Fraunhofer IME events, conferences, workshops and fairs

The International Spring School in Belgium, "Biosolutions for Sustainable Agriculture: Innovation in Action!," will bring together over 150 professionals from the agri-food sector from around the world. Organized by Wagralim, the agri-food innovation cluster of Wallonia, Belgium, the event represents over 320 members, including SMEs, large companies, research centers, universities, and training organizations.

This year's edition will focus on the latest AgTech advances, including digital tools and biosolutions such as biostimulants, biocontrol, and biofertilizers. Our colleague, Philip Känel, will give a keynote lecture in the first introductory session entitled “Shaping Sustainable Agriculture: From Seed Coatings to Targeted Crop Delivery Systems”. He looks forward to exchanging ideas and building new collaborations.

The SETAC Europe 36th Annual Meeting is held in Maastricht, the Netherlands from 17 - 21 May 2026 and hosts scientists from Europe and overseas.

Chemists and biologists of Fraunhofer IME participate in the Setac meeting with numerous poster and platform presentations, where they present their current research results. For the first time, Fraunhofer IME will present its research topics at an exhibition booth.

These contributions and information about the exhibition booth can be found on this Website.

Our colleagues from Münster and Aachen are looking forward to exciting discussions at the 26th Annual Meeting of Plant Research Initiatives funded by the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) in Potsdam from March 23 to 25. The three-day meeting is focusing on scientific exchange in basic and applied plant research.
Our colleagues will present posters on the following ongoing projects – all within the research initiative “Modern breeding research for climate- and site-adapted crops of tomorrow”

BIMOTEC Buckwheat Improvement by Modern Technologies for the Establishment of a Dual-Use Crop | Dr. Nicole van Deenen, Dr. Boje Müller, Dr. Christian Schulze Gronover

BeetAdapt Breeding climate-adapted sugar beets | Dr. Nicole Raven

POMORROW Potatoes for tomorrow | Prof. Dr. Dirk Prüfer, apl. Prof. Gundula Noll, Noëlle Bouchette (University of Münster)

On 17 and 18 February 2026, experts in medicinal and aromatic plants will meet again in Bernburg. Growers, processors and researchers will come together at what is currently the largest European conference in this field. Organized by Saluplanta e. V., the Bernburg Winter Seminar is co-hosted by the FNR and the Saxony-Anhalt State Institute for Agriculture and Horticulture.

Dr Lena Grundmann from Fraunhofer IME in Münster will give a presentation entitled 'Modern plant breeding for safe products: strategies for reducing estragole'. The presentation will cover current advances, from identifying relevant metabolic genes, to establishing regenerative tissue cultures and transformation protocols, to developing efficient analytical methods. These approaches open up new avenues for safe fennel varieties and demonstrate how modern molecular strategies and breeding methods can overcome regulatory challenges.

To mark the completion of the PERSPECTIVE project, which was funded by the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space (BMFTR), we, the project partners, invite you to a symposium at the Garching Research Centre on Thursday, 29 January 2026.

During the symposium, we will present the latest advances in the functional and applied genomics of triterpenoids. The exciting project presentations will be accompanied by a supporting programme of specialist lectures on terpene research. Take this opportunity to discuss with leading experts how biotechnological innovations are opening up new perspectives for the sustainable production and application of these valuable natural substances. The R&D team, consisting of Fraunhofer IME, TUM, Phytowelt GreenTechnologies GmbH and VivaCell Biotechnology GmbH, looks forward to an inspiring exchange. Meet us and join the discussion!

EPSO – The European Plant Science Organization represents more than 200 research institutes, departments, and universities from 31 countries in Europe and beyond. Its mission is to strengthen the impact and visibility of plant sciences in Europe.

Our colleague Holger Spiegel is one of the chairs of the Plant Factories Working Group, which is dedicated to the use of plants or plant cells for the production of high-quality products – particularly for pharmaceutical, diagnostic, cosmetic, and agricultural applications.

On January 27, 2026, the Plant Factories Working Group will host a full-day scientific online seminar. The aim is to present and discuss the research activities already carried out and planned by the participating institutes and universities.

Henrik Nausch (Aachen) will present new findings on model-based approaches for process intensification for plant suspension cell cultivation, and Boje Müller (Münster) will give a presentation entitled "Latex: A Versatile Containment Approach for Valuable Compound Production," which focuses on the product rubber. We look forward to exciting discussions, new collaborations, and new inspiration for plant research in Europe.

The German Society for Plant Biotechnology holds a workshop every two years, focusing on the latest developments in plant biotechnology. In 2025, this exciting event will be hosted by the University of Hamburg.

The workshop will focus on the following topics:

• genome and base editing
• in vitro culture systems, propagation and regeneration
• small RNAs and epigenetic regulation.

Christos Iordanidis, a doctoral student at Fraunhofer IME in Münster, will give a presentation on his research project, 'Unravelling the molecular mechanisms of antagonistic FT homologues in Nicotiana tabacum'. He is looking forward to stimulating discussions and the exchange of ideas with colleagues.

The Fraunhofer Institutes IME, IMM and ICT cordially invite you to the workshop 'SeedPlus: Innovative Seed Coating for Sustainability and Yield Security', which will take place on Wednesday, 9 July 2025 at our long-standing cooperation partner Eskusa GmbH in Parkstetten.

SeedPlus combines technological efficiency and ecological responsibility to provide a cutting-edge solution for modern agriculture. This technology provides economic and ecological advantages and can assist in overcoming the challenges of sustainable food production.

Come and discover our innovative SeedPlus technology for yourself. You can look forward to exciting demonstrations and the opportunity to have one-to-one discussions with scientists from the SeedPlus consortium.

The SETAC Europe 35th Annual Meeting is held in Vienna, Austria from 11 - 15 May 2025 and hosts scientists from Europe and overseas.

Chemists and biologists of Fraunhofer IME participate in the Setac meeting with numerous poster and platform presentations, where they present their current research results.

These contributions can be found on this Website.

Pharmaceuticals, food additives, fragrances, agrochemicals, functional materials and many more – plant-based extracts are important ingredients in a wide variety of market segments. At the Tutzing Symposion 2024 experts from industry and academia meet to discuss technological progress and research needs, the opportunities for increasing value creation and the regulatory and market frameworks.

The 61^st Tutzing Symposion 2024 provides once again a unique platform and ample time to exchange ideas between leading scientists and decision makers.

The Fraunhofer IME team from Münster will be represented in Tutzingen by  Dr. Lena Grundman and apl. Prof. Dr. Gundula Noll. Their poster  “Functional and Applied Genomics meets Medicinal Plants. Innovative plant breeding to improve plant secondary metabolites” will provide insights into the research and development of medicinal plants such as arnica, fennel and nasturtium.

The SETAC Europe 34th Annual Meeting is held in Seville, Spain from 5 - 9 May 2024 and hosts scientists from Europe and overseas.

Chemists and biologists of the Fraunhofer IME participate in the Setac meeting with numerous poster and platform presentations, where they present their current research results.

These contributions can be found on this website.

The German Biotechnology Days (DBT), are regarded a national forum for the German biotechnology industry. The DBT brings together entrepreneurs with scientists and partners from politics, funding institutions and administration. The two-day program will highlight the diverse fields of application and potential of biotechnology, from health research to the bioeconomy. The event is jointly organised by BIO Deutschland and the Council of German BioRegions.
On Wednesday, Dr. Christian Schulze Gronover, Fraunhofer IME in Münster, will report on the "Perspective" project coordinated by the Fraunhofer IME as part of the symposium "The role of microorganisms in biotechnology". Specially adapted yeasts play the key role in the project.

Scaling Day on November 29, 2023 at Fraunhofer CBP Leuna and Fraunhofer PAZ Schkopa

Registration and more Informationen

October 12, 2023 at the Fraunhofer ISC, Würzburg

Registration and more Information

The SETAC Europe 33rd Annual Meeting is held in Dublin, Ireland from 30 April - 4 May 2023 and hosts scientists from Europe and overseas. Biologists and chemists from Fraunhofer IME are contributing to the meeting with several presentations and posters presenting their scientific network research.

Please find here selected presentrations.

The one week “InVaKaS” workshop with experts from Brazil and Germany, intends to map the value chain and to develop new research ideas for valorization and cascade use contributing to the sustainability transition of value chains. The workshop takes place from 20.3. to 26.3.2023 in Bahia, Brazil and aims to engage various stakeholders along the value chain to elaborate new project ideas. Tuesday, 21.03.2023 will be organized as a hybrid event and welcomes every person interested in this topic. The workshop language will be English.

Nuremberg, Germany, 27.6. - 30.6.2022
The German Rubber Conference and International Rubber Conference is the meeting place for the global rubber and elastomer industry. The two pillars of the conference -the scientific lecture program and the trade exhibition- attract around 3000 visitors to the Nuremberg Exhibition Center every three years. With a one-year delay due to the pandemic, this year around 250 exhibitors will present their new rubber-related products and services. Since DKT 2018, the Science Campus has been an integral part of the trade exhibition as an exchange and presentation platform for renowned research institutes and groups.

This year, scientists from the Fraunhofer IME in Münster, together with colleagues from the Fraunhofer Institute for Microstructure of Materials and Systems IMWS and the Fraunhofer Pilot Plant Center for Polymer Synthesis and Processing PAZ, will be presenting, among other things, the results of the "Biomimetic Synthetic Rubber BISYKA" cooperation project. Learn how the researchers have succeeded in producing lower-abrasion test tires without losing grip (wet grip) or low rolling resistance. Uur experts on site, Boje Müller and Christian Schulze Gronover, were available for  lively exchange with visitors.