Fraunhofer-Institut für System- und Innovationsforschung ISI

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  • Publication
    Exploring the psychological antecedents of private and public sphere behaviours to reduce household plastic consumption
    ( 2023)
    Heidbreder, Lea Marie
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    Tröger, Josephine orcid-logo
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    Schmitt, Manfred
    In the last few years, plastic has become an issue of current interest as tremendous ecological effects from plastic littering have become visible. Taking the role of consumers into account, activities comprising purchasing decisions and political engagement are expected to help prevent plastic pollution. The goal of this study was to examine antecedents of three potential plastic reduction activities: purchasing, activism, and policy support. Based on well-established psychological models of pro-environmental behaviour (i.e. theory of planned behaviour, norm activation model), an online survey (N = 648) was administered and analysed via structural equation modelling. Results revealed that personal norms were a relevant predictor of all three intentions. Whereas sufficiency orientation and collective efficacy predicted only activism intention and policy support intention, perceived behavioural control was the strongest predictor of purchasing intentions. Regarding behaviour, people with high activism intentions and sufficiency orientation were more likely to choose a plastic-free incentive instead of the conventional shopping voucher. This study highlights psychological antecedents of plastic reduction. An integrated model showed that rational cost-benefit considerations as well as morality serve as drivers of reducing plastic consumption. Implications for the promotion of plastic-free consumption are discussed.
  • Publication
    University satellite institutes as exogenous facilitators of technology transfer ecosystem development
    ( 2023)
    Conlé, Marcus
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    Kroll, Henning orcid-logo
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    Storz, Cornelia
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    Ten Brink, Tobias
    Universities can contribute to knowledge-based regional development not only in their home region but also in other regions. In a number of countries, universities have established university satellite institutes in additional (host) regions to promote research and technology transfer there. We investigate the role of university satellite institutes in the industrial development of regions, which, albeit not economically marginal, suffer from a weak knowledge infrastructure, limited absorptive capacities for external knowledge in the business sector and hence a low degree of attractiveness for non-local knowledge actors. Despite policy recommendations in favor of establishing satellite institutes, there has only been limited empirical research on this phenomenon, particularly concerning technology transfer ecosystem development. To fill this gap, we provide an exploratory case study of university satellite institutes in the Pearl River Delta of China's Guangdong province. We show how such institutes can be successful in facilitating the development of their host region's technology transfer ecosystems and demonstrate why they should be conceptually included in our existing understanding of third mission activities. Our research centers on the interplay of geographical proximity and non-spatial, organized proximity in the development of interregional knowledge bridges and entrepreneurial opportunities. We argue that the university's geographical proximity is only successful if the satellite institute, by facilitating organized proximity, promotes the geographical proximity of further knowledge actors, hereby propelling ecosystem development.
  • Publication
    An update of challenges and possible solutions related to ICT patents: The perspective of European stakeholders
    ( 2023)
    Blind, Knut orcid-logo
    Patents in information and communication technologies (ICTs) are important instruments for protecting companies' inventions and to appropriate the value of the related inventions. However, the increasing dynamics and complexity in ICTs are challenging the effectiveness of patents. Based on a review of the literature and interviews with relevant stakeholders in Europe, we have identified the most relevant challenges for patents in ICT and possible solutions. These insights have been used as input in framing our broad survey among European stakeholders. The results reveal on the one hand the differences between the patent owners and stakeholders owning no patents, in particular with regards to the various challenges the patent system is facing. On the other hand, the differences disappear in the assessment of the effectiveness of the various solutions. Finally, we conclude with a summary of our main findings.
  • Publication
    The role of industrial actors in the circular economy for critical raw materials: A framework with case studies across a range of industries
    ( 2023)
    Cimprich, Alexander
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    Young, Steven B.
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    Schrijvers, Dieuwertje
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    Ku, Anthony Y.
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    Hagelüken, Christian
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    Christmann, Patrice
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    Eggert, Roderick
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    Habib, Komal
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    Hirohata, Atsufumi
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    Hurd, Alan J.
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    Lee, Min-Ha
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    Peck, David
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    Petavratzi, Evi
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    Tercero Espinoza, Luis A. orcid-logo
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    Wäger, Patrick
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    Hool, Alessandra
    In this article, we explore concrete examples of circularity strategies for critical raw materials (CRMs) in commercial settings. We propose a company-level framework for systematically evaluating circularity strategies (e.g., material recycling, product reuse, and product or component lifetime extension) in specific applications of CRMs from the perspectives of specific industrial actors. This framework is applied in qualitative analyses - informed by relevant literature and expert consultation - of five case studies across a range of industries: (1) rhenium in high-pressure turbine components, (2) platinum group metals in industrial catalysts for chemical processing and oil refining, (3) rare earth permanent magnets in computer hard disk drives, (4) various CRMs in consumer electronics, and (5) helium in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines. Drawing from these case studies, three broader observations can be made about company circularity strategies for CRMs. Firstly, there are multiple, partly competing motivations that influence the adoption of circularity strategies, including cost savings, supply security, and external stakeholder pressure. Secondly, business models and value-chain structure play a major role in the implementation of circularity strategies; business-to-business models appear to be more conducive to circularity than business-to-consumer models. Finally, it is important to distinguish between closed-loop circularity, in which material flows are contained within the ""focal"" actor's system boundary, and open-loop circularity, in which material flows cross the system boundary, as the latter has limited potential for mitigating material criticality from the perspective of the focal actor.
  • Publication
    A dynamic material flow analysis of the global anthropogenic zinc cycle: Providing a quantitative basis for circularity discussions
    ( 2022)
    Rostek, Leon orcid-logo
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    Tercero Espinoza, Luis A. orcid-logo
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    Goldmann, Daniel
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    Loibl, Antonia orcid-logo
    Accurate and up-to-date accounting of material stocks and flows is an important quantitative basis for current Circular Economy discussions. Herein, we describe the application of dynamic material flow analysis to model the global anthropogenic zinc cycle in the period 1900 to 2019 and yielding results for 1980-2019. Results show that approx. 250 Mt of zinc were globally in use in 2019, which equals the 19-fold mine production of the same year. Between 2010 and 2019, 34 Mt of Zn in fabrication and manufacturing scrap (new scrap) and 77 Mt of Zn in end-of-life products (old scrap) became available for recycling. Of these, approx. 52 Mt of zinc were recycled, the majority (42 Mt) via direct reuse in production processes and a smaller part via refineries. The recycling input rate of 29% and the end-of-life recycling rate of 27%, both averaged between 2010 and 2019, point to opportunities for increased circularity. Nearly half of the overall cycle losses occur in the end-of-life waste collection, so that measures for more circularity should be taken at this lifecycle phase. Further considerable zinc losses arise within steel recycling, where zinc transfers to steel mill dusts. These dusts are more and more used for zinc recycling, but still underutilized. Despite existing recycling challenges, the overall modeling results show that recycling flows and recycling rates rose in the last decade.
  • Publication
    The future potential hydrogen demand in energy-intensive industries - a site-specific approach applied to Germany
    ( 2022)
    Neuwirth, Marius orcid-logo
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    Fleiter, Tobias
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    Manz, Pia orcid-logo
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    Hofmann, René
    Hydrogen, when based on renewable electricity, can play a key role in the transition towards CO2-neutral industrial production, since its use as an energy carrier as well as a feedstock in various industrial process routes is promising. At the same time, a large-scale roll-out of hydrogen for industrial use would entail substantial impacts on the energy system, which can only be assessed if the regional distribution of future hydrogen demand is considered. Here, we assess the technical potential of hydrogen-based technologies for energy-intensive industries in Germany. The site-specific and process-specific bottom-up calculation considers 615 individual plants at 367 sites, and results in a total potential hydrogen demand of 326 TWh/a. The results are available as an open dataset. Using hydrogen for non-energy-intensive sectors as well increases the potential hydrogen demand to between 482 and 534 TWh/a for Germany - based on today's industrial structure and production output. This assumes that fossil fuels are almost completely replaced by hydrogen for process heating and feedstocks. The resulting hydrogen demand is very unevenly distributed: a few sites account for the majority of the overall potential and, similarly, the bulk of demand is concentrated in a few regions with steel and chemical clusters.
  • Publication
    Alternative Antriebe im Schienenverkehr
    (Fraunhofer ISI, 2022)
    Frank, Fabio
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    Gnann, Till orcid-logo
    Der Schienenverkehr in Deutschland fährt bereits heute zu einem Großteil elektrisch (~90% der Verkehrsleistung auf ~60% elektrifizierten Strecken). Für eine vollständige Defossilisierung sind jedoch auch für die verbliebenen 10% Fahrleistung Lösungen von Nöten. Aufgrund der lokalen Emissionsfreiheit eignen sich hierfür vor allem batterieelektrische und wasserstoffbetriebene Triebzüge. Es stellt sich dabei jedoch die Frage, welche Alternativen für welche Einsatzzwecke gut geeignet sind. Hierzu werden zwei Szenarien mit kurzen und langen Streckenabschnitten im Schienenpersonennahverkehr aus techno-ökonomischen Gesichtspunkten untersucht. Es zeigt sich, dass batterie-elektrische Züge vor allem auf kürzeren Streckenabschnitten zum Einsatz kommen können, während wasserstoffbetriebene Züge zwar flexibler im Einsatz sind, aber einer höheren Auslastung bedürfen. Rund 80% der Streckenabschnitte in Deutschland wären zukünftig mit heutigen batterie-elektrischen Zügen zu bewältigen, in 20% der Fälle wären wasserstoffbetriebene Züge geeigneter.
  • Publication
    Schlüsseltechnologien
    (EFI Geschäftsstelle, 2022)
    Kroll, Henning orcid-logo
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    Berghäuser, Hendrik orcid-logo
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    Blind, Knut orcid-logo
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    Neuhäusler, Peter orcid-logo
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    Scheifele, Fabian
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    Thielmann, Axel
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    Wydra, Sven orcid-logo
    Dieser Bericht zur Rolle von Schlüsseltechnologien im deutschen Innovationssystem verfolgt drei zentrale Zielsetzungen, die in sieben aufeinander folgenden Kapiteln adressiert werden. Zunächst wird sowohl die akademisch-politische Entstehung des Konzepts "Schlüsseltechnologie" eingehend beleuchtet als auch empirisch geprüft, welche Technologien die auf diese Weise konzeptionell ableitbaren Kriterien aktuell in besonderer Weise erfüllen. Am Ende dieses ersten Abschnitts wird abschließend dargestellt, welche verschiedenen Rationalitäten sich für die politische Ausweisung spezifischer Technologien als Schlüsseltechnologien" sachlogisch anbieten. In Folge wird in einem zweiten Teil die Position Deutschlands im Bereich der so ausgewählten Schlüsseltechnologiebereiche und Einzeltechnologien empirisch geprüft. Spezifische Kapitel prüfen hierbei die Positionierung Deutschlands im Hinblick auf Forschung und Entwicklung, Außenhandel, internationale Standardisierung sowie internationale Kooperation, all jener Aspekte also, die vorab als Kerndimensionen technologischer Souveränität abgeleitet wurden. Abschließend werden in einem letzten Kapitel noch einmal zentrale Hemmnisse für deutsche Innovatoren spezifisch herausgestellt sowie ausgeführt, welche politischen Maßnahmen in den global größten Wirtschaftsräumen (EU-27, USA, China) zur Förderung der Entwicklung zentraler Schlüsseltechnologien umgesetzt wurden und werden. Der Bericht endet mit einem übergreifenden Fazit und zusammenfassenden Empfehlungen.
  • Publication
    Laden von Elektrofahrzeugen in Deutschland mit Ökostromverträgen
    (Fraunhofer ISI, 2022)
    Wietschel, Martin
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    Preuß, Sabine orcid-logo
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    Kunze, Robert
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    Keller, Marc
    Auf der Basis einer Umfrage wird analysiert, wie hoch der Anteil von Plug-in electric vehicles (PEV)-Nutzenden in Deutschland ist, der erneuerbaren Strom zum Laden über entsprechende Lieferverträge bezieht und wie dies zu bewerten ist. Die Auswertung hat ergeben, dass für alle Ladeorte - zu Hause, am Arbeitsplatz und öffentliche Schnell- und Langsamladesäulen - der Anteil von Ökostromverträgen sehr hoch (>75 %) ist. Gerade beim Laden zu Hause, was der häufigste Ladeort ist, liegt der Anteil von Ökostromverträgen von PEV-Nutzenden (84 %) weit über dem in deutschen Haushalten (30 %). Die verschiedenen Ökostromverträge unterscheiden sich aber deutlich in ihren ökologischen Anforderungen. Die Kenntnisse hierüber scheinen aber bei den PEV-Nutzenden eher gering zu sein.