Lead is a highly toxic element currently used in industry for the production of lead zirconate-based ceramic capacitors and actuators. Another major problem is the use of precious metals such as palladium (Pd) or platinum (Pt) as internal electrode materials for these MLCCs and MLCAs, which are very expensive. Furthermore, conventional BaTiO₃-based capacitors only function up to 125 °C, highlighting the need for MLCCs with higher temperature resistance.

In sheet metal forming technology, process forces are usually measured indirectly or with external force sensors, which require additional installation height or space. This often makes integration into existing tools with standard punch holders impossible. Consequently, process-related force measurement directly at the punch is lacking in many applications, even though such data is increasingly important for process monitoring and Industry 4.0 approaches.

Current light therapy is a mixed bag: Stationary devices offer the required intensity of 10,000 lux, but severely restrict mobility. Mobile light glasses, on the other hand, often use point-source LED light sources with dangerously high luminance levels combined with insufficient overall brightness. Technically, this results in inhomogeneity and glare, while user disorientation or discomfort significantly limits acceptance and therapeutic effectiveness.

Optical (multiphase) flow analyses, e.g., using particle image velocimetry, are often limited by reflections and insufficient phase separation. Fluorescent tracers offer a solution, but established products are thermally unstable and/or uneconomical due to high costs. This severely restricts their application under demanding thermal conditions and in large-scale experiments, and prevents precise differentiation between the gas and dispersed phases.

The upcoming 6G communication standard offers higher data rates, low latency, and optimized energy efficiency, and could enable applications such as safe autonomous driving, telemedicine, and 3D holography. However, due to increased path loss, environmental scattering, and lower 6G frequencies, signal transmission over long distances and through obstacles is more difficult, which can pose technical challenges, especially for secure real-time transmissions.

Currently, 3D printing primarily uses solid plastics and, less frequently, chemically foamed plastics. Foams offer significant advantages over conventionally printed components. However, chemical blowing agents limit material selection, porosity control, and recyclability. Physical foaming with supercritical fluids offers a sustainable alternative with precise process control, which until now has only been implemented in large-scale conventional extrusion plants.

Terahertz (100 GHz–10 THz) systems measure either the THz power or the field. The latter is significantly more sensitive at room temperature with commercially available systems. Photonic systems, especially those operated with pulsed lasers, stand out. However, to stabilize two THz systems or a laser and a THz system relative to each other, the slope of the field with respect to time at the steepest point is required for optimal luring. Currently, no suitable detectors exist for this purpose.

Heat pipes are used worldwide as efficient and passive heat transfer systems. Their performance relies on an internal capillary structure, which, however, only allows for simple geometries without branching, as this would disrupt the capillary structure and cause the transport mechanism to fail. Therefore, for applications with more complex geometries in aerospace, only elaborate pumped systems have been available to date.

Paper and packaging materials are currently predominantly finished with polymer-based coatings to achieve functional surfaces. These conventional coatings are often unsustainable, difficult to recycle, and based on petrochemical raw materials. Furthermore, they reach their limits under extreme mechanical or thermal demands. From the user's perspective, there is a growing need for environmentally friendly, high-performance alternatives that can be efficiently integrated into existing production processes.

Current approaches to storing renewable energy are only suitable for short periods of days to weeks. Longer-term energy storage and transport rely on carbon-based fossil fuels. The currently much-discussed alternatives, hydrogen and ammonia, scale poorly and pose a high risk that requires costly technical mitigation.

Switching high DC voltages typically requires a large number of series-connected components (e.g., semiconductors). The isolated control is achieved mechanically or inductively, requiring isolation of the control signal from the full voltage using a single control element. The new method eliminates this need by cascading the components.

Conventional carbonation uses external CO2 gas, which must penetrate porous material, limiting its application to specific shapes and sizes. More efficient methods are needed.