At the 2025 BAU trade fair, the Fraunhofer Building Innovation Alliance will be presenting innovations in these three important areas of transformation in construction under the motto “Mission for the future of building affordable.sustainable.safe”: sustainability, productivity and safety/resilience. The participating Fraunhofer Institutes will show, for example, how production gains can be achieved through digitization or AI, which CO₂-negative processes and building materials can be used to create energy-positive buildings, neighborhoods or cities, or which solutions already exist for greater resilience against climate change through recyclable product designs.

Potential of mycelium material

Fraunhofer UMSICHT presents its expertise in the field of mushroom materials as a bio-based material. This offers the potential to implement resource and climate protection in sustainable products. The institute has experience in the production, shaping and functionalization of the fungal-based material and in its behavior in a suitable infrastructure. The institute offers a mycelium pilot plant with a high-performance infrastructure for material handling, growth and prototype construction. Thus, the experts can offer companies a scientifically sound introduction to the topic, advise them and evaluate the potential of the mycelial material for each specific application.

At the BAU trade fair, visitors can get to know the first concrete examples of applications – including a 1 x 1.2- meter facade element that Fraunhofer ISE and Fraunhofer UMSICHT developed in the Bau-DNS project. It is a prefabricated façade element that combines integrated photovoltaics, electricity generation, weather protection and thermal insulation made of mushroom material.

In addition, various artistic exhibits made of mycelium material can be seen inside an “Innovation Cube”. As part of the FungiFacturingArt project, sponsored by the Fraunhofer Network for Science, Art and Design, a lecture entitled “Behind the artist” (January 14, 2:20 p.m.) and a hands-on workshop entitled “Meet the artist: Mushrooms as a building material – mycelium as a pioneer for a sustainable future?” (January 14, 2:40 p.m.) will give visitors a better understanding of the topic.

At a glance

Joint stand of the Fraunhofer Construction Alliance Hall C2, Stand 528
January 13–17, 2025

January 14, 2:20 p.m.: Lecture. Behind the artist

January 14, 2:40 p.m.: Workshop: Meet the artist: Mushrooms as a building material – mycelium as a pioneer in a sustainable future?