Many things have already been invented in Germany. The printing press, the telephone, the car, the computer – all these are inventions "made in Germany" that subsequently revolutionized the world and the way we live. Here are seven recent German innovations for the world

1. Battery cells with more power

They are tiny, just 7 to 16 millimeters in diameter, but still brimming with innovation "made in Germany": Inventors of the battery specialist Varta have developed rechargeable lithium-ion battery cells that can bunker significantly more electricity. These so-called coin-power cells have a significantly higher silicon content in the anode. As a result, the energy density grows by up to 50 percent – a world record! Lifestyle products such as smartwatches or wireless headphones last much longer before they have to be recharged.

Before the breakthrough, the Varta specialists had to solve a tricky problem. Because: If the silicon content increases, the material becomes more porous. The solution: the thin foil technology developed by the company. Here the electrode is wound, not layered. Reward for the effort: Electronics manufacturers are scrambling for the invention from Ellwangen.

2. Environmentally friendly paper and cardboard made of hay

The company Creapaper, based in Hennef, makes paper and cardboard – from dried grass! This is much more sustainable than paper production from wood or waste paper. For example, you only need two litres of water to produce a ton of grass paper – normal paper needs 6,000 litres! In addition, the raw material grass is available everywhere, does not have to be imported. "We save a total of 75 percent of CO2 emissions," says founder Uwe D'Agnone.

He estimates that grass paper can replace almost all paper products commonly used today. Creapaper started flying in 2020: fruit bowls, egg cartons, grass paper is now everywhere. Even large shipping companies are already using it. Normal paper still has to be added at the moment. However, the proportion of grass is already half – and is expected to continue to rise.

3. Medical technology against multi-organ failure

These are self-confident words: "We are convinced that we have developed a process that saves human lives," says Catherine Schreiber, deputy managing director of the young medical technology company Advitos in Munich. We're talking about the "Advos multi" – and the device could actually revolutionize intensive care.

"In the intensive care unit, patients die mainly from multi-organ failure," explains Schreiber. Affected: mostly kidney, lungs and liver. While these organs still have to be supported by three different apparatuses, the invention of the Munich-based company combines all this in just one device. In addition, it can also quickly correct the blood pH value. The company believes it can reduce the mortality of intensive care patients by 20 percent.

4. Microchips that fit ten billion transistors thanks to EUV lithography

Smart homes, artificial intelligence, robotics, autonomous vehicles – all areas that will shape our lives in the future. For all these products you need: powerful microchips. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute in Jena, together with the companies Zeiss and Trumpf, have now developed a completely new production process for the microchips of tomorrow: EUV lithography.

The procedure is complicated, to say the least. In brief: EUV lithography works with X-rays – and manages to create structures on the chip that are only a few nanometers in size. The result: Thanks to the technology, ten billion (!) Transistors can be integrated. This means that thanks to EUV lithography, chips can be produced that are on the one hand much smaller than before, but still much more powerful.

5. Digital watches that measure time more accurately than ever before

Ever heard of a picosecond? This is what the millionth of a millionth of a second is called. That means: unbelievable eleven zeros after the decimal point. In order to be able to measure such ludicrously short periods of time correctly, you need ultra-accurate watches – and the Stuttgart-based company Swabian Instruments manufactures them.
With their "Time Tagger", the Swabians have set new standards in digital measurement technology. The company is now one of the most innovative companies in the field of quantum technology. "Our devices can be used wherever sophisticated digital measurements are required," says Helmut Fedder, one of the three founders. "For example, it can be used to measure light emissions from individual molecules in tumor cells. And our devices are also easy to use in autonomous driving and the newly developing technology of quantum computers."

Research institutions and industrial customers around the globe now rely on the fastest stopwatch in the world – made in Germany.

6. An oil against plastic waste

Plastic waste in the oceans – nobody wants to see that anymore. One way out of the waste dilemma is chemical recycling. For example, with the "ChemCyclingTM" project in Ludwigshafen, the chemical company BASF is pursuing the goal of recycling plastic waste and even car tires on a commercial scale.

The highlight: Through chemical recycling, even non-sorted plastic waste can be converted back into a valuable raw material. This is done by means of a thermochemical process that splits the waste into molecular building blocks. This is how so-called pyrolysis oil is obtained. And from this, in turn, you can produce products in virgin material quality, which are then even suitable for food packaging.

7. A shower for car paint that saves a lot of electricity

Up to 40 percent of the energy requirement of a car plant is accounted for by the paint shop. One reason: The fine paint mist, called overspray, has to be removed from the air at high expense. An innovation by the mechanical engineering company Dürr in Bietigheim-Bissingen makes this superfluous. The "EcoPaintJet", a kind of paint shower with 50 tiny nozzles, does not allow overspray and only needs half of the electricity.