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Driverless buses that reliably transport passengers from A to B—not as an experiment, but as an integral part of everyday life: This is the goal that the Free State of Saxony has set for itself in collaboration with partners from politics, business, academia, and the public transportation sector. At the symposium “Vision 2030: Autonomous Driving in Saxony’s Public Transportation System” on April 23, 2026, a letter of intent was signed, marking the launch of a coordinated initiative. Prof. Dr. Sanaz Mostaghim, Director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Transportation and Infrastructure Systems IVI, signed the letter of intent on behalf of the institute, which will contribute its scientific and technical expertise to the project in a targeted manner.

The official launch of the SIAS-ÖV project took place on March 23, 2026, in Leipzig with the ceremonial presentation of the grant notification by Minister of State Dirk Panter, followed by a kick-off event at Fraunhofer IVI. The “Saxon Initiative: Automated Shuttles in Public Transport” (Sächsische Initiative: Automatisierte Shuttle im ÖPNV) will significantly advance autonomous public transportation in the Free State of Saxony.

The electrification of heavy-duty and passenger transport is a key component of the transportation transition. However, the availability of suitable charging infrastructure poses a major challenge, particularly for trucks and buses: Large battery capacities require megawatt-level charging power to achieve practical charging times. With the successful completion of the collaborative "HV-MELA-BAT" project, a complete high-voltage megawatt charging system is now available that meets these requirements—while setting new standards in contact technology.

Decarbonizing long-haul freight transport is one of Europe’s toughest climate challenges – and ZEFES is tackling it where it matters most: in real-world operation. By developing modular zero-emission vehicle platforms and demonstrating battery-electric and fuel-cell trucks under daily long-haul conditions, the ZEFES project goes beyond isolated pilots. It aims to prove that zero-emission heavy-duty vehicles can match or even exceed the performance, efficiency and usability of today’s diesel trucks – paving the way for large-scale deployment in line with the European Green Deal.

How can we charge electric trucks and other heavy commercial vehicles in a fast, efficient, and space-saving way in the future? This was the central question when Fraunhofer IVI and their application partner, Stadtreinigung Dresden GmbH, welcomed Tobias Wagner, professional trucker and influencer known as the Elektrotrucker, at the institute. On our test track, we presented our innovative charging solution for commercial e-vehicles to him and invited him to experience it for himself.

No more casualties and severely injured persons in road traffic – this is what Vision Zero stands for as a global concept. The aim is to implement innovative technology, better infrastructure and comprehensive education initiatives in order to jointly create a future in which road traffic is safe for everyone. Since 2024, the Deutsche Verkehrssicherheitsrat (DVR, German Road Safety Council) has been presenting the DVR Vision Zero Award to projects that reduce the risk of road accidents through creative safety measures and bring us closer to Vision Zero.

How can vehicle sensors and infrastructure sensors work together to create one reliable situation report—and make automated driving safer through it? This is the question that the VALISENS project partners spent three years researching in detail by investigating how the environment of automated vehicles can be detected so that all road users are kept safe. During the project's closing event at Fraunhofer IVI in Dresden, the consortium presented their results in front of an expert audience and showcased in a demonstration on the institute's test track how research can be transferred directly to practical application.

On November 15, 2025, around 50 representatives of German and Polish disaster management authorities met at the CIFAD-III status event in Weisswasser, Saxony. Together, they were informed about the project's progress in the area of transnational operations and resource management.

The semiconductor industry is facing major challenges: Complex planning processes, regular conversions of production facilities, and the shortage of skilled workers make it difficuult to adapt to shorter and shorter product lifecycles. The planning phase for a conversion, which is usually necessary every other year, can take up to six months. To support these processes and make them more efficient, precise and sustainable, Fraunhofer IVI cooperates with project coordinator RX Design Germany GmbH in the FastFabDesign research project with the aim of finding a digital solution that uses innovative algorithms and artificial intelligence.

To explore current research activities and options for collaboration, representatives of TU Bergakademie Freiberg visited the Fraunhofer Institute for Transportation and Infrastructure Systems IVI in Dresden. Together with Prof. Dr. Sebastian Zug, Chair of Software Enigineering and Robotics, and Prof. Dr. Bastian Pfleging, Chair of Ubiquitous Computing and Smart Systems, Fraunhofer IVI scholars discussed new project ideas in reaserch and education.