Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft

Which technologies are making aerospace safer and more competitive? And how can new propulsion systems, sustainable materials and satellite technologies be produced economically? Under the direction of Fraunhofer AVIATION & SPACE, researchers from the Fraunhofer‑Gesellschaft will be presenting answers to these questions at ILA, the leading international aerospace trade show, which will take place in Berlin from June 10 to 14, 2026.

Drone swarms can monitor progress on large construction sites, inspect remote offshore wind farms and search for survivors after natural disasters. When multiple drones are deployed, they generally are controlled centrally by mobile communications up to now. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS are working on a decentralized solution that is less susceptible to interference while at the same time ensuring greater flexibility.

The vacuum of space makes cooling extremely challenging. The Fraunhofer Institute for Telecommunications, Heinrich-Hertz-Institut, HHI is developing technologies for thermal management in aerospace applications. The research team is using femtosecond and nanosecond lasers to treat the outer surfaces of satellite components and rocket nozzles to improve their heat dissipation. The researchers will be at the joint Fraunhofer booth at ILA 2026 to demonstrate that metal surfaces structured for high-emissivity ensure significantly more efficient cooling.

Innovative mRNA-based therapeutics and vaccines offer hope in the fight against cancer, genetic disorders and infections. However, their development and production are complex, slow and difficult to scale. Seven Fraunhofer institutes are working to change this situation. In the RNAuto project, they have now developed an automated, digitally controlled production system that is fast, flexible and cost-effective.