CIEMAT

The 12th edition of the European Review Meeting on Severe Accident Research Conference (ERMSAR) was organized in Madrid on May 18-22, 2026 by the Spanish public research organization CIEMAT in the framework of the SEAKNOT EU project and SNETP/NUGENIA Technical Area 2, in cooperation with OECD/NEA and IAEA. The Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) provided a significant support to the organization of the event as both sponsor and partner of the SEAKNOT EU project. Several researchers from the KIT Program Nuclear Waste Management, Safety and Radiation Research (NUSAFE) are members of the Technical Committee of ERMSAR.

ERMSAR is a unique conference worldwide, focussing on severe accident research for water-cooled large and small modular reactors. The ERMSAR 2026 edition brought together more than 220 specialists from 27 countries with more than 150 scientific contributions from research centres, universities, technology organizations, and energy companies across the globe from Europe, United States and Canada to Japan, China, and South Korea.

Alexander Diercks, KIT

Solar energy is a cornerstone of the energy transition. Tandem solar cells made of perovskite and silicon can achieve higher efficiencies than conventional silicon cells, but their industrial manufacturing remains a challenge. Researchers at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and the University of Valencia have now jointly further developed a fast, solvent-free vacuum process that uniformly deposits perovskite layers at high throughput, even on textured silicon surfaces. Results published in Nature Energy.

DOI: 10.1038/s41560-026-02068-9

Magali Hauser, KIT

Research for more security and resilience of democracy. Against the background of a globally changing security situation, KIT aims to strengthen Germany's and Europe's security and sovereignty through research and innovation. A position paper now published by the Executive Board formulates KIT's willingness to make scientific contributions to strengthening internal and external security and thus to the resilience of democracy. It also underlines the need for a critically reflective and ethically sound approach. "The changing geopolitical situation has a significant impact on our security," says Professor Jan S. Hesthaven, President of KIT. "We stand for fundamental values such as democracy and freedom, including academic freedom. At the same time, we have our obligations to society. That is why we are determined to strengthen security through our work and contribute to the common good as a public research institution."

Sandra Göttisheim, KIT

On April 20, 2026, Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz visited the KIT booth at the Hannover Messe. Together with Federal Research Minister Dorothee Bär and Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy Katherina Reiche, he focused his attention on the so-called First Wall, the tritium breeding blanket, which represents a crucial step toward a future fusion reactor. Professor Jan S. Hesthaven, President of KIT, presented the state of research and the significance of the First Wall to the Chancellor and thanked the federal government for its support. Fusion research at KIT is unique worldwide, Hesthaven said. Merz praised the work being done at KIT. “We need fusion technology!” said the Chancellor. He reiterated his goal that the first fusion reactor should be located in Germany. KIT’s research is indispensable for this. (from KIT News ckö/tsc, April 20, 2026)

Breig, KIT

Innovative material system for 3D printing technology enables high-performance ceramic components.

A research team at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) has developed a material system as part of the CeraMMAM project that enables the production of high-performance components made of multiple materials using a universal binder system in a single process. The technology opens up new possibilities for industrial applications—particularly in medical technology, mechanical engineering, and aerospace. From April 20 to 24, 2026, the researchers will present industrial prototypes and demonstrators for the first time at the Hannover Messe at the KIT booth (Hall 11, Booth B06), along with the potential applications of additive multimaterial manufacturing.

KIT

With the Department Teaching Awards, the Executive Board recognizes courses that stand out in particular for their research- and application-oriented teaching modules, as well as new forms of teaching and learning, interdisciplinarity, or the high relevance of the subject matter taught. This year, the introductory course “Information Technology and Automation Technology” in the second semester of the bachelor’s programs in Medical Technology, Electrical and Information Technology, and Mechatronics—taught by Prof. Mike Barth, Marwin Madsen, Marcel Auer, and Jakob Pfefferle—received the Department Teaching Award in Electrical Engineering and Information Technology. The Department Teaching Award in Mechanical Engineering went to Prof. Sven Matthiesen, Oliver Liewerenz, and Christoph Wittig from the Institute for Product Development (IPEK) and Prof. Sören Hohmann and Armin Teltschik from the Institute for Control and Regulation Systems (IRS) for the course “Mechatronic Systems and Products.”