Solutions for fusion technology, the production and use of hydrogen, and the calibration and coordination of industrial robots—at HANNOVER MESSE 2026, researchers from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) will present numerous innovative technologies in Hall 11 at Booth B06. The focus will also be on additively manufactured multi-material ceramics, electrochemical synthesis processes, and quantum technologies. Finally, students will present their own Hyperloop concept.

“At KIT, we find answers”

“How we move, communicate, or generate energy—much of this is currently being reimagined. At KIT, we find answers to such fundamental changes in our everyday reality,” says Professor Jan S. Hesthaven, President of KIT. “That is why we are presenting groundbreaking future technologies at the world’s largest industrial trade fair. Whether visionary modes of travel, new possibilities in robotics, decisive steps toward the first fusion reactor, or secure communication via quantum networks: KIT demonstrates what is possible when the best minds from around the world utilize our excellent research infrastructure.”

On Tuesday, April 21, from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., Hesthaven will participate in a panel discussion on the topic “European Defense: How We Create the Industrial Landscape We Need.” The event will take place on the Center Stage in Hall 25.

Tritium Breeding Blanket – The Heart of a Fusion Reactor

Fusion is considered a key technology for a safe, climate-friendly energy supply of the future. Researchers at KIT are contributing to this effort with the heart of the reactor—the tritium breeding blanket (TBB). It is located between the plasma, which is 150 million degrees Celsius, and the superconducting magnets, which are at a temperature close to absolute zero. This temperature difference poses a major technical challenge. At the same time, the TBB must produce tritium, the fuel essential for fusion. The development of these components opens up new prospects for industry, such as in the production of durable materials and precision manufacturing technology.

Photoreactor Panel – Hydrogen from Nothing but Water and Sunlight

A photoreactor panel developed at KIT enables the production of hydrogen from nothing but water and sunlight. photreon’s patented design can be mass-produced in large quantities. This allows for the scaling up of production of cost-effective green hydrogen. In this way, photreon makes the transition to green hydrogen economically viable and strengthens the competitiveness of companies and locations.

Compressorless gas turbine – record runtime for green power generation

An innovative compressorless gas turbine is setting new standards for the use of hydrogen in energy supply: The detonation burner with pressure-gain combustion technology achieved a record runtime of 303 seconds—surpassing the previous NASA record of 250 seconds. No additional energy is required to compress the air prior to ignition. Unlike natural gas, hydrogen can be produced using renewable energy. With the compressorless gas turbine, KIT has taken an important step toward efficient, high-performance technology for green power generation using hydrogen.

Calibration of camera-guided industrial robots – fully automatic, fast, and accurate

The use of industrial robots is now standard in production. Equipped with cameras, they can react flexibly to their environment. For applications requiring high precision, robot calibration is essential: The robot’s geometry is determined, meaning its kinematic parameters are calculated. A new method developed by KIT in cooperation with MVTec Software GmbH uses the robot’s built-in camera for calibration—fully automatic, cost-effective, fast, and accurate.

Precise cooperative robotics—with optimally distributed forces

Physically coupled industrial robots enable sophisticated manufacturing processes through cooperation in production—processes that until now could only be realized with conventional machine tools. Researchers at KIT, in collaboration with the FZI Research Center for Information Technology in Karlsruhe, have developed a novel control system that couples two robots, optimally distributes the forces between them, and regulates internal stresses. This allows for high manufacturing accuracy.

Multi-material ceramics – additive manufacturing for high-tech applications

A material system developed at KIT makes it possible to combine two different ceramic materials into a single component during the printing process. It forms the basis for Multi-Material Additive Manufacturing (MMAM). This allows different functional, mechanical, electrical, or thermal properties to be specifically combined within a single component. This results in high-precision hybrid ceramics with locally varying properties, such as a hard edge and a porous core. Additional mechanical post-processing steps such as milling or turning are not required.

Open-Flow Electrolysis Cell – for More Sustainable Chemical Production

In the ETOS innovation network, stakeholders from research and industry are working on new processes that make chemical production more sustainable. At the center is the Power-to-Chemicals concept—the use of electrical energy, ideally from renewable sources, to produce chemicals. This allows chemical production processes to be made more cost-efficient, safer, and more environmentally friendly. The open flow electrolysis cell demonstrates the operating principle of electrochemical synthesis processes in flow-through mode. In this process, a reaction solution flows continuously through the cell and passes between two electrodes. The applied electric current triggers the desired chemical reaction.

Quantum Networks – Tamper-Proof Communication

Secure communication is indispensable for modern digital infrastructures. Quantum networks open up fundamentally new possibilities for this: They distribute secret keys for encryption using individual photons, with the laws of quantum physics ensuring security. In quantum key distribution, information is encoded in the quantum states of light. Any attempt to eavesdrop inevitably alters these states and should therefore be immediately detectable. At KIT, researchers are developing key technologies required for the practical implementation of quantum communication.

mu-zero HYPERLOOP e. V. – Students for the Mobility of the Future

Transport capsules move at high speeds through largely vacuum-sealed tubes—this is the Hyperloop concept. Initiatives around the world are working on the Hyperloop—among them the student club mu-zero HYPERLOOP e. V. at KIT. Alongside road, rail, water, and air vehicles, the Hyperloop could establish itself as the fifth mode of transportation for the mobility of the future. This is because the Hyperloop can significantly reduce travel time, energy consumption, and land use compared to conventional modes of transportation.

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