and offer value through increasing the readiness level of a
mobility, water and food supplies and health are interconnected technology by proving its feasibility, testing prototypes and validating
and how it is a vital matter of long-term sustainability for our society system performance. Come and talk to us to find out more.
to use the available resources more efficiently, pollute less and be
proactive to mitigate the stressing impact we have on our funda- Sincerely,
mental life support. Of course, this dire picture created from simple
facts seems a challenge too hard to overcome. But society cannot
Thomas Schuelke
and does not give up. We rely largely on technological progress Thomas Schuelke
to address these challenges. Emerging transformative technology President,
trends (e.g. “Renewable Energy”, “E-Mobility”, “Industry 4.0”, etc.) Fraunhofer USA Inc.
contribute to reducing energy consumption, to improving the utili-
zation of raw materials, to lessening the environmental impact and
to improving the quality of life in a steady and sustainable manner. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth_Overshoot_Day
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 TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S

M A N A G E M E N T R E P O RT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

FA C E S AT F R A U N H O F E R U S A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

R E S E A R C H R E V I E W . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Health and Environment
Security and Safety
Production and Services
Mobility and Transport
Energy and Materials
Communication and Knowledge

F R A U N H O F E R U S A C E N T E R P R O F I L E S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Center for Manufacturing Innovation CMI
Center for Coatings and Diamond Technologies CCD
TechBridge Program
Center for Laser Technology CLA
Center for Experimental Software Engineering CESE
Center for Molecular Biotechnology CMB
Center for Energy Innovation CEI
Digital Media Technology Office DMT

PA RT N E R S H I P S A N D C O L L A B O R AT I O N S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
University Partnerships
Other University Joint Projects
State Support and Collaborations
Fraunhofer Partnerships and Cooperation

O U T L O O K . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

F I N A N C I A L S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

B O A R D O F D I R E C T O R S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

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MANAGEMENT REPORT

be obtained who are able to provide unique information and

Strategic Development
expertise. To manage the complexity of multi-disciplinary R&D
“Scientists in different disciplines don’t speak the same language. projects, a fluid and dynamic approach to project management
They publish in different journals. It’s like the United Nations: You offers the best outcomes for customers. Pulling in the right
come together, but no one speaks the same language, so you people when and where needed to tackle the tasks at hand is key
need some translators.” to agile project execution. The teams are comprised of existing
– Neil deGrasse Tyson staff, Center transfers, temporarily assigned staff from partners
such as collaborating universities or other Fraunhofer affiliates.
There is an old joke circulating that once a mathematician, a With this modular team structure and an iterative and incremen-
physicist and an engineer were each given a red rubber ball and tal task management approach, Fraunhofer USA aims to achieve
told to find the volume. The mathematician carefully measured the maximum R&D flexibility to the benefit of our customer base.
diameter with a ruler and evaluated the formula for the volume of Whenever possible, project execution follows the “SCRUM”
a sphere. The physicist filled a beaker with water and submerged philosophy, which is an agile framework to manage knowledge
the ball to measure the displaced volume. The engineer took the work originally created by the software industries. We believe it
model number from the ball and looked up the volume in his “red can and should be successfully adapted to applied research and
rubber ball” handbook. This joke was perhaps meant as a ribbing development activities.
on the engineers by the mathematicians and the physicists, but it
also illustrates the beauty of bringing multidisciplinary approaches As part of this process, we also recognize the need to continually
together. Clearly, the engineer would have the answer fastest, and assess the technology portfolio of Fraunhofer USA. Recently we
that is all that matters in this case. made the strategic decision to close down operations of our
Fraunhofer USA Center for Sustainable Energy Systems CSE and
At Fraunhofer USA our engineers and scientists work together to transfer the Building Energy Systems group of that Center to the
find solutions to problems that not only benefit from but also require Fraunhofer USA Center for Manufacturing Innovation CMI. This
a multi-disciplinary approach to generate optimal results. For this group will not only continue its excellent research and development
reason, Fraunhofer USA Centers are not only continually working on in the field, but the merged expertise will now offer even greater
diversifying their portfolios of expertise by creating multi-disciplinary potential for the important energy saving aspects of building enve-
collaborations across the company, but also involving Fraunhofer lope technologies. Fraunhofer USA will also continue and expand
affiliates around the globe. Scientific and engineering breakthroughs the “TechBridge” program”, which was originally developed by
are often a result of fresh perspectives and novel approaches. The Fraunhofer USA CSE and is a successful open innovation and
days of a lone engineer or a small group of scientists working on a technology validation platform for investors and industry sponsors.
single project for many years are over and with good reason. TechBridge identifies and de-risks promising technologies. The
funding for the TechBridge program is provided directly by public
Project teams at Fraunhofer USA are dynamically assembled to and private sector sponsors. The TechBridge program transitioned
match customer demand with expertise. Project managers are from Fraunhofer USA Center for Sustainable Energy Systems CSE to
tasked with pulling the most suitable combination of scientists, the Fraunhofer USA Center for Coatings and Diamond Technologies
engineers and technicians. In some cases, external advisors might CCD.

2
Operating Objectives Contract Research

Incorporated in Rhode Island in September of 1994, Fraunhofer Fraunhofer USA is a contract driven research and development
USA marks 25 years of operation in the United States in 2019. organization. It is through contract research revenue, base
Fraunhofer USA continues its non-profit mission as we move funding, donations and grants that Fraunhofer USA acquires the
beyond this wonderful milestone. Fraunhofer USA obtains necessary funding to continue its mission. Total Fraunhofer USA
contracts from customers in industry and the state and federal consolidated revenue, including undesignated, designated and
governments. Our primary focus is applied research and devel- temporarily restricted is currently forecasted at $39.5 million for
opment to advance concepts and ideas from basic research to FY 2019. As a lean operation, Fraunhofer USA strives to keep
prototype development and validation. Thus, we aim to bridge overhead low while preserving the ability to attract and retain
the gap between university type research and industrial product highly skilled scientists and engineers through competitive
development. Our goal is to utilize the know-how, talent, compensation packages and working conditions that allow
innovation and experience of our staff to partner with compa- individual and group innovation. Our employees frequently
nies, agencies and institutions to transform ideas into reality. We express that they feel they are really contributing to innovation
contribute to improving and benefitting society. and progress, not only in their chosen fields but also as interdis-
ciplinary support for colleagues and collaborators.
We continue our commitment to providing hands on training
and internships to students in STEM fields and to mentor early In the “Research Review” section of this year’s Fraunhofer USA
career scientist and engineers. We promote the exchange visitor Focus, we report on some recent highlights. These projects
objectives of the United States Government through our J-1 visa illustrate a range of capabilities but represent only a small
programs for interns and research scholars “to promote educa- portion of the projects worked on. For example, in 2018,
tional and cultural exchange to develop mutual understanding Fraunhofer USA Centers actively worked on more than 300
between the people of the United States and other countries”. customer projects.

3
 find the balance between enough, but not too much. In this way
Human Resources
we provide scientist and engineers with the appropriate frame-
Organizations regularly analyze workforce data. Such analysis is work while also allowing maximum time to work in the lab, to
required for a variety of purposes. For example, US companies are collaborate with colleagues, and to meet with customers.
required to report on employee demographics to various agencies,
including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). We recognize the value of our employees and to help ensure
Beginning in 2019, companies must add salary information to that the organization is a productive and compliant workplace.
required reporting along with demographic data to the EEOC. Fraunhofer USA conducts annual on-site training at the Centers.
As a government contractor, Fraunhofer USA also has an affirma- The training covers important information on employment law,
tive action program, which requires the analysis of incumbency workplace rights, safety, and details where employees can go
and availability for job groups and reviews of non-discrimination to express any concerns or suggestions. These annual training
in hiring, promotion and compensation. Through data analysis, events are also designed to communicate Fraunhofer USA policies
we are able to continually work to ensure equal opportunity, and procedures and to give supervisors tools for improving their
non-discrimination and paycheck fairness. leadership skills.

Analysis of staffing levels is an important component of orga- Our goal is to create an environment where our employees feel
nizational review. At Fraunhofer USA we assess whether we respected, appreciated and valued. It is the creativity, curiosity,
have the appropriate percentages of clerical support, technical education, experience and dedication that our employees possess
support, professional administrators, scientists and engineers that that provide the engine to move technology forward.
is necessary to run a lean and efficient operation. As a non-profit
research and development organization, we realize that too much In the following section “Faces at Fraunhofer” we take the
administration and too much bureaucracy is detrimental to the opportunity to showcase some of the many talented employees
outcomes we need for our customers. It is our desire and goal to who contribute so much to helping us fulfill our mission.

© Fraunhofer USA CMB, Intern Chiara

Wolfbeisz is getting familiar with
chromatography equipment (Waters)
used for purification of antibacterial
compounds.

4
 F A C E S AT F R A U N H O F E R U S A

Jennifer Jaje Gudjon Magnusson

Senior Research Associate, Fraunhofer Computer Research Scientist, Fraunhofer
USA Center for Molecular Biotechnology USA Center for Experimental Software
CMB Engineering CESE

Jennifer Jaje earned her Master’s Degree Gudjon Einar Magnusson began a 6-month
in Chemistry and Biochemistry from the internship at Fraunhofer USA CESE in June
University of Delaware in 2007. Her initial research focused on 2013 before returning to Iceland to finish his studies at Reykjavik
the development of a fusion expression and purification system in University (RU). Gudjon received his B.Sc. in Computer Science
E.coli for helix-loop-helix segments of a model G-protein coupled from RU in 2014, and in September that same year he returned
receptor (GPCR), Adenosine A2A. About 30% of current small mol- to Maryland to take on a full-time position as a research scientist
ecule and biological drugs target this class of membrane protein with Fraunhofer USA CESE. Gudjon’s work at Fraunhofer USA has
and so would greatly benefit from improved structure-based drug primarily focused on research related to autonomy, artificial intelli-
design. Next, Jennifer focused on investigating the critical roles that gence and robotics. He has worked on research projects for federal
disulfide bonds play in cellular processes, including oxidative pro- agencies such as NASA, Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) and
tein folding. She developed a novel purification protocol for milk Northrup Grumman, as well as commercial projects, involving the
sulfhydryl oxidase (mSOX) from its native source (bovine milk), and application of drones and development of a combination of new
fully characterized this enzyme both structurally and functionally, software and hardware solutions. Gudjon is currently pursuing a
yielding both a publication and a patent. Master’s degree in Computer Science at University of Maryland,
while also working full time as a research scientist.
In 2007, Jennifer joined Fraunhofer USA CMB in Newark, Delaware
where she has been involved in numerous downstream, charac- Prior to studying computer science and working at Fraunhofer USA,
terization and formulation activities. Jennifer has been an integral Gudjon studied 3D animation and worked in the small, but growing
team member, driving process development, optimization, and video game industry in Iceland. Gudjon lives in Rockville, Maryland
biophysical characterization of biopharmaceuticals from discovery with his wife, Lauren.
to pilot scale for numerous project initiatives, including 4 suc-
cessfully completed Phase I Clinical Trials. She has contributed to Gudjon comments, “Working at Fraunhofer USA has been a great
biological product pre-formulation characterization, optimization of launch pad for both my academic and professional career. I don’t
bulk drug substance formulation, and accelerated and long-term think I could have been exposed to such a variety and scale of proj-
stability programs. She has also been involved in authoring and ects anywhere else.”
executing documentation in support of numerous campaigns for
manufacturing processes, in-process monitoring, drug substance
release and stability testing. In addition to laboratory work, Jennifer
greatly enjoys training and mentoring junior colleagues and interns,
supporting their development and future careers.

5
F A C E S AT F R A U N H O F E R U S A

Ms. Chou played a large role in managing the critical effort to

Betty Chou
obtain a federally negotiated indirect cost rate agreement in
Business Operations Manager, Fraunhofer
order to continue bidding on and receiving awards for gov-
USA Center for Experimental Software
ernment grants and contracts. More recently, Ms. Chou led
Engineering CESE
and managed efforts to negotiate subleasing agreements with
Betty Lee Chou started at Fraunhofer USA other companies, terminate the existing office lease to right-
CESE in October 2015 as a Contracts Ad- size the office space, and negotiate terms of a new office lease
ministrator supporting revenue, forecast, and proposal tracking agreement to reduce costs. Following these efforts, Ms. Chou
in addition to her duties in pre-award and post-award contracts went on to manage the office relocation effort including the
management. After approximately 7 months at Fraunhofer selection, negotiation, and contracting of vendors; design and
USA CESE, Ms. Chou assumed additional responsibilities in the oversight of the office construction and buildout; and organiza-
development of proposals at various levels including creating tion and physical relocation of the entire office and staff.
templates for both technical proposals and cost estimating;
advising on pricing, content, and structure; and managing the During her years in college, Ms. Chou worked part-time as a
review and approval processes. At the request of management, Resident Assistant while pursuing and graduating with a Bach-
Ms. Chou designed and implemented a weekly War Room elors degree in English. Ms. Chou currently is in the process of
meeting to track the status of the business development efforts completing her first year in graduate school pursuing a Master’s
of senior team leads and management. Additionally, Ms. Chou in Business Administration part-time as a “Double Terp” at the
led various stretch assignments such as the migration of data, University of Maryland while maintaining full-time employment
reorganization, and retention efforts of the internal Sharepoint at Fraunhofer USA CESE.
site; selection and configuration of the Insightly CRM system;
and modernization of the company website. John C. Briggs, PhD
Senior Engineer, Fraunhofer USA Center
After a little over a year of working at Fraunhofer USA CESE, for Manufacturing Innovation CMI
Ms. Chou moved into the position of Business Operations Man-
ager, supporting executive management, company business, John C. Briggs received his doctorate in Me-
and project planning initiatives. Over time, Ms. Chou assumed chanical Engineering from the Massachusetts
the responsibility of managing Fraunhofer USA CESE’s internship Institute of Technology (MIT) with a focus on
program to include the recruiting, interviewing, hiring, onboard- Tribology (study of friction and wear). His early career was at
ing, and managing of students from the University of Maryland, Iomega and was on the team that developed the Zip Drive
Technical Universities of Kaiserslautern and Mannheim, and removable cartridge data storage device. He has worked at other
Reykjavik University. Eventually Ms. Chou also was tasked to companies focusing on measurement technologies and fiber optics.
perform facilities and office management responsibilities, assist-
ing the Headquarters Finance and Human Resources depart- His work at Fraunhofer USA CMI has been quite varied from working
ments with various functions and becoming a liaison between on the development of an automatic factory for plant-based phar-
staff, customers, and other stakeholders. maceuticals to developing prototypes of a device that incorporates a

6
fiber optic probe into a needle tip for spectroscopic in-vivo examina- for achieving atomic scale roughness on diamond. While several
tion of nodules suspected of being cancer. projects and research tasks compete for highest priority, Aaron
maintains that his most important role is to help facilitate communi-
The last five years have been mostly working with the US Mint devel- cation and collaboration within the Center and with our partners at
oping new processes including pushback blanking of coin blanks. MSU. Outside of work Aaron enjoys writing and recording music on
In his spare time, his passion is environmental issues such as renew- guitar, and improv jam sessions with his musically inclined friends.
able energy and electric cars. John occasionally writes for articles for
Green Car Reports focusing on issues related to electric vehicles.
Arkan Abdulkadir
Project Manager, Fraunhofer USA Center
Aaron Hardy for Laser Applications CLA
Project Engineer, Fraunhofer USA Center
for Coatings and Diamond Technologies Arkan Abdulkadir started working at the

CCD Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam

Technology IWS in Dortmund, Germany in
Aaron Hardy received his B.S. in Physics from 2009 as an engineer’s assistant. Arkan received his B.Sc. in
the Lyman Briggs College at Michigan State Material Science with a concentration in laser welding from the
University (MSU) in 2012 and began working as a lab technician Ruhr-University in Bochum, Germany in 2013.
for the Diamond group at the Fraunhofer USA Center for Coatings
and Diamond Technologies CCD in 2013. His initial role was to take Arkan joined Fraunhofer USA Center for Laser Applications CLA
charge of the diamond polishing operation within the Center and to in Plymouth, Michigan as an intern and worked on his Master’s
make improvements to the polishing equipment and processes. thesis on Additive Manufacturing of large-scale components. The
topic of the work was developing strategies for generating graded
Within a year Aaron was promoted to the position of Project Engineer material components and high-volume 3D structures by laser direct
and became responsible for the microwave plasma-assisted chem- metal deposition.
ical vapor deposition (MPACVD) system, DS1, which is configured
to grow heavily boron-doped (p+) diamond. Shortly thereafter, he After receiving his M.Sc. in Material Science from the Ruhr-
was tasked with process development to improve the quality of p+ University in 2015, Arkan accepted a project engineer position
diamond epitaxial layers for the fabrication of diamond-based diodes at Fraunhofer USA CLA.
and transistors in the ARPA-E SWITCHES program: a hugely successful
three-year collaborative effort between Fraunhofer USA CCD and the Today, Arkan continues to support Fraunhofer USA CLA’s research
Electrical and Computer Engineering department at MSU. and development team as project manager, where the main focus
of his work is laser applications such as laser cutting, welding, and
Now focusing on the ongoing DARPA DREaM program, which additive manufacturing.
aims to develop “millimeter-wave high power density diamond-
collector heterojunction bipolar transistors,” Aaron’s research scope In his free time, Arkan enjoys traveling with his family and riding
has expanded to include chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) sport motorcycles.

7
F A C E S AT F R A U N H O F E R U S A

Yuzhang Yang Lars Haubold

Project Engineer, Fraunhofer USA Center Manager Coatings Technology, Fraun-
for Manufacturing Innovation CMI hofer USA Center for Coatings and
Diamond Technologies CCD
Yuzhang Yang received his Bachelor’s Degree
in Mechanical Engineering and Automation Lars Haubold graduated in 2002 from the
from Southeast University, China in 2011 and University of Applied Science in Dresden,
Master Degree in Systems Engineering from Boston University in Germany with a Bachelor degree in Manufacturing Engineering.
2013. He joined Fraunhofer USA CMI in July 2013 and has worked Starting in college, he worked at the Fraunhofer Institute for
on mechanical, electrical and control system design for a number of Material and Beam Technology IWS, Dresden as a research
medical instrument and industrial automation projects. assistant in the area of thermal spraying and laser deposition.
Shortly after he graduated he joined the former Fraunhofer USA
Highlights include: developing drive mechanisms for a number of Center for Coatings and Laser Applications CCL in Plymouth, MI
minimal invasive surgery instruments, upgrading a Fraunhofer pro- (now Fraunhofer USA Center for Laser Applications CLA) before he
prietary .NET automation control software framework, and design- moved to East Lansing, MI in 2003 to work at the Fraunhofer USA
ing a number of vision-based automation control systems. He has Center for Coatings and Diamond Technologies CCD. His research
recently been involved in developing a high-throughput automated interest shifted from thick millimeter range coatings deposited
packaging system for the food industry. at atmosphere to micrometer and nanometer thin film coatings
applied in high vacuum.

As the manager of the Coatings Technology group, Lars and his

group develop solutions based on Physical Vapor Deposition. With
his background in tribological coatings and diamond-like carbon in
particular, the majority of applications traditionally focuses on wear
and friction applications such as automotive, cutting or forming
tools and machine components. More recent activities also include
other functional surfaces for energy storage, conversion or saving,
consumer and medical products from feasibility studies to pilot-
scale production and technology deployment. He thrives in this
unique, overlapping field of materials and technologies.

Adopted to Michigan, Lars appreciates the beauty of classic

American cars and the state’s scenic nature, where he often spends
the summers at lakes and camping with his family.

8
Edward Wazer Kathryn Bevington
Laboratory Director, Fraunhofer USA Senior Accountant, Fraunhofer USA
Center for Energy Innovation CEI Headquarters

Edward Wazer has been with Fraunhofer USA Kathryn Bevington has been with
Center for Energy Innovation CEI since 2016, Fraunhofer USA for over 18 years and is a
helping to relaunch the Center with a focus Senior Accountant reporting directly to the
on separation technologies. Ed prepared the preliminary designs Treasurer. She is currently responsible for the financial activities of
and requirements for the new Fraunhofer USA CEI laboratory the Fraunhofer USA Center for Manufacturing Innovation CMI
and office space and coordinated with the contractors during and the Lead Account. In this role, she ensures compliance with
construction. Ed designed the space for high power and high- the Uniform Grant Guidance, assists in contract administration,
pressure liquid and gas separation research the Center is and will submits federal reports, processes month-end and year-end
be performing. closings, prepares annual budgets and quarterly forecasts, and
provides information for the annual audits. She was instrumental
Fraunhofer USA CEI is rapidly expanding and Ed is responsible for in the set-up of a federally compliant accounting system and
overseeing the staff, ongoing projects, the fabrication of mem- participated in multiple system upgrades.
brane separation systems, and the operations of the laboratory.
Ed is encouraging and assisting staff in building separation systems Kate received her Bachelor of Business Administration degree
that are automated for the efficiency benefits and safety reasons. with a major in Accounting Information Systems from Eastern
Fraunhofer USA CEI is building equipment with the technical assis- Michigan University in 2000. As a student, she had an accounting
tance of Fraunhofer Institute of Keramic Technologies and Systems internship with the Fraunhofer USA Headquarters. Prior to joining
IKTS, and Ed is coordinating these interactions. the Fraunhofer USA team full-time in 2001, she obtained internal
auditing experience from Dana Corporation.
Prior to his position at Fraunhofer USA CEI, Ed worked as an
engineer in the aerospace industry with technical focuses in She stays busy outside of work with the activities of her four
powerplant performance and engine secondary airflow systems. school-age children. She enjoys being outside and staying active,
especially running. She participates in road races and has complet-
Ed holds a BS in Electrical and Computer Engineering from UCONN. ed one full marathon and several half marathons.
He and his family run a small-scale fruit, vegetable, and cattle farm.
Ed is particularly fond of his own kale salad.

9
RESEARCH REVIEW

The Fraunhofer USA Centers conduct research and development for state, federal and industry customers in fields that have been
identified as directly impacting current and future societal needs. Below is a selection of some of the recent projects at the Centers.

HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT

Desalination for Drinking Water structures. Our preliminary studies strongly support the feasibility
A variety of water purification methods have been developed in of this innovative technology. The research will enhance scientific
the past years. These methods include reverse osmosis, ultrafil- understanding of the chemical and physical reactions involved in
tration, distillation, electrodialysis, and capacitive desalination. the plasma activation process. Biochar is a sustainable material
Researchers at Fraunhofer USA Center for Coatings and Diamond with abundant resources. Using plasma activated biochar for
Technologies CCD have found that capacitive deionization (CDI) water treatment can significantly promote the desalination effi-
appears promising for water desalination due to its high efficiency ciency at greatly reduced materials cost and power consumption.
and low energy consumption. This innovative desalination technology will have a positive impact
on the environment and society at large.
Captive deionization technology (CDI) for water desalination
uses an innovative plasma-activated biochar. Biochar is a po-
rous carbon material derived from sustainable biomass through
pyrolysis. The porous structures make biochar very suitable for the
CDI electrodes to electrochemically adsorb the ions. Biochar must
be activated to create nanosized pores with large specific surface
areas and high-surface energies. The conventional activation
requires chemical treatments at high-temperatures using CO2,
steam, or a strong base for over two hours followed by washing
and prolonged drying. This energy-intensive and lengthy pro-
cess is expensive and has become a critical barrier to producing
high-performance activated carbon for CDI desalination.

Fraunhofer USA CCD proposes use of plasma to efficiently

activate biochar. A plasma is an ionized gas that consists of a
© Fraunhofer USA CCD, The system consists of a pump to keep the brackish
large number of reactive species, which can selectively etch
water flowing, a cell with two electrodes for processing, a conductivity
certain carbon phases in the biochar to create nanoporous meter to measure the conductivity, and DC power to provide driving force.

10
BRAIN Initiative
As part of an approximately $20M National Institutes of Health
(NIH) U19 grant, the Fraunhofer USA Center for Experimental
Software Engineering CESE is providing software engineering to
accelerate and improve scientific research. The U19 comprises a
worldwide consortium of computational and systems neurosci-
entists, physicists and engineers, working to better understand
the the human brain. With members from the University of
Maryland (UMD), the University of Chicago, the Italian Institute
of Technology, NYU, NIH and more, the project’s objective is to
gain a deep understanding of the basic neuronal mechanisms
related to sensation and action. Ultimately, this information
could improve the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of many
debilitating nervous system disorders.

To do this work, the team’s neuroscientists need novel software

tools and best practices and need to apply these across multiple
geographically distant laboratories. Fraunhofer USA CESE’s
challenge is thus to enable neuroscience researchers to perform
their research faster, better and more collaboratively.

Fraunhofer USA CESE’s approach is to build a software and

systems platform that enables researchers to easily and safely
share software code and data. The platform will integrate software Fraunhofer USA CESE’s current platform prototype incorpo-
packages and toolsets from different neuroscience researchers rates multiple software algorithms and is being tested by UMD
regardless of the programming language used. This will allow researchers. Fraunhofer USA CESE expects to distribute the code
researchers to create workflows by mixing/chaining these software to other consortium researchers shortly. Dr. Madeline Diep, Senior
packages and source code. To do this, the platform incorporates Research Scientist and Project Lead for Fraunhofer USA CESE’s
the use of a newly established unified data format “Neurodata effort, comments, “Our approach and the platform is enabling
Without Borders” to facilitate data sharing and compatibility the digital transformation of scientific discovery. So what we are
among the software codebase. To ensure accuracy of the process, building has great potential not only for neuroscience, but for
the platform will also incorporate metamorphic testing as a way any domain where researchers may be geographically separated
to test and validate the compatibility of newly added, modified but can leverage the platform to provide a dynamic collaboration
modules, or the defined workflow. environment that will drive research of many kinds to new results.”

11
Flexible, Wearable Boron-Doped Diamond Sensors for As such, in conjunction with Michigan State University, research-
Metals Detection in Sweat ers at the Fraunhofer USA Center for Coatings and Diamond
Metals toxicology and the associated health effects is a prob- Technologies CCD have developed flexible, wearable all-diamond
lem facing many communities across the world. Due to the sensors for detection of several metals in sweat. These sensors
vast number of exposure routes, the issue has been brought to are robust and batch-fabricated, offering improved reproducibility
the forefront of industry and government. Recently, the Flint from device to device. With current funding from the National
(Michigan) water crisis saw over 8,000 children exposed to high Institute of Health (NIH), the Fraunhofer USA CCD team
levels of lead (Pb) in drinking water. In southeast Ohio, people partnered with Bioanalytical Systems, Inc. (BASi) to develop a
in Washington County have been exposed to harmful levels of fully-integrated, Bluetooth-controlled device for rapid metals
manganese (Mn). Chronic exposure to Mn can cause neurological detection and improved health-outcome.
damage in adults and children and can lead to impotence. The
EPA recommends not exceeding 0.05 mg/L in water and the
OSHA recommends not exceeding 5 mg/m3 in air. However,
exposure can reach much higher levels. As such, the call for
advancements in research and development to generate
tangible solutions to assess exposure has never been stronger.

Biological fluids such as perspiration, saliva, and urine can

contain several metal compounds such as lead (Pb), manganese
(Mn), nickle (Ni), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), cadmium (Cd), mercury
(Hg), and many other disease biomarkers as well. Concentration
ranges are broad (1 ppb - 1 ppm) and can depend on the nutri-
tional/health status of an individual. Most importantly, these bodily
fluids represent non-invasive biological samples that can be used
for exposure assessment. Furthermore, epidermal measurements
represent a non-invasive way to monitor exposure in a wearable
© Fraunhofer USA CCD, Square wave stripping voltammogram (SWSV) for
device; perspiration contains many metabolomics biomarkers that lead (Pb2+) and copper (Cu2+) detection in pH 5.5 acetate buffer on a flexible
are indicative of exposure to harmful compounds or even disease. BDD sensor. Deposition Potential: -1.35 V.

© Fraunhofer USA CCD, Diamond

Wearable Sensor.

12
Electrochemical Destruction of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl oxidation (EO) with boron-doped diamond (BDD) electrodes. The
Substances with Boron-doped Diamond Electrodes for Water destructive nature of the technology lends itself to applicability
Treatment in complex media such as IX regenerates, RO rejects, industrial
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are recalcitrant wastewaters, and landfill leachates, among others. Whether as a
compounds that, through bioaccumulation, can cause a number primary treatment option for complex samples or a secondary treat-
of adverse health issues. PFASs cause endocrine disruption, are ment option for large-scale remediation, EO with BDD electrodes
potential carcinogens, and have led to birth defects and obesity. has shown promise. With the necessary know-how in electrode
Furthermore, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a perfluoroalkyl acid fabrication, process development, and feasibility assessment, the
(PFAA), has been detected in human blood serum. Fraunhofer USA CCD team is uniquely equipped to solve this
emerging problem.
These complications have led the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) to establish health advisory levels of 70 parts per trillion (ppt).
Unfortunately, the extreme stability of PFASs (and PFAAs, specif-
ically) under environmental conditions has rendered remediation
methods such as biodegradation, photo-oxidation, hydrolysis, and
direct photolysis relatively ineffective. Processes such as granular
activated carbon (GAC) adsorption, ion exchange (IX), and reverse
osmosis (RO) have proven effective for the removal of PFASs in
large water systems. However, these methods generate a con-
centrated PFASs-impacted regenerate or reject solution that still
requires remediation.

© Fraunhofer USA CCD, Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) degradation overtime

As such, researchers at the Fraunhofer USA Center for Coatings in simulated solution using perforated BDD electrodes with 200 mA/cm2 in a
and Diamond Technologies CCD are investigating electrochemical Identification and Development
circulating flow through system. of Novel Antimicrobials

© Fraunhofer USA CCD, Waste Water

Treatment System.

13
Identification and Development of Novel Antimicrobials (USAMRIID). NMR structure of the compound is being deter-
Antibiotic resistance is one of the biggest public health challenges mined in collaboration with the National Cancer Institute (NCI).
of our time. According to the Centers for Disease Control and The analysis of the genome of the producer bacterium revealed
Prevention (CDC), at least 2 million people get an antibiotic-resistant the presence of a cluster typical non-ribosomal peptides (NRPs).
infection and at least 23,000 people die each year in the US alone. In contrast to ribosomally produced peptides, such as CMB001,
The Fraunhofer USA Center for Molecular Biotechnology CMB structural transformations of NRP scaffolds occur at several levels
continues to discover and develop novel compounds with anti- within biosynthetic pathways, allowing development of strategies
microbial activity using proprietary screening technologies. Over the to rationally engineer non-ribosomal peptides such as CMB002 in
last year, a major focus has been to continue development of our order to increase or alter bioactivity.
lead compound, CMB001, the early development of which was
supported by Fraunhofer USA Special Funds project(s). The genome To identify further compounds of interest, a high throughput
of the producer bacterium was sequenced, and the gene cluster screening methodology has been established, significantly
containing a antibiotic-like sequence was identified, along with decreasing processing time for obtaining pure isolates. Several
genes encoding enzymes in the biosynthetic pathway to generate unique bacterial species and novel antimicrobial compounds have
the compound. The three-dimensional structure of the compound been identified from diverse environmental collection sites, includ-
was determined using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). This anal- ing samples collected from the floor of the Atlantic Ocean and
ysis revealed a well-defined tertiary structure, unique for CMB001 from remote freshwater lakes. The biological and structural analy-
as compared to published structures. This study provides insights sis of these novel compounds has continued. The incorporation of
into the uniqueness of the compound’s binding site(s) and will allow a mass spectrometry (MS) detector into a liquid chromatography
for molecular modeling of synthetic analogs. In addition, scanning (LC) system has enabled rapid identification and purification of
electron microscopy (SEM) reveals significant morphological changes newly recovered antimicrobial compounds.
within the cell wall following treatment of bacteria with the com-
pound. Preliminary stability studies revealed exceptional stability of
the compound in plasma and in blood. These favorable characteris-
tics of the lead compound warrant its further development. In vivo
efficacy studies for treatment of drug-resistant infections are under
way, including infections with two critically important pathogens
identified by the World Health Organization (WHO): Acinetobacter
baumannii and Staphylococcus aureus, as well as drug-resistant
Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Our second lead compound, CMB002, is a broad-spectrum

© Fraunhofer USA CMB, Scanning electron microscopy analysis of targeted
antibiotic effective against many Gram-positive and Gram- bacteria (Staphylocccus aureus and Acinetobacter baumannii) treated
negative, drug-resistant bacteria. The biological evaluation of with antimicrobial compound CMB001. For S. aureus, numerous bleb-like
structures and debris on the cell surface were visible after cells were treated
the compound continues in collaboration with the United States for 1 hour. For A. baumannii, dents were apparent after 10 minutes, and
Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases undulating deformations and folds were observed after 1 hour. (C = control).

14
Development of Stable Vaccine Formulations
The Fraunhofer USA Center for Molecular Biotechnology CMB is
exploring alternative expression systems such as yeasts and fila-
mentous fungi to produce recombinant proteins for vaccines and
therapeutics. The choice of the expression system depends on the
target protein and must result in proper folding and post-trans-
lational modifications to ensure appropriate maturation of the
target. Also, and economically viable level of expression needs
to be achieved. Fraunhofer USA CMB is testing and developing
systems at laboratory scale and will later scale up to pilot scale,
with the potential for GMP production.

For its vaccine targets, Fraunhofer USA CMB is developing

virus-like particles with improved immunogenicity and efficacy.
Specifically, Fraunhofer USA CMB is developing an antigen pre-
senting virus-like particle platform based on a viral coat protein.
To present antigens on the surface of this particle, a variety of
fusion strategies have been pursued. Fraunhofer USA CMB has
shown that while small proteins can be fairly easily displayed,
larger proteins are not always tolerated and may interfere with
assembly of the VLPs. Fraunhofer USA CMB researchers have
developed a molecular engineering strategy to precisely display
larger fusion partners at a set ratio to the viral coat protein scaf-
fold that allows for VLP formation. These fusions should allow for
the antigen targets to be efficiently presented to immune system
on the surface of the VLPs.

Another important aspect of vaccine development is stability

during long time storage. Fraunhofer USA CMB has recently
developed spray dried formulations with improved stability under © Fraunhofer USA CMB, Scanning electron microscopy image of micropar-
an Innovation Fund project. Such formulations are amenable to ticles of an anthrax vaccine antigen following spray drying. Microparticles
showing a rough surface morphology (top image) or a smooth surface
long-term inexpensive storage of bulk quantities of drug product morphology (bottom image) attributed to addition of a non-ionic surfactant.
and, due to elimination of temperature-controlled supply chains, Microparticles are in the size range of 0.6 – 5 micrometers.
to rapid deployment in emergency situations. These formulations
incorporate novel design elements to facilitate repeat dosing with
a single administration.

15
SECURITY AND SAFETY
Massively Parallel Tissue Dissociation for Industrial Agriculture the tissue and shear tissue against the side of the mortar. Within
Feeding the estimated 9 billion people that will call planet Earth minutes, the tissue is processed into pulp and is ready for single
home by 2050 represents an immediate and critical challenge. cell studies or deep sequencing. Of particular note is that this
Scientists and research teams at agriculture firms, both small and approach allows downstream sterilization costs – both in labor
large, are dissecting key crops to discover new ways to generate and materials – to be substantially reduced.
robust, disease-resistant produce. To access plant cells and se-
quences, the plants must first be processed down to a fine mulch. Having proven out a prototype and broad utility of the approach,
Generating this mulch for a single crop is relatively straightfor- Fraunhofer USA CMI will next scale up the instrument to process
ward. Large sample sizes are simply stuck in a blender. But when multiple tissues simultaneously. Such an instrument is projected to
the goal is to optimize tolerance to drought, salt, and pests for reduce labor costs and accelerate research timelines significantly.
over 25 different sample types, a massively parallel small batch
approach is required. This work is currently highly labor intensive
with samples processed one at a time with scissors and scalpels.

The shift to small volume, high parallelization is a trend that is

seen across the entire bioengineering sector and is particularly
sharp in agriculture and personalized medicine. The particular
challenge of homogenizing plant tissue versus animal tissue is
that plant tissues are far more materially diverse. Tough woody
stems, broad soft leaves, and hard seeds must all be quickly bro-
ken down. Developing automation that can rapidly pulverize all © Fraunhofer USA CMI, Corn leaf (1 g) was processed by either commercially
these tissues presents a unique challenge. However, eliminating available bead beating (top row) or by the automated test fixture at Fraunhofer
USA CMI (bottom row). The resulting plant mulch was then sieved and weighed
the labor costs of these high throughput, big data research efforts
to determine particle size (1409 µm, 710 µm, 500 µm, and 297 µm mesh
is the key to accelerating crop productivity. spacing) as shown. The automated method was far superior in grinding down
the tissue to particles that were pipettable by standard p1000 pipette tips (com-
pare material on the 1409 µm mesh to the left of the red dotted line). For the
Fraunhofer USA Center for Manufacturing Innovation CMI is ad- automated process, material on the 297 µm mesh filter represents particles that
dressing this need by developing automated instrumentation that would be captured on both the 500 µm and 297 µm sieve.
rapidly dissociates these diverse plant samples and more in just
a few minutes. Modeled after mortar and pestles that efficiently © Fraunhofer USA CMI, Mortar and
shred plant fibers, the user simply places a small amount of plant pestles ready for the primary stage of
feasibility exploring the mechanisms
material in the bottom of the mortar and turns on the instru-
and movements required to fully
ment. The pestle can both hammer and cut straight down onto dissociate diverse plant tissues.

16
MOBILITY AND TRANSPORT
Optimizing Trucking Logistics enforcement. To do this, the platform will collect and integrate data
Trucking operators face a multitude of daily and long-term chal- from Internet of Things (IoT) devices and external data systems,
lenges. Their role in regional and national logistics environments providing information on weather, economic factors, fuel prices,
are adversely affected by increased regulatory oversight, fuel price real-time traffic conditions and social media activity. The first phase
volatility, rising personnel costs, and diminished interest in trucking of this project centers on creating real-time planning and tracking
as a profession – all factors that serve to drive up costs, increase un- software for truckers to optimize pick-ups, deliveries, routing and
certainty and lower profit. These dynamics also affect other players driver allocation. Over time this project may expand to include other
(e.g., rail, maritime, air transporters) in today’s integrated supply modes of freight movement.
chains, posing complex questions about long-term competitiveness
for not only these operators, but for economic developers and trans- This is one of multiple projects supported by Fraunhofer USA CESE
portation officials as well. with financial support from the South Carolina Department of Com-
merce. These projects leverage Fraunhofer USA CESE’s technical
Through a grant provided by the South Carolina Department of expertise with that of the State’s university researchers and other
Commerce, Fraunhofer USA Center for Experimental Software public and private organizations as project requirements call for.
Engineering CESE is collaborating with the University of South
Carolina, Datos Consulting LLC, and G&P Trucking to devise digital “South Carolina has built a reputation as a leader in manufactur-
solutions to optimize trucking logistics in the State. ing, in large part, due to our logistics assets and ability to efficiently
transport goods to market. This new project reflects our continued
Our team is developing a new cloud-based platform that will pro- commitment to advancing the state’s burgeoning logistics sector,
vide a variety of services to trucking firms operating in the Palmetto and I look forward to seeing its outcomes as South Carolina remains
State, including: optimization of business processes; real-time on the cutting edge of this important industry.” – South Carolina
decision making; risk management; and cybersecurity and privacy Secretary of Commerce, Bobby Hitt

17
ENERGY AND MATERIALS
Precision Vision System for High Accuracy Laser Processing As can be seen in the example below, the system recognizes the
In order to manufacture the next generation of energy efficient part misalignment relative to the desired weld locations and then
devices such as heat exchangers for heat pumps and Lithium Ion adjusts the weld pattern to automatically realign the laser beam
Battery and Capacitor modules for Electric vehicles, the develop- process to the part without moving the part or the machine itself.
ment of fast and precise welding processes is essential.

Typically, each part requires 50 to 200 welds per assembly, and only
one incorrectly placed weld would render the part unusable which
places extremely tight tolerances on the accuracy of the welding
process and the part fixturing and location. Fortunately, laser
welding has the inherent process advantage of providing a flexible
welding solution with minimal heat input and thermal distortion of
the materials being welded.

Remote scanner welding facilitates placing multiple welds with

limitless weld geometries with almost zero point to point movement
time between welds using a motorized scanning optic. This system is capable of generating laser focus spot sizes of less
than 200 µm which can be advantageous in small electronics
The process requires no physical contact with the parts to be welded applications such as battery welding where small precise welds are
only line of sight from the processing optic which is located around required in reflective materials such as copper and aluminum. As
16 inches away from the part. However, until recently the main issue shown above, the Scout head can be utilized to search for specific
limiting more widespread use of the technology was the need for features and align weld patterns based on the features, regardless
precise and repeatable positioning of the part weld locations relative of part to part placement changes.
to the processing head.
Fraunhofer USA CLA is currently running welding trials for a range
Fraunhofer USA Center for Laser Applications CLA has recognized of different customers on both battery and heat exchanger applica-
this issue and has now integrated remote welding optics which tions, and the system allows almost any laser beam scan pattern or
include machine vision capabilities such as our new K-Lab Scout 200 shape to be accurately placed on the component as can be seen in
system. The Scout scan head combines precise remote laser weld the process example in header area above.
processing with a vision system that can recognize part features and
use them as a reference to ensure accurate and repeatable weld
placement.

18
Communicating Thermostats for the Identification of US Primary Energy Consumption [quad]
Building Retrofit Opportunities
Buildings account for about 40 percent of US primary energy
consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, more than both the 19%
industrial and transport sectors (see Figure). In the residential sector, 29% 19% Commercial Buildings
29%
space heating alone accounts for more than 30 percent of primary Residential Buildings
energy consumption. Industrial
22%22% Transportation
Annual energy savings of up to $4-5 billion could be achieved 30%
30%
nationwide through basic insulation and heating system retrofits
of existing homes. However, current utility energy efficiency (EE)
programs are costly and challenging to scale. Customer acquisition
occurs primarily through energy bill mailers, mass media and on- Sources: DOE/EIA (2012), ecobee.
line advertising that lack specificity about particular home retrofit
opportunities, expected energy savings, and cost effectiveness.
Specific retrofit opportunities are identified via on-site home energy
assessments (HEAs) that can be inconvenient to homeowners,
expensive, and of variable accuracy.

Staff at the Fraunhofer USA Center for Manufacturing Innovation

CMI have developed algorithms that analyze communicating
thermostat (CT) data to significantly increase the customer uptake
of energy conservation measures (ECMs) by identifying homes with
most significant retrofit opportunities, estimating post-retrofit energy
savings, and formulating home-specific outreach. The Fraunhofer
USA previously developed building model was extended to identify
physical building parameters corresponding to the target retrofit
opportunities, i.e., whole-home R-value, air leakage characteristics,
and heating system efficiency. The estimated R-values and air leakage
characteristics compare favorably with the ground truth. The validat-
ed algorithms can calculate home-specific energy-savings estimate
for each ECM, and the algorithm outputs can be used by utility EE
programs to formulate home-specific retrofit offers.

19
NSF SBIR systems. The low-cost and simple design allows drop-in installa-
Scion Plasma LLC, a spin-off startup company from Michigan State tion in existing vacuum systems and long-term stable operation in
University in collaboration with Fraunhofer USA Center for Coatings thin-film processing environment. Maheshwar Shrestha, Principal
and Diamond Technologies CCD, has been awarded a National Research Scientist, commented, “This funding allows us to develop
Science Foundation (NSF) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) a very unique ion beam source for the next generation of thin-film
grant for $225,000 to conduct research and development work on technology.”
an innovative single beam ion source that overcomes the limitations
of conventional ion sources. Once a small business is awarded a Phase I SBIR/STTR grant
(up to $225,000), it becomes eligible to apply for a Phase II
The focused single beam of ions generated without a filament has grant (up to $750,000). Small businesses with Phase II grants are
widely tunable ion energies for optimal ion-surface interactions. The eligible to receive up to $500,000 in additional matching funds
ion source can be operated over a wide range of pressure that is with qualifying third-party investment or sales.
compatible with most of the physical and chemical vapor deposition

© Fraunhofer USA CCD, A prototype round single beam ion source suitable for lab-scale processing of thin films.

20
FRAUNHOFER USA CENTERS

21
FRAUNHOFER USA CENTER FOR
M A N U F A C T U R I N G I N N O VAT I O N C M I

The Fraunhofer USA Center for the process to make it more conducive Sustainable Energy Technologies
Manufacturing Innovation CMI, in collab- to automation. Once the manufacturing Fraunhofer CMI’s interdisciplinary Energy
oration with Boston University, conducts process is completely understood, staff Systems Team performs applied R&D on
applied research and development leading begin the design and build process, which building technologies, and distributed
to the deployment of technological solu- is comprised of a number of phases energy resources (DERs) to help achieve a
tions that enhance the productivity and and exit points that mitigate risk for our sustainable energy future.
competitive position of our customers, clients.
while educating engineering students in We engage in projects with industry and
the process. With a strong focus on auto- Examples: government clients to:
mation and instrumentation, Fraunhofer Fiberoptic Gyroscope Winding • Test and evaluate the real-world
USA CMI’s activities span three sectors: While fiberoptic gyroscopes (FOGs) have performance of building energy systems
Industrial Systems, Energy Systems, and several advantages over ring-laser gyro- and DERs
Biomedical Systems. scopes, the difficulties of cost-effectively • Develop building performance assessment
winding a high-performance sensing coil and control algorithms
Fraunhofer USA CMI Conducts R&D has kept the cost of FOGs excessively high. • Develop and demonstrate technologies
Leading to the Deployment of In order to cost-reduce the manufacture of that optimize dispatch of distributed
• Custom Automation Solutions FOGs, Fraunhofer USA CMI developed a electric generation and loads
• Sustainable Energy Technologies high-precision, computer-controlled winder • Increase the hosting capacity of the utility
• Biomedical Instruments and Devices for the production of sensing coils. With grid for renewable generation
• Process Management and Consulting over 15 coordinated servo-controlled axes, • Facilitate the deployment of DER Systems
the winder is capable of cost-effectively at scale
Custom Automation Systems winding – with minimal touch-labor-tactical, • Characterize building energy consumption
Manufacturing automation begins navigation and strategic grade coils for long- to inform policy decisions
with a thorough understanding of the range navigation and space applications. • Assess building technologies to identify
requirements of the process, followed high-impact energy savings opportunities
by a review of available state-of-the-art
technologies that may be incorporated.
When commercially available technology
is not sufficient, Fraunhofer USA CMI de-
velops new custom automation systems,
based on the latest emerging academic
research, and provides its clients with a
turnkey solution.

Fraunhofer USA CMI staff begin by

analyzing and, if necessary, modifying

22
Examples: Biomedical Instruments and Devices
Communicating Thermostats for One of Fraunhofer USA CMI’s core strengths
the Identification of Building Retrofit is the application of advanced engineering
Opportunities to biological problems. Fraunhofer USA CMI
Annual energy savings of up to $4-5 billion combines multiple engineering and scientific
could be achieved nationwide through basic disciplines in tackling such problems, and
insulation and heating system retrofits of is trusted by leading pharmaceutical and
existing homes. However, current utility en- medical device companies and research
ergy efficiency (EE) programs are costly and collaborators to successfully carry out their
challenging to scale. We have developed project goals.
algorithms that analyze communicating
thermostat (CT) data to significantly increase To meet these needs, Fraunhofer USA
the customer uptake of energy conserva- CMI has over 16,000 square feet of fully
tion measures (ECMs) by identifying homes equipped laboratories including five CNC
with most significant retrofit opportunities, machines, which are housed adjacent to its
estimating post-retrofit energy savings, and on-site BL1 and BL2 laboratories that are
formulating home-specific outreach. capable of bacterial, viral and mammalian
cell culturing. Fraunhofer USA CMI’s major
Enabling High Penetration Solar with activities include developing rapid diagnos-
Integrated Energy Storage, Demand tics, exploring tissue engineering approach-
Management, and Forecasting es, producing medical devices and building © Fraunhofer USA CMI, The semi-automated test
Fraunhofer USA CMI’s SunDial Project is scientific instruments. fixture built by Fraunhofer USA CMI to prove out
the feasibility of the approach. The team is currently
a collaboration with National Grid and
adapting the system for use with disposable 50-mL
IPKeys, which explores how an integrated Examples: conical vials – maximizing sample containment while
portfolio of solar PV, grid-tied energy Low-Cost, Real-Time, Continuous fl PCR minimizing waste.

storage, demand-side management (DSM), System for Pathogen Detection

advanced inverter functions, and advanced Bacterial resistance to antibiotics is esca- This microfluidic chip for nucleic acid testing
forecasting can optimize power flow on the lating, and represents a significant health (NAT) can identify pathogens within 20 min-
distribution system. Using DER assets as a threat to the human population. To address utes and is compatible with roll-to-roll em-
portfolio, we have developed a vendor- the need of rapid, portable and low-cost bossing for large-scale, low cost production.
agnostic control platform that optimally pathogen identification, Fraunhofer USA Fluorescence is monitored in real-time for
shapes the net load for a feeder based on CMI has partnered with Fraunhofer Institute the quantitative detection of pathogens at
user-defined policy objectives, regardless for Production Technology IPT in Germany to concentrations as low as 10 DNA copies per
of whether these assets are owned and create diagnostics that combines microfluidic microliter. (Fernández-Carballo et al. Biomed.
operated by different entities. and electronic layers into a single device. Microdevices 2016, 18, 34).

23
Bioprinted Hydrogels Developed to Process Management and Consulting Examples:
Improve Implant Integration When faced with production challenges, Coin Manufacturing Assessment and
Fraunhofer USA CMI’s custom-designed established companies, startups, and Technology Development
bio-printer is able to print multiple materials governmental institutions engage Fraunhofer USA CMI has worked with
(or multiple cell types in the same material) Fraunhofer USA CMI to benchmark their a several coin mints to assess their cur-
concurrently with various feature sizes current process, and introduce new technol- rent manufacturing operations and wear
(Campbell et al. J. Nanotechnol. Eng. Med. ogies that will address their challenges. integrity of their coins to develop alternative
2015, 6, 021005). Staff begin the process by reviewing the manufacturing technologies for higher
client’s current operation and identifying production efficiency.
In collaboration with Fraunhofer IPT, challenge areas in need of improvement.
Fraunhofer USA CMI has generated novel Following evaluation of the current coin pro-
scaffolds that seek to improve the biological Technology scouting is used to bring togeth- duction facilities and methods, Fraunhofer
compatibility of titanium implants, which er possible solutions from internal expertise, USA CMI proposed alternative technologies
although generally tolerated by the body, university contacts, industry experts, journal, and evaluated the financial and technical
fail to adequately interface with the bone. and the scientific literature. The ideas are impact of the proposed technologies. Staff
To provide an ideal biologically-based adhe- tabulated into technology data sheets then prototyped solutions and tested the
sion between bone and metal, Fraunhofer showing the evaluation criteria including: quality of the coin blanks produced with
USA CMI used its 3D bioprinter to create a maturity of technology, costs (investment these alternative solutions. Technologies ex-
hydrogel scaffold that could be grafted to and operational), maintenance/service, and plored included laser processing as a means
the implant. The scaffold was able to mimic effort of implementation. Final evaluation of streamlining coin blanking.
the bone and trigger bone-producing cells is performed using a two-dimensional
to deposit new calcium directly onto titani- technology assessment technique. The Industries Served
um. These biologically-inspired engineering down-selected solutions are then proposed • Aerospace
solutions pave the way towards better for implementation. • Biotech/Biomedical
surgical outcomes for patients world-wide • Consumer products
(McBeth et al. Biofabrication 2017, 9, • Energy
015009). • Fiber optics/photonics

© Fraunhofer USA, Fraunhofer USA CMI facilities.

24
 F R A U N H O F E R U S A C E N T E R F O R C O AT I N G S
AND DIAMOND TECHNOLOGIES CCD

The Fraunhofer USA Center for Coatings Engaging with Fraunhofer USA CCD Fraunhofer USA CCD’s coating technolo-
and Diamond Technologies CCD per- in Applied Research and Development gies focus on applications of physical and
forms applied research and development Work chemical vapor deposition (PVD and CVD
contracts with industry and government The Fraunhofer USA Center for Coatings coatings) process and systems technolo-
organizations. Customers include compa- and Diamond Technologies CCD works gies and materials knowhow. The Center
nies from industry sectors such as manu- closely with its customers to determine works with its customer to identify and
facturing, semiconductor, biomedical and specific project objectives and requirements. develop the best coating solutions for their
energy. Fraunhofer USA CCD is a confident Prior to commencing work, every project applications and supports them to deploy
and reliable partner providing proprietary is structured with mutually agreed upon the developed processes and materials in
and competitive R&D services based on deliverables, schedules, milestones and manufacturing.
core competences in diamond and coating costs. Fraunhofer USA CCD’s customers are
technologies. Fraunhofer USA CCD’s quality provided with access to the extensive lab- Core Competence: Diamond
management system is certified according oratory and engineering resources. Project Technologies at Fraunhofer USA CCD
to the standard ISO 9001:2015. results are treated with strict confidentiality. Diamond is a crystalline allotrope of carbon
Fraunhofer USA CCD recognizes the need and the material with the highest atomic
Our customers know that maintaining a to protect intellectual property rights for its density found in nature. As such it is an
leadership position in today’s competitive customers and staff work with customers extraordinary material with a unique
business environment requires ever more to negotiate mutually acceptable terms and com- bination of extreme properties such
rapid innovation cycles and sustainable conditions so that the developed solutions as highest hardness, highest thermal
manufacturing solutions. Fraunhofer USA can be readily deployed. conductivity and highest dielectric break-
aims at accelerating innovation for its down strength, to name a few. The field
customers by driving technologies faster Core Competence: Coating of diamond synthesis and applications is
along the technology-readiness-level chain Technologies at Fraunhofer USA CCD undergoing a spectacular period of transfor-
from basic research toward commercializa- Surface coatings are an enabling technol- mation as the ability to deposit high-quality
tion. Fraunhofer USA CCD connects with ogy across industrial sectors. Surfaces of monocrystalline diamond materials advanc-
world-class basic research through its close parts, devices, components and tools need es. Fraunhofer USA CCD develops processes
partnership with Michigan State University to be engineered so that they can perfectly and systems to synthesize diamond and to
in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. The Center function in the environment of a specif- make it accessible to customers for integrat-
shares 20,000 square feet of laboratory ic application. By providing engineered ing it in applications in optics, electronics and
and office space and is fully integrated with surface properties, coatings enable high electrochemistry. Diamond is not expensive.
the College of Engineering with access to performance applications that would oth- In fact, at Fraunhofer USA CCD the material
faculty, students and additional research erwise only be possible with expensive bulk is synthesized by chemical vapor deposition
facilities. Fraunhofer USA CCD is also close- materials. Such functionalities include for using a process very like depositing coatings
ly affiliated with and offers access to the example improved wear and corrosion resis- from other materials.
Fraunhofer Institute for Materials and Beam tance, reduced friction, biocompatibility or,
© Fraunhofer USA CCD, Boron-Doped Diamond
Technology IWS in Dresden, Germany. in some cases, simply a specific appearance. Electrode Array for Flexible Electrodes.

25
It is used by our customers in the form of contact situations. By coating engine collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute
coatings such as poly- and nanocrystalline components, Fraunhofer USA engineers for Materials and Beam Technology IWS in
diamond fields or a poly- or monocrystalline demonstrated a 3% horsepower increase Dresden, Germany. The punches are used
bulk material. across the usable speed range thus enabling for hot forging of steel parts at an operating
the engine to achieve the same performance temperature of 1950 °F (1065 °C). Com-
Project Briefs at lower revolutions per minute. These re- pared to uncoated spindle punches, the
Boron-doped diamond electrochemistry: sults demonstrate the tremendous potential best performing coated tools lasted three
Boron-doped diamond (BDD) is a new elec- to conserve fuel and reduce carbon dioxide times as long while enabling tool changes
trode material for electrochemical applica- emissions. once a day rather than every shift
tions. Due to the fabrication from methane
and hydrogen gases boron-doped diamond Diamond for power and high tempera- Anti-reflective coatings for transit bus
electrodes are less expensive than platinum ture electronics: Fraunhofer USA CCD and windshield: Fraunhofer USA CCD research-
electrodes. Yet BDD by far exceeds the Michigan State University researchers ers work with The Mackinac Technology
electrochemical performance of metal- develop diamond-based power electronics. Company (MTC) and the University of
based electrodes. The wide electrochemical The exceptional semiconductor properties Michigan Transportation Research Institute
potential window, the low background of diamond have enormous potential for on developing an anti-reflective windshield
current and the low adsorption make BDD high-power electronics technology with coating for transit bus windows. Interior
electrodes particularly valuable for electro- applications in transportation, manufactur- lighting reflects off the windshield and
chemical trace analysis and neuro-chemistry. ing, and energy sectors. The team develops obscures the driver’s vision. The team
The material can be applied to a variety of synthesis processes for doped and intrinsic demonstrated that an innovative ultra-
substrates and shapes made from silicon, electronic-grade wide bandgap diamond low refractive index material made of
quartz, metals, and diamond. Fraunhofer materials and works on manufacturing amorphous carbon could be deposited in
USA CCD researchers developed fabrication process flows to build power electronic nanometer thin layers to the surfaces of
processes to reliably custom tailor BDD elec- devices such as vertical Schottky diodes. windshield glass to significantly reduce
trodes for applications ranging from heavy reflection of visible light and improve driver
metal detection in tap water to building Manufacturing cost savings through 300% vision.
flexible diamond-polymer thin film electron- increase in tool life: Meritor Inc., a global
ics for electrical and chemical sensing of leader in providing advanced drivetrain, The Fraunhofer USA Center for Coatings
brain signals (NIH funded). mobility, and braking and aftermarket and Diamond Technologies CCD is the go
solutions for commercial vehicle and indus- to location for your materials technology
Increased gas mileage and reduced trial markets, collaborated with Fraunhofer needs.
emissions due to powertrain coatings: USA CCD engineers to test new high-
Fraunhofer USA CCD researchers devel- performance ceramic coatings for high
oped a carbon-based coating to lastingly temperature forming processes. Spindle
reduce friction and wear for powertrain punches were coated using a physical © Fraunhofer USA, View inside Hot Filament
components that experience highly loaded vapor deposition process developed in Diamond System.

26
 FRAUNHOFER
TECHBRIDGE PROGRAM

Promising early-stage energy technolo- to bring promising technologies closer to Fraunhofer TechBridge Program
gies typically experience many barriers to market and make them more attractive for Administered by Fraunhofer USA, the
commercialization such as high capital private sector investment, industry adoption, Fraunhofer TechBridge Program works
costs, long sales cycles and complex and scale-up funding, ultimately leading with corporations and startup companies
frameworks of industrial integration. to the accelerated success of high growth to identify and de-risk promising tech-
Furthermore, the alignment of the varying entrepreneurs and businesses. This ‘project’ nologies to solve industry challenges.
needs of the investor, startup a corporate work is the core of what makes TechBridge By performing targeted technical searches
partner can be multi-variate and a highly different from other entrepreneur support and conducting validation and demon-
complicated process. The core offering of programs. This difference stems from stration work, TechBridge evaluates and
TechBridge is applied, industry-focused Fraunhofer’s primary role as one of the prepares innovative early-stage products
‘projects‘ performed for entrepreneurs by world’s leading R&D providers to industry. for investors and industry.
the greater Fraunhofer USA/Fraunhofer The TechBridge team therefore has access to
network technical staff from all around the the deep industry knowledge at Fraunhofer Fraunhofer TechBridge Program –
world with the express goal of de-risk- to design and execute targeted, low-cost Technology Commercialization
ing novel technologies for the private projects from an industry perspective that • Optimizing and testing prototypes accord-
sector. The combination of technical and move entrepreneurs’ concepts toward suc- ing to industry-standard protocols
business expertise and multi-stakeholder cessful commercialization. • Providing third-party validation of eco-
demonstration projects, along with the nomic viability and performance
deep experience of working with startup Programmatically, TechBridge runs • Fielding demonstrations of prototypes in
companies and larger corporations provide “TechBridge Challenges” with our partners real-world conditions
the basis for de-risked startup partnerships to perform technical validation projects • Integrating components into a system-
with larger corporations. that prepare the startup(s) for partnership level environment
and provide the sponsor with actionable • Evaluating for manufacturability
TechBridge designs and executes these ‘proj- information about the latest innovations
ects’ for startups and entrepreneurs which in relevant areas. By doing this, TechBridge
can take the form of developing and testing has helped launch more than 18 companies
prototypes, deploying field demonstrations, to date with a survival rate of over 95%,
performing third-party validation, generating raised $186 million follow-on funding, © Fraunhofer USA, H2Refuel Accelerator
Launch at SXSW. Left to-right: Nick Rancis,
test data in an industry context, or manufac- helped create 367+ jobs and helped Fraunhofer USA; Katie MacDonald, Greentown
turability studies. These projects, have proven facilitate 3 successful acquisitions. Labs; Joe Silver, Urban Future Lab.

27
FRAUNHOFER USA CENTER FOR
L A S E R A P P L I C AT I O N S C L A

The Fraunhofer USA Center for Laser Laser Welding and Joining • 6kW TRUMPF TruDisk 6001 disc laser
Applications CLA has been operating in • Laser beam welding (100 micron fiber capable)
the USA for over 20 years, developing • Remote laser welding • 6kW IPG YLS 6000 fiber laser (100 micron
and commercializing laser applications • Laser hybrid welding fiber capable)
and technology. Fraunhofer USA CLA’s • Laser brazing / laser soldering • 6kW Rofin Sinar DC060W slab CO2 laser
state-of-the-art Plymouth Michigan • Glass welding
facility conducts contract research and • Plastic welding Low Power Pulsed and CW Lasers:
development in the field of laser materials • Process monitoring and control • 850W / 1030nm Trumpf TruMicro 7060
processing. • 70W pulsed 1030 nm Jenoptik IR70 Disc
Laser Heat Treatment • 17W @1064nm and 5W @ 355nm
With extensive experience and expertise • Laser hardening and softening pulsed Spectra-Physics HIPPO
in laser applications development for • ID (internal diameter) laser hardening • 200W / 1064 nm LASAG KLS 246 YAG
processes such as welding, cutting, and • Laser assisted forming • 100W pulsed Rofin Sinar SCx10 CO2
additive manufacturing, Fraunhofer USA • Color marking • 500W 1070 nm IPG YLR Single mode
CLA is your ideal partner for laser applica- • 25W cw 1070 nm JDSU Single mode fiber
tions development. Laser Cutting and Drilling • 20W cw 430 nm Fraunhofer Blue diode
• 5 Axis 3D laser cutting
Fraunhofer USA CLA offers contract • Remote laser cutting Additional Equipment
research and development, process • Micromachining / drilling The Fraunhofer USA Center for Laser
development, prototyping and consulting Applications CLA utilizes additional robotic
services, technical support and pilot pro- Laser Sources systems (Kuka) and multiple CNC machines
duction systems. Fraunhofer USA CLA’s state-of-the-art laser and an onsite metallographic laboratory.
application facility features the latest and
Laser Cladding and Additive greatest in laser technology with a wide Industries Served
Manufacturing range of lasers from 1 watt to 16 kilowatt • Automotive
• Additive manufacturing output power. • Aerospace / Space
• Rapid prototyping • Oil and Gas
• Coatings for wear and corrosion High Power CW and Pulsed Lasers: • Power Generation
• Remanufacturing of worn parts • 16kW Laserline fiber coupled diode laser • Agricultural and Mining Equipment
• ID (internal diameter) cladding • 10kW Laserline fiber coupled diode laser
• Induction assisted laser cladding • 4kW Laserline fiber coupled diode laser Application Examples
• Diamond cladding • 8kW TRUMPF TruDisk 8001 disc laser Laser Welding
• Powder and wire fed processing heads (100 micron fiber capable) Laser welding offers the potential to join
• Process monitoring and control parts with high speed and precision with
minimal heat input and distortion.

28
Difficult to weld materials such as higher with Fraunhofer IWS to develop new ap- Micromachining
carbon steels and cast irons can now be plications for their ‘EMAQS’ camera-based The latest generation of lasers with pulse
successfully laser welded. Filler wire and / process monitoring system. In particular, lengths from millisecond all the way to
or induction preheating can be used to this is now being developed into an ex- femtosecond has led to a rich pipeline
change the microstructure of the weld tremely useful tool for laser cladding and of innovations impacting virtually every
metal, preventing the formation of hard additive manufacturing processes where manufacturing industry. One such inno-
and brittle phases. A conventional bolting the melt pool size can be continually mon- vation is large area coating removal for
process was replaced with laser welding itored, and the laser power can then be paint stripping, deoxidization, cleaning
for an automotive gear component. closed loop controlled in order to maintain or localized removal of special coatings.
Significant cost savings were achieved constant build quality of each deposited Another example of innovation is the
through reduced material and processing metallic layer. ability to drill high aspect ratio holes at
costs and an overall part weight reduction extremely high speeds. One such appli-
was accomplished with a more efficient Additive Manufacturing and Cladding cation developed by Fraunhofer USA was
production method using laser technology. In the Laser Metal Deposition process (LMD) able to achieve drilling of up to 15,000
metal powder is fed coaxially through a per second in a silicon wafer material.
Remote laser welding is another laser nozzle and then melted by the laser beam
welding process which dramatically reduces to form a fully bonded metallic layer. The Fraunhofer USA Center for Laser
welding cycle times compared to conven- The deposited layer has a small heat Applications CLA utilizes its expertise and
tional welding. Motorized optics are utilized affected zone with minimal dilution. It has state-of-the-art equipment to maximize
in order to rapidly scan the laser beam been developed for production of wear the quality of the customer deliverables.
across the workpiece over large distances and corrosion resistant coatings and for
both for high speed and for high precision repairs and remanufacturing applications.
point to point movement. The same process can also be used for
generation of complete components from
Process Monitoring scratch in the form of additive manufactur-
Fraunhofer USA CLA has developed a ing where parts are built using layer by layer
high-speed camera vision system which deposition.
can record the welding process in high
clarity and provide both image and video Two other variations of LMD – hot / cold
data from the process. Using customized wire cladding and internal diameter cladding
image processing software algorithms, it is – have now evolved into successful indus-
possible to detect many common welding trial processes and are now widely used in
defects automatically. Fraunhofer USA CLA industry. © Fraunhofer USA, Induction heating of automotive
is also working together in partnership part.

29
F R A U N H O F E R U S A C E N T E R F O R E X P E R I M E N TA L
SOFTWARE ENGINEERING CESE

The Fraunhofer USA Center for Experimental methods to develop and assure complex • Deploy tools and train personnel on
Software Engineering CESE conducts applied software intensive systems. automated testing and verification
research to support the software-enabled methodologies, best practices, and
innovations created by our customers in Fraunhofer USA CESE Mission secure programming principles
industry, government, and academia. • Serve as a trusted source for technology
Fraunhofer USA CESE develops and uses transfer and innovation to our govern- Software Safety and Security Analysis
advanced, effective, and scalable approach- ment, academic and industrial customers • Analyze algorithms and architecture
es to software and systems engineering, across the nation to measure impact of upgrading and
delivers powerful testing and verification • Maintain a workplace culture of innova- optimizing systems
strategies and tools, and uses state-of-the- tion that supports, rewards, and holds • Apply formal modeling methods to
art measurement and analysis methods to our team members accountable for evaluate system security and safety
support its customers’ challenges. creating new ideas that work • Evaluate open-source components for
integration with commercial systems, with
Working closely with customers in the Fraunhofer USA CESE Offers: a focus on risk and benefit analyses
aerospace and medical industries, govern- Model-Based Development and • Model reliability data to predict fault-
ment agencies, research organizations, and Testing prone binaries in development
universities; Fraunhofer USA CESE evaluates, • Use analysis tools to automatically ex- • Create risk and safety measurement and
develops, and utilizes cutting-edge tools tract and visualize software architecture management programs to gain insight
and technologies to support customer in source code into safety, security, and reliability
decision-making and implementation in • Evaluate software architecture to locate • Quantify software safety risk by analyz-
systems, software, and acquisition areas. policy deviations ing development artifacts
Fraunhofer USA CESE provides critical skills • Create software architecture design • Collaborate with customers to develop
and guidance that allows its customers to models to generate test cases, analyze training materials that specify causes and
ensure the viability and reliability of their test results, and conduct code inspections remediation of weak security policies
systems and software and enables them • Reverse-engineer models of code and
to identify and prevent security-related vul- system traces to identify inefficiencies Rapid Prototyping of Mobile and
nerabilities. In addition to applied research, and liabilities Web Applications
Fraunhofer USA CESE also conducts inno- • Perform architecture-driven verification • Design and facilitate user focus groups
vative basic research projects under research and validation, analyze systems for and empirical experiments to validate
grants funded by the government and other architectural risk, and test behaviors customer innovations
research institutions. of software • Conduct technology evaluations in
• Define and evaluate strategies for cloud, mobile, and other emerging
Fraunhofer USA CESE Vision automated verification and validation platforms and suggest solutions based
Fraunhofer USA CESE accelerates its and identify mechanisms that capture upon discovery
customers’ economic and industrial devel- and check requirements
opment by using innovative model-based

30
• Provide project management support • Offensive and defensive penetration • Employ Digital Twin Test Bed methods
including agile and scrum methodolo- testing for medical, automotive, that allows clients to manipulate, test
gies – to mitigate risk, manage cost and industrial control, and wireless and evaluate a virtual, cyber-physical
schedule, and ensure delivery network infrastructure systems model of a product, process or platform
• Evaluate and create software engineer- • Hardware, software, and communica- before moving into production, reduc-
ing approaches and tools to improve tions protocol reverse engineering for ing risk prior to physical production.
software development productivity command and control systems • Assessment of threat surfaces created
• Integration of cybersecurity practices through wireless control entry points
Software Engineering Analytics and technologies for industrial process and building defensive systems to
• Assess software processes and artifacts control and manufacturing systems secure process controls
to ensure sound design and architec- • Conventional and model-based secure
ture, use of best practices, and regula- system design and security requirements Project Measurement and Analytics
tory compliance engineering Fraunhofer USA CESE offers experienced
• Apply best practices (e.g., CMMI, • Cybersecurity awareness, training, project management expertise in the
scrum) to systems acquisition and education, and workforce development start-up, deployment and management of
development complex, critical systems, including:
• Build process performance baselines Digital Transformation • Risk assessment
and models to manage development • Offer a service suite of Industry 4.0 • Regulatory compliance
projects technologies, methods that move • Project management consulting
• Implement tools and processes for data industry’s products and processes from • Strategy innovation
collection, analysis, and reporting on independent, disconnected platforms • Technology and capability evaluation
products and processes to “smart” interoperable, synchronized • Process assessment
• Oversee design and development to and connected platforms
mitigate risks related to requirements • Assist industry to develop “data as Data Protection Policy Effectiveness
creep, software growth, and schedule a service” and as an added revenue • Craft data protection and privacy policies
changes stream using unique techniques for data to satisfy corporate and regulatory needs
capture from existing products, analysis, • Analyze data protection processes for
Cybersecurity and Embedded Systems visualization and interpretation providing effectiveness and improvement
• Model-based automated penetration added value offerings to the client • Create executive-level dashboards on
testing and vulnerability analysis of • Enable smart, in situ processes for pre- data protection effectiveness across the
hardware and software systems dictive diagnostics to monitor real-time enterprise
• Compliance testing of security machine performance and maintenance • Identify data protection policy gaps and
standards and standard practices recommend process improvements
for embedded safety systems

31
FRAUNHOFER USA CENTER FOR
MOLECULAR BIOTECHNOLOGY CMB

The Fraunhofer USA Center for Molecular

Biotechnology CMB is working in the area
of biotechnology development, primarily
emphasizing applications in human health.
The Center is currently focusing on the dis-
covery of novel anti-microbials and on the
development of thermostable formulations
for vaccines.

Despite ongoing efforts, the number

of new antibiotics approved annually in
the United States continues to decline.
In addition, fewer new antibiotics are in
late-phase clinical trials, and nearly all of
them belong to existing classes. At the
same time, infections caused by multi-drug
resistant-pathogens are continually on
the rise. This is a world-wide threat, with
diseases that have long been held at bay
again having potential to affect the health
of millions.

Over the last year, Fraunhofer USA CMB

has continued to expand its microbial © Fraunhofer USA CMB, Transmission electron microscopy image of purified virus-like particles formed by a
library, using the quarum quenching tech- protein fusion of a viral coat protein (acting as a carrier molecule) with an antigen from a surface lipopro-
tein from Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease. (nm = nanometers).
nology for which Fraunhofer owns the IP
to culture previously uncultured microbes.
Screening of this library has identified
some lead components with anti-microbial
activity and these are being assessed for
efficacy through in vitro and in vivo stud-
ies. In addition, their structures are being
elucidated.

32
 FRAUNHOFER USA CENTER FOR
E N E R G Y I N N O VAT I O N C E I

The Fraunhofer USA Center for Energy Polymeric Membranes • Joint development of membrane and
Innovation CEI performs a range of services Fraunhofer USA CEI has extensive exper- systems technology for energy and
to assist with the development, demonstra- tise with polymeric membranes for liquid separations needs
tion and deployment of separations technol- separation applications. Application • Scale-up and techno-economic
ogies across a myriad of industries.. These experience includes desalination, water assessment/feasibility studies
services range from laboratory, pilot scale to treatment, reuse, water softening, dewa-
full scale demonstration testing of liquid and tering processes and organic solvent Joint Development Opportunities
gas separation applications. purification. The team has experience in Fraunhofer USA CEI welcomes joint devel-
reverse osmosis, forward osmosis, nanofil- opment projects with industrial and gov-
Fraunhofer USA CEI Offers tration, and membrane distillation. ernmental clients. Types of project include,
Customized Separations Solutions for: but are not limited to, membrane design/
• Water treatment and reuse Contract research and consulting modification, module prototyping, systems
• Membrane process engineering services Fraunhofer USA CEI design/ piloting, applications testing,
• Resource recovery provides are: feasibility studies, bench-marking studies
• Membranes for energy efficiency and • Solutions for separations needs across etc. We work with a range of companies
production disciplines (water, solvent, vapor, gas) who are in start up/proof of concept phase
• Non-aqueous liquid separations • Membrane characterization, innovation, to fortune 500 companies to government
• Vapor and gas separations development, validation and synthesis agencies like the Department of Energy and
(performance, longevity) for any separa- US Bureau of Reclamation to help serve
Technology Platforms tions need their separation needs.
• Ceramic membranes • Lab, prototype, pilot scale testing of
• Polymeric membranes membrane process Separation Equipment and Analytical
• Design and construction of separations Resources
Ceramic Membranes prototype / systems Fraunhofer USA CEI has access to state-
Ceramic membranes offer capabilities for • Comparison/benchmarking of commercial of-the-art separations test equipment de-
separation applications where polymeric options for tailored separations needs signed for aqueous, organic, vapor, and gas
membranes cannot operate at like high tem- • Development of standard operating separations processes for different types of
peratures, pressures, pH levels. Fraunhofer procedures for customized systems and membranes and modules.
USA CEI, together with its collaborative membrane elements
partner, Fraunhofer IKTS, has the knowledge • Techno-economic assessment for specific There also is access to the state-of-the-art
and resources to demonstrate the capabili- separations processes research infrastructure at the University
ties of ceramic membranes for aqueous and • Analysis of mass transfer processes and of Connecticut for a variety of analytical
organic filtration applications as well as other membrane separation mechanisms testing. available for a fee.
inorganic membranes including ezeolites,
carbon materials, and perovskites. ©Fraunhofer IKTS, Porous ceramic membrane
support tubes.

33
F R A U N H O F E R U S A D I G I TA L M E D I A T E C H N O L O G I E S D M T

Fraunhofer USA also has a Digital Media Technologies Office DMT

promoting state-of-the-art audio coding and multimedia real-time
system technologies.

Fraunhofer USA Digital Media Technologies DMT promotes and

supports the audio and media technologies of Fraunhofer IIS in the
United States.

When it comes to advanced audio and video technologies for the

rapidly evolving media world, the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrat-
ed Circuits IIS stands alone. Spanning from the creation of mp3,
the co-development of AAC, and building the DCI test plan for the
worldwide interchangeability of digital cinema movies, to designing
the future of audio and video entertainment, Fraunhofer IIS’ Audio
and Media Technologies division has been an innovator in sound In the field of moving picture technologies, latest achievements
and vision for over 25 years. include easyDCP for the creation and playback of digital cinema
packages and master formats, as well as Realception®, a tool for
Today, audio technologies such as Fraunhofer Cingo for immer-
®
light-field data processing. In addition, Fraunhofer is developing
sive VR audio, Fraunhofer Symphoria® for automotive 3D audio, new image coding systems based on JPEG2000 and JPEG XS.
AAC-ELD and EVS for telephone calls with CD-like audio quality,
xHE-AAC for streaming and digital radio, and the MPEG-H TV
Audio System, that allows television viewers to adjust dialogue
volume to suit their personal preferences, are among the division’s
most compelling new developments.

© Fraunhofer IIS, MPEG-H allows viewers to select

different audio mixes from a menu or even make
their own mix.

34
 PA R T N E R S H I P S A N D C O L L A B O R AT I O N S

Fraunhofer USA CMI collaborates directly with a number of its

Equipment and Infrastructure
schools and colleges, including the College of Engineering, the
Fraunhofer USA facilities have a total combined working space of Medical School, the Business School, and the College of Arts &
over 173,000 square feet and more than $47 million in equipment Sciences. Faculty and students participate in a number of joint
and infrastructure. The Centers also have access to additional research programs funded by both government and industry.
equipment and resources through the partnerships with universities
and the network of the 72 institutes and research locations at our University of Maryland: The Fraunhofer USA Center for
partner organization, Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, in Germany. Experimental Software Engineering CESE has collaborated with
the University of Maryland since 1997, specifically within the
Fraunhofer USA has been able to expand its machine portfolio due College of Computer, Mathematical and Natural Sciences.
to generous equipment donations from current and former custom-
ers. Several current customers of Fraunhofer USA have located their Founded in 1856, the University of Maryland has an enrollment
equipment on-site at the Centers to showcase the machines being of approximately 40,000 students, of which circa 10,000 are grad-
used in the development of specific technologies. uate students. The University of Maryland has become one of the
nation’s leading public research and innovation universities, receiving
$545,314,107 in research awards in 2018.
University Partnerships

Fraunhofer USA has excellent and mutually beneficial partner- Michigan State University: Since 2003, the Fraunhofer USA
ships with several U.S. universities. Like Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft in Center for Coatings and Diamond Technologies CCD and
Germany, Fraunhofer USA understands the benefits of partnering Michigan State University have closely collaborated on applied
with academic institutions of excellence and fostering integrated research and development projects in the areas of diamond and
and enduring relationships. The research and development universe coatings technologies.
is enriched as each entity adds value. The university partnerships
provide mutually beneficial synergies in many ways that increase the Michigan State University, founded in 1855, has a total of
value and usefulness of both organizations. approximately 50,000 students, of which circa 11,000 are
graduate students. External researching funding for MSU
Boston University: The Fraunhofer USA Center for Manufacturing totaled approximately $600M in 2016-2017
Innovation CMI has collaborated closely with Boston University
since the Center’s inception in 1995. The Center is located on the The Fraunhofer USA Center for Coatings and Diamond
university’s Charles River campus. Technologies CCD, in collaboration with Michigan State
University and its College of Engineering, provides innovative
Boston University has a student body of approximately 34,000 research and development services based on its expertise in
students of which circa 15,000 are graduate students. Boston coatings and diamond technology.
University ranked #42 in national universities in US News and World
Report for 2019. As a leading global research institution, BU has
been awarded over $400M in grants and contract awards in 2018.

35
University of Delaware: The Fraunhofer USA Center for Molecular UConn, founded in 1881, has a rich history of excellence in energy
Biotechnology CMB partners with the University of Delaware to ex- innovation with more than 30,000 students currently enrolled.
pand the innovation pipeline by enhancing technology and product
development activities.
State Support and Collaborations

One of the oldest universities in the US, the University of Delaware Several Fraunhofer USA Centers receive financial support from the
traces its roots to 1743. Currently the enrollment is made up of states in which they operate directly or through state agencies.
circa 24,000 enrolled students. UDEL received $145M in sponsored
research projects in 2018 Delaware: Fraunhofer USA Center for Molecular
Biotechnology CMB
University of Connecticut: The Fraunhofer USA Center for Maryland: Fraunhofer USA Center for Experimental
Energy Innovation CEI is located on the campus of the University Software Engineering CESE
of Connecticut (UConn) and just recently moved into brand new Connecticut: Fraunhofer USA Center for Energy
research space at the state-of-the-art UConn Tech Park. Innovation CEI

Fraunhofer USA Partner Institutes

Fraunhofer USA Center for Fraunhofer Institute for

Coatings and Diamond Technologies CCD . . . . . Material and Beam Technology IWS
Laser Applications CLA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Material and Beam Technology IWS
Experimental Software Engineering CESE . . . . . . Experimental Software Engineering IESE
Manufacturing Innovation CMI . . . . . . . . . . . Production Technology IPT
Energy Innovation CEI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ceramics Technologies and Systems IKTS
Molecular Biotechnology CMB . . . . . . . . . . . . Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME
Digital Media Technologies Office DMT . . . . . . Integrated Circuits IIS

Fraunhofer USA Centers also work and collaborate with other institutes in the
72 institutes and research unit network of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft in Germany.

36
 OUTLOOK

More than 20 federal agencies fund R&D in the United States. intelligence. The budget is requesting “more than $59 billion in
Funding is generally broken down into categories of basic research, research, engineering and prototyping activities... “. The budget
applied research, experimental development, research and devel- requests more than $9.6 billion in investments in cyber security.
opment equipment and research and development facilities. A portion of the proposed funding for the Department of Energy
In the 2020 White House Budget document, improving the is $2.3 billion to support early stage R&D to enable the private
transfer of Federally Funded Technologies from Lab to Market has sector to “deploy the next generation of technologies and energy
been listed as one of its cross-agency priority goals. The document services”.
states “This goal will strengthen the ability of federally funded
innovations to transition from discovery in the laboratory to im- Source: www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/
pact in the marketplace, including by reducing regulatory burden, budget-fy2020.pdf.
strengthening partnerships, and enhancing how to measure
return on federal investment.” Fraunhofer USA benefits from these expenditures and programs.
In 2018 the main agency funders for Fraunhofer USA included
Highlights of the budget include “$688 million for the national the Department of Defense (DoD), the Department of Health
institute of standards and technology to conduct cutting edge and Human Services (HHS), the Department of Energy (DoE), the
research, including quantum computing, artificial intelligence, and National Science Foundation (NSF), and the National Aeronautics
microelectronics.” $1.2 billion allocated for satellite system de- Space Administration (NASA). We are confident that our strategic
velopment, $718 billion for the Department of Defense, with key technology areas will continue to be attractors to federal govern-
areas of focus in autonomous systems, hypersonics and artificial ment agencies.

37
FINANCIAL FIGURES 2018

Fraunhofer USA, Inc.

Balance Sheet
As of December 31, 2018

Assets

Current Assets
Cash and Cash Equivalents $ 22,300,883
Accounts Receivable 8,686,950
Investments 705,160
Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets 1,316,088
Total Current Assets 33,009,081

Property and Equipment - Net 41,841,215

Intangible Assets 152,138

Long-Term Receivable 2,726,784

Total Assets $ 77,729,218

Liabilities and Net Assets

Current Liabilities
Accounts Payable $ 2,045,997
Deferred Revenue 1,365,743
Accrued Liabilities and Other 21,084,535
Total Current Liabilities 24,496,275

Long-Term Obligation 15,146,786

Total Liabilities 39,643,061

Net Assets
Unrestricted
Undesignated 3,849,275
Increase (Decrease) in Undesignated Assets (43,678)
Designated 28,845,099
Increase (Decrease) in Designated Assets (737,693)
Temporarily Restricted
Temporarily Restricted 3,826,653
Increase (Decrease) in Temporarily Restricted Assets 2,346,501

Total Net Assets 38,086,157

Total Liabilities and Net Assets $ 77,729,218

38
Fraunhofer USA, Inc.
Statement of Activities and Changes in Net Assets
Year Ending December 31, 2018

Contract Revenue
Industry $ 8,047,964
Government & Universities 7,887,489
Fraunhofer Institutes 1,956,965
Miscellaneous 714,325
Total Contract Revenue 18,606,743

Support
Base Funding 13,442,184
In-Kind Contributions 3,091,093
Other 618,998
Total Support 17,152,275

Funds Released from Restrictions 405,211

Total Undesignated Revenue, Support and Released Funds 36,164,229

Labor Costs 17,437,176

Undesignated Other Expenses

Administrative Expenses 13,186,720
Cost of Goods Sold - Excluding Labor 5,386,513
Depreciation and Amortization 197,498
Total Undesignated Other Expenses 18,770,731

Total Labor Costs and Undesignated Other Expenses 36,207,907

Increase (Decrease) in Undesignated Assets (43,678)

Undesignated Net Assets 3,849,275

Designated Revenue 1,645,626

Designated Expenses (2,383,319)
Increase (Decrease) in Designated Assets (737,693)

Designated Net Assets 28,845,099

Temporarily Restricted Revenue 2,751,712

Funds Released from Temporary Restriction (405,211)
Increase (Decrease) in Temporarily Restricted Assets 2,346,501

Temporarily Restricted Net Assets 3,826,653

39
BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS

Board of Directors Officers

Prof. Dr. Endrik Wilhelm, Chairman Prof. Dr. Thomas Schuelke

Fraunhofer USA President
Prof. Dr. Alexander Kurz, Vice Chairman
Executive Vice President Human Resources, Legal Affairs and IP Ms. Erin Simmonds, CPA
Management, Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft Fraunhofer USA Treasurer

Mr. J. Michael Bowman Mr. Mark J. Eby, Esq

Associate Director, Office of Economic Innovation and Fraunhofer USA Corporate Secretary
Partnerships at the University of Delaware Eby Conner Smillie & Bourque, PLLC

Mr. Stephen Williams

President & CEO, Terma North America

Mr. Brian Darmody

CEO AURP

Dr. John F. Reid

Director, Enterprise Product Technology and Innovation,
John Deere Company

Dr. Johannes Feckl

Director of Presidential Staff, Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft

40
 C E N T E R C O N TA C T I N F O R M AT I O N

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Innovation CEI Molecular Biotechnology CMB
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Phone: +1 860 486 8379 [email protected]
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Cover: © Fraunhofer USA CMB,

Scanning electron microscopy image
of microparticles of an anthrax vaccine
antigen following spray drying. Micro-
particles showing a smooth surface
morphology attributed to addition of
a non-ionic surfactant.
Fraunhofer USA, Inc.
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Plymouth, MI 48170
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