Press | Media

Researchers at the Fraunhofer WKI, in collaboration with industrial partners, have developed a highly fire-retardant drywall system made from wood with a fire-resistance rating of at least 60 minutes. Featuring a non-combustible plywood panel as cladding, the system fulfils increased fire-protection requirements in buildings. With this project, the researchers are expanding the range of possible applications for wood in buildings — particularly in higher building classes. Through the utilization of domestic wood species, transport distances can be kept to a minimum and new sales markets can be created for the German forestry industry.

In collaboration with industrial partners, researchers at the Fraunhofer WKI have developed insulation boxes made from a non-combustible foam for heating systems. As a result, heating systems in buildings with heightened fire-protection requirements could be installed, maintained and converted more quickly.

Raoul Klingner took over the role as institute director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Wood Research, Wilhelm-Klauditz-Institut, WKI on May 15, 2026. The wood science expert is now in charge of the strategic alignment of the institute on a permanent basis. He has been the acting institute director since October 1, 2024. At the same time, Raoul Klingner is also taking over the Professorship for Organic and Wood-Based Materials at the Faculty of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Environmental Sciences of TU Braunschweig.

Researchers at the Fraunhofer WKI have proven that beechwood can be utilized as a wood-fiber insulation material in the form of mats or foams. One application example is vertically perforated bricks filled with insulation mats made from beechwood fibers. In addition, the project partners have collaborated to develop a final concept for a pilot plant designed to manufacture insulation materials based on beechwood.

On 24 April 2026, the play “K:lebt!” will celebrate its premiere in the Kleines Haus of the Braunschweig State Theatre. The Fraunhofer WKI’s expertise in adhesives served, among other things, as the inspiration for the play, in which adhesive is used as a metaphor for the cohesion of society. The researchers from the institute investigate bio-based adhesives (on the basis of renewable raw materials) and biogenic residues in order to develop ecological solutions for the future. In the play, elements from this research – such as polymer coils and tensile tests – are featured. The play poses the overarching question: What does it take to ensure the cohesion of a society?

At Hannover Messe 2026, the layer structure of a door from Rodenberg Türsysteme AG can be seen, in which wood foam has been utilized as a structural element. The partners Fraunhofer WKI and Butterweck Holzstoffe GmbH & Co. KG are thereby demonstrating an application possibility for wood foam in combination with classic wood-based materials. The wood foam developed and patented by the Fraunhofer WKI is produced and distributed by Butterweck Holzstoffe GmbH & Co. KG.

Fraunhofer WKI warmly welcomes Dr. Kusum Saini as an “International Climate Protection Fellow” of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. During her research stay from March 2026 to the end of February 2028, Dr. Saini will conduct research at Fraunhofer WKI into innovative approaches for developing bio-composite building materials from agricultural waste.

From 18 to 20 March 2026, the Fraunhofer WKI will be presenting the first interim results of the “LuminousNetworks” project at the Wissenschaftsschaufenster Braunschweig (Science Showcase Braunschweig, located at Waisenhausdamm 8). “LuminousNetworks” focuses the spotlight on fungal mycelium as a material. As a sustainable and functional resource, mycelium has already become a game-changer in the development of biomaterials. Through the works of artist Malte Taffner, who is involved in the project, the fungi now shine in a completely new kind of light.

Professor Tunga Salthammer from Fraunhofer WKI and Professor Lidia Morawska from Queensland University of Technology recently published an article in the journal WIREs Climate Change, in which they examine an important question: What does climate change mean for indoor air quality, i.e., in homes, offices, schools and other buildings?

Sustainability is an aspect that more and more consumers pay close attention to when buying furniture. As part of their research project titled LinumTube, researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Wood Research, Wilhelm-Klauditz-Institut, WKI have created modern seating furniture that is easy to disassemble, adapt and transport, and is also highly recyclable. The modular systems are made of only two materials: fabric produced from natural fibers and steel tubes.