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The mobility transition is not just a buzzword — in the light of rising emissions in the transport sector, it is rightly at the center of the political debates of our time.

In the June newsletter, we present our work in this thematic area and explain how IKEM is advancing sustainable mobility solutions with its research. For this, we spoke with Matthias Hartwig, head of IKEM's Mobility Department. In the interview, you can learn about the changes he perceives in the mobility discourse and what these changes mean for the scientific work of the department.

In this newsletter, we are also pleased to present our Annual Report 2022 and the recently published Energiewende-O-Mat. The latter is Germany's first and currently only digital platform for citizens who want to actively participate in the energy transition.

This time, our latest studies are centered around ammonia: We have investigated how ammonia can be used as a climate-neutral fuel in sport yachts and how social acceptance for its introduction in the port of Rostock can be ensured.

We hope you enjoy the read! 

Until next time, 

The IKEM Communications Team

— Matthias Hartwig, Head the Mobility department.

The Mobility department is dedicated to the challenges associated with advancing digitalization and the development of autonomous vehicles. Other focal points include the transition to the use of alternative driving systems and fuels for transportation with as few greenhouse gas emissions as possible, innovative mobility concepts, the design of sustainable logistics, as well as the improvement of local public transportation. In this interview, Matthias Hartwig, Head of the Mobility department at IKEM, talks about the diverse approaches for more climate protection in the mobility sector.

In the annual report, IKEM looks back on a successful year: With 87 interdisciplinary research projects, more than 99 publications and around 60 presentations at professional conferences, IKEM was able to further expand its scientific work and make a concrete contribution to climate protection.

At a conference in Frankfurt am Main in June, the engage research project presented the Energiewende-O-Mat. It is Germany’s first and currently only digital contact point for citizens who want to get actively involved in the energy transition. At energiewendeomat.de, users can find projects and initiatives in which they can get involved financially or personally.

In a new study, IKEM investigated how to enable the use of ammonia as a climate-neutral fuel for sport yachts in line with safety and environmental requirements. Since the EU safety standards for small watercrafts do not yet contain any requirements in this regard, the study makes proposals for a future design of the regulations.

IKEM has published a study that examines social acceptance issues related to the use of ammonia in shipping. With regard to aspects such as employment potential, air quality and greenhouse gas emissions, the study uses the example of the Port of Rostock to show that green ammonia is a promising alternative to fossil fuels – but a smooth transition requires a viable introduction strategy.