TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - CERAMICS AND GLASS - Preferred Support: The glass is an aluminosilicate glass containing not less than 60 wt.% SiO2 and not less than 10 wt.% Al2O3; preferably 64-66 wt.% SiO2, 24-25 wt.% Al2O3, 9-12 wt.% magnesium oxide (MgO) and less than 0.2 wt.% calcium, sodium, potassium and/or ferric oxide(s) (CaO, Na2O, K2O, Fe2O3).It preferably is in the form of glass fibers or filaments with an acid-resistant coating of alpha-Al2O3, ZrO2 or TiO2 on glass with the composition 52-56 wt.% SiO2, 12-16 wt.% Al2O3, 5-10 wt.% boron oxide (B2O3), 16-25 wt.% MgO, less than 2 wt.% Na2O + K2O, less than 1.5 wt.% TiO2 and less than 1 wt.% Fe2O3.The support comprises glass fibers and/or filaments with a diameter of 1-150 (preferably 1-20) mum, yarn with a diameter of 5-150 (10-70) mum, woven fabric with a mesh size of 5-500 (10-200) mum or nonwoven. It is 10-150 (10-50) mum thick.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ELECTRICAL POWER AND ENERGY - Preferred Membrane: The electrolyte membrane comprises a proton-conducting gel of immobilized acid (I) and optionally an Al, Si, Ti, Zr and/or P oxide (IV) and/or a Bronsted acid (V) and (IV) as network former.Preferred (V) are sulfuric, phosphoric, perchloric, nitric, hydrochloric, sulfurous and phosphorous acid and their esters and/or monomeric or polymeric organic acids.The volume ratio of gel to support is at least 30 to 70. The gel contains particles of ceramic oxide(s) selected from Al2O3, SiO2, ZrO2 and TiO2, preferably in particle size fraction(s) in the 10-100 nm, 100-1000 nm and/or 1-5 mum size range.The membrane is stable up to at least 80 (120) degrees C and tolerates a bending radius down to preferably 10 (5) mm.At room temperature and at most 40% relative humidity, its conductivity is not less than 5 (not less than 50) mS/cm. The membrane may have a proton-conducting coating that is insoluble in water and methanol on one or preferably both sides.Preferred Process: The sol is obtained by hydrolysis of a hydrolyzable compound, preferably in a mixture of water and alcohol, and peptization. Infiltration is carried out under pressure, by immersion or by rolling, spreading, spraying or casting the mixture on the support. Infiltration may be carried out repeatedly, optionally with drying (preferably at 50-200 degrees C) between stages, especially in a continuous process.The electrolyte membrane is consolidated by heating to 50-300 (80-150) degrees C, preferably with warm or hot air, infrared radiation or microwave radiation. To make the membrane electrode array, the anode and cathode coatings and membrane are bonded by pressing and heating to 50-300 (70-150) degrees C.The coating composition is applied to a temporary (PTFE) or permanent (carbon paper or electroconductive (non)woven fabric) support, dried and pressed onto the membrane at 20-300 (80-150) degrees C. The temporary support is removed, preferably mechanically, by chemical dissolution or by pyrolysis. These coating compositions contain a catalyst metal salt, preferably hexachloroplatinic acid, which is reduced to a catalyst after application. An open-pored gas diffusion electrode (carbon paper) may be pressed onto the catalyst or bonded to it with an electroconductive adhesive. The coatings may be applied (continuously) to a (preheated) flexible electrolyte or support membrane taken from a roll.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The gel contains proton-conducting substances selected from Ti and Zr phosphate and phosphonates, iso- and hetero-polyacids, preferably phosphotungstic acid or silicotungstic acid, or nanocrystalline metal oxides, preferably Al2O3, ZrO2, TiO2 or SiO2 powder.Preferred Coating: Preferred water- and methanol-insoluble outer coatings for the membrane include r and Ti phosphates, phosphonates and sulfoarylphosphonates and mixtures of organic and inorganic proton conductors.Preferred Composition: Suitable condensable components (II) include a hydrolyzable P compound, a hydrolyzable metal(loid) (oxy)nitrate, (oxy)chloride, carbonate, alcoholate, acetate or acetylacetonate, preferably Al or vanadium (V) alcoholate, Ti propylate or ethylate, Zr (oxy)nitrate, propylate, acetate or acetylacetonate; metal acids of Al, Ti, V, antimony (Sb), tin (Sn), lead (Pb), chromium (Cr), tungsten (W), molybdenum (Mo) and manganese (Mn), especially phosphotungstic acid; and compounds (I). The catalyst (precursor) (III) is platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd) and/or ruthenium (Ru).Preferred other components are (in)organic compounds decomposing at 50-300 (100-200) degrees C, especially ammonium (bi)carbonate, as pore formers; and carbon black, graphite, carbon, activated charcoal or metal oxides as electroconductive catalyst support.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: Acid (I) is an organosilicon compound of formulae (IA) or (IB);((RO)y(R2)z)aSi(R1-SO3-)a)xMx+ (IA);(((R)y(R2)z)aSi(R1-Ob-P(OcR3)O2-)a)xMx+ (IB);R1 = linear or branched 1-12 C alkyl or alkylene, 5-8 C cycloalkyl, -(CH2)n-Cyc-(CH2)m- or -(CH2)n-Phe-(CH2)m-;Cyc = cyclohexylene;Phe = phenylene;n, m = 0-6;M = H, NH4 or a metal;x = 1-4;y, a = 1-3,z = 0-2;y+z = 4-a;b, c = 0 or 1;R, R2 = (m)ethyl, propyl, butyl or H;R3 = M, (m)ethyl, propyl or butylPreferred (I) are trihydroxysilylpropylsulfonic acid, trihydroxysilylpropylmethylphosphonic acid and dihydroxysilylpropyl-sulfonic di-acid. (I) is immobilized with a hydrolyzed P compound, a hydrolyzed metal(loid) (oxy)nitrate, (oxy)chloride, carbonate, alcoholate, acetate or acetylacetonate, a hydrolyzed compound obtained from diethyl phosphite, diethyl ethylphosphonate, Ti propylate, Ti ethylate, tetraethyl orthosilicate or tetramethyl orthosilicate, Zr (oxy)nitrate, Zr propylate, Zr acetate, Zr acetylacetonate, methyl phosphate or with precipitated silica.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - Preferred Coating: Preferred water- and methanol-insoluble outer coatings for the membrane include Nafion (RTM: ion exchange resin), sulfonated or phosphonated polyphenylsulfone, polyimide, polyoxazole, polytriazole, polybenzimidazole, polyether-ether-ketone (PEEK) and polyether-ketone (PEK) EXAMPLE - 120 g Levasil 200 (RTM: 20 % solution of precipitated silica) was mixed with 10 g diethyl phosphite, 10 g ethanol and 10 g sulfuric acid. After 1 hour, 5 wt.% Aerosil 200 (RTM: fumed silica) was added and the suspension was homogenized for 30 minutes. After 24 hour, 40 wt.% alumina (Al2O3; RTM: CT3000) were added. In a continuous process, the suspension was rolled onto 70 mum thick S-glass fabric and the membrane was dried with hot air at 120degreesC for a few minutes, giving proton-conducting membrane (A). The conductivity was 5 mS/cm at about 25% relative humidity (RH) and 81 mS/cm at over 80 % RH. A solution of 10 ml Dynasil A (RTM: tetraethoxysilane) in 10 ml ethanol was added to 10 ml 5 % solution of Nafion (RTM: ionexchange resin) with vigorous stirring, and stirring was continued for a short time. Both sides of (A) were roll coated continuously with this solution and dried at 100 degrees C, giving proton-conducting membrane (B). To make electrodes, a ceramic nonwoven was coated with a carbon black/platinum mixture (40%). These electrodes were pressed onto a (A) and (B) with a graphite gas distributor plate, which also provided electrical contact. Pure hydrogen was supplied on the anode side and pure oxygen on the cathode side. Both gases were humidified through a bubbler. This cell could be operated even at about 10 % RH on the anode side and 5% RH on the cathode side without substantially impairing its function. In a similar cell with a proton-conducting membrane of Nafion 117 (RTM: ion exchange resin), the proton conductivity of this membrane fell drastically at under 100 % RH and the surface resistance increased strongly, so that the fuel cell could no longer be operated.