Fraunhofer Founder Award 2024 for laser surface processing
The Fraunhofer Founder Award was presented to the spin-off Fusion Bionic GmbH on February 19, 2025. The company impressed the jury with its bio-inspired laser technology for ultra-fast surface processing for a wide range of industrial applications.
The high-tech start-up Fusion Bionic, a spin-off of the Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology IWS, transfers bio-inspired principles such as the lotus effect to technical surfaces using an ultra-fast laser process, winning the 50,000 euro Fraunhofer Start-up Prize. The bionic effects produced are based on the finest micro- and nanotextures, which enable significant increases in the performance of surfaces and open up a wide range of innovative approaches in sectors such as semiconductor technology, photovoltaics and the glass industry. Surface technology is a driver of innovation for the future and is of central importance for the sustainability of products and processes, the reduction of negative environmental impacts and the promotion of resource efficiency.
Laser technology for structural designs directly on surfaces
The laser technology used by Fusion Bionic can be seamlessly integrated into existing manufacturing processes and applies nature-inspired structural designs directly to surfaces. The surface engineering used can make the decisive difference in performance for users: photovoltaic modules, for example, are given self-cleaning capabilities, heat exchangers become more energy-efficient and PFAS-free textiles become water-repellent. Complex or environmentally critical processes such as chemical etching, sandblasting or plasma can increasingly be replaced by Fusion Bionic's innovative laser technology. This enables companies to achieve significant increases in energy efficiency, CO2 reduction and the avoidance of environmentally harmful emissions.
Fusion Bionic as a spin-off from the Fraunhofer IWS
The solutions offered by Fusion Bionic are based on the high-speed laser technology Direct Laser Interference Patterning (DLIP), which is up to 100 times faster than established processes. Fusion Bionic's offering ranges from application development services, technology training and contract manufacturing to hardware solutions based on DLIP technology. In April 2021, Fusion Bionic GmbH was spun out of the Fraunhofer IWS with a team of researchers led by Dr. Tim Kunze and experts from industry and supported by Fraunhofer Venture and Fraunhofer AHEAD in all phases of the start-up process. Fusion Bionic now counts well-known, globally active companies, mainly from the glass and photovoltaic industries, semiconductor and medical technology as well as the automotive industry, among its customers.