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Fraunhofer magazine 1.19 RUBRIK - 1
Fraunhofer magazine
Fraunhofer
1/19 special
issue
magazine
WHAT‘S THE IQ OF AI? JOIN THE CONFERENCE NOV. 21– 22, 2019 Join our FUTURAS IN RES conference in Berlin for scientific excellence, inter nationality and a profound focus on value creation. Meet visionary international speakers from research and development, industry and startups, politics and society. Explore trending AI topics like Informed Machine Learning, cognitive phenomena in machines, bio-inspired and neuromorphic computing, human machine interaction or social robotics. Join the discussion about legal, social and ethical aspects. Ticket sales will start in spring 2019. Find out more at s.fhg.de/whats-the-iq-of-ai
Fraunhofer magazine 1.19 EDITORIAL - 03
70 years of Fraunhofer –
a dynamic success story
Prof. Reimund Neugebauer
© Fraunhofer/Bernhard Huber
The future has always been the force that drives the Fraun- Contract research accounts for more than two-thirds of the
hofer-Gesellschaft. Our researchers ask the right questions, Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft’s budget; funding from federal and
finding the answers that need to be found, the solutions state governments for roughly a third. With this business
that deliver immediate benefits to industry and society. How model and its laser-like focus on new technologies and
do we build smart, universally trusted machines? How do markets, the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft has become the
we manufacture drugs that provide faster, more affordable domestic economy’s innovation engine. Its inventions range
relief to patients? How do we live up to the responsibility from airbags, mp3 technology and white LEDs to dandelion
of making everyone feel safe? And how do we know which rubber. Electric mobility, cognitive systems, programmable
idea is the right one? As researchers, entrepreneurs and materials, quantum technology, translational medicine, public
visionaries, we see ourselves as pacesetters, an engine of safety – these are but a few of the many fields explored by its
progress that propels the advance of science and society. Our researchers.
innovative powers, our partners and workforce, our 70-year
history – these are the outward signs of our success. It is essential to not only conduct research with excellence
and efficiency, but also to identify new topics at an early
Founded in Munich in spring of 1949, the Fraunhofer-Ge- stage and set things in motion for the future. This enables
sellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung us to respond that much faster to market demands.
e.V. was born to help rebuild Germany’s de-industrialized Our employees are the bedrock of our success. Like our
post-war economy. On March 26, 1949, State Secretary eponymous founder, they strike the right balance between
Hugo Geiger invited 210 scientists, businesspeople and research and entrepreneurship, take responsibility for the
politicians to the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs. While future, develop solutions for tomorrow’s challenges and keep
children played amid the rubble, and the Wirtschaftswunder asking: What’s next?
– Germany’s postwar economic miracle – was still a distant
prospect, three people gathered in a Munich office to begin I hope you enjoy reading our first edition of the Fraunhofer
exploring ways of advancing the cause of applied research magazine in its anniversary year!
in Germany. Today, the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft is Europe’s
largest organization in this field of endeavor. Yours sincerely,
Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft elected Hermann von Siemens
president in late 1954 and founded the first of its institutes,
taking it closer to its goal of becoming a mainstay of research
in Germany. By 1969, it had grown to 19 institutes and
research units with 1200 employees. Restructuring and a
redoubled focus on contract research in the early 1970s set Reimund Neugebauer
off another surge of growth. The Fraunhofer model of per- President of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft
formance-based funding triggered the dynamic success that
shows no signs of slowing. It rewards stellar performance,
thereby providing the spark that ignites excellence.
04 - CONTENT Fraunhofer magazine 1.19
Fraunhofer magazine 1.19 RUBRIK - 1
Fraunhofer magazine
Fraunhofer
1/19 special
issue
magazine
LEARNING SYSTEMS AND SMART MACHINES – HOW 06
DO WE TAP THEIR POWERS WITHOUT RELINQUISH- 70 years of Fraunhofer
ING CONTROL OVER OUR DATA? QUANTUM EFFECTS This edition looks back to what we
– HOW CAN THEY HELP US COMMUNICATE MORE have achieved and, more importantly,
SECURELY AND MEASURE MORE ACCURATELY? ahead to the future. For this is how we
KEEPING LIFE AND LIMB OUT OF HARM’S WAY – go about our business, every day facing
HOW DO WE LIVE UP TO THE RESPONSIBILITY OF up to tomorrow’s questions boldly and
MAKING EVERYONE FEEL SAFE? NEW MATERIALS with curiosity.
– HOW DO WE DEVELOP SUBSTANCES WITH CUS-
TOMIZABLE PROPERTIES FOR MASS MANUFACTUR-
ING? SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND PROCESSES –
HOW DO WE TAKE CUES FROM NATURE’S INGENUITY
TO BUILD BETTER TECH? MEDICINES – HOW DO WE
MANUFACTURE THE DRUGS THAT PROVIDE FASTER,
MORE AFFORDABLE RELIEF TO PATIENTS? MOBILITY
– HOW DO WE SAVE FUTURE JOBS WHEN VEHICLES 24
RUN ON ELECTRICAL POWER? AND An enlightening
HOW DO WE KNOW WHICH IDEA IS education
THE RIGHT ONE? LOOKING BACK TO Working with lasers – that
YESTERDAY’S ACCOMPLISHMENTS is sure to be a top priority
AND AT TODAY’S POSSIBILITIES, WE on the program at the
KEEP ASKING: WHAT’S NEXT? Max Planck School of
Photonics.
44
State-of-the-art VR
in the Elbedome 54
The Elbedome affords com- Living cells
panies the opportunity to as sensors
bring models of machines, Cell-based sensors –
plants, factories and even an amalgam of biological
entire cities to life. and physical components.
60
Signposts to
the future 66
Futures studies have Fraunhofer research:
recently started drawing the Swedish connection
on citizen participation and Sweden, a key partner
big data analyses. country for applied research.
Fraunhofer magazine 1.19 CONTENT - 05
Content
47 International 70 years of Fraunhofer 38 Data science: learning from
06 The dynamics of success – a chronicle the experts
70 Events in the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Coping with mountains of data courtesy
anniversary year angewandten Forschung e.V. was born in of certified courses from the Fraunhofer
spring of 1949 Big Data AI alliance
71 Editorial notes
12 “An elementary driver of innovation 40 The data detectives
for the economy and society” The “sexiest job of the decade” –
An interview with Prof. Reimund Neugebauer Dr. Dirk Hecker explains why data scientist
is a hot job these days
Solutions for tomorrow
15 Go Beyond 4.0: 42 Photon-based data encryption
Industrie 4.0 and then some Secure communication in the quantum age
Finding a way to customize mass
manufactured products 44 State-of-the-art VR in the Elbedome
Europe’s biggest 3D mixed reality lab
18 Seven initiatives for the business
hub Germany Energy
End-to-end business-enabling solutions by 48 The transition to renewables –
Fraunhofer not a done deal
An interview with Prof. Kurt Rohrig and
20 A thinking Internet Prof. Hans-Martin Henning
Cognitive Internet Technologies –
a Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence Biological transformation
52 When plastics become biologically
22 From square one to pilot production active
The full package from the Research Fab Antimicrobial peptides: goodbye germs,
Microelectronics hello squeaky-clean surfaces
24 An enlightening education 54 Living cells as sensors
The Max Planck School of Photonics How do pharmaceuticals or environmental
toxins work? Cell cultures have the answers
28 “I see myself as a clinician-
scientist” 58 Lessons from the rain forest
An interview with Prof. Antje Prasse Don’t grow, network
Spin-offs #WHATSNEXT
30 Specialist for dental CAD: exocad 60 Signposts to the future
Fraunhofer Venture support spurs spin-off Citizens opt in to futures study
to success
64 Encouraging patients to research
32 Multiphoton Optics: their own condition
a spin-off from Würzburg Cystic fibrosis patients collaborate
Seizing a slice of the market with ultra-precise with scientists
3D printing
International activities
Information and communication 66 Fraunhofer research:
34 Authentic holograms with new 3D video the Swedish connection
technology Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft set up its first
Bringing a sci-fi experience to life European research center outside Germany
in Gothenburg 18 years ago
36 “We need an education campaign in
digital technology”
An interview with Prof. Ina Schieferdecker
6 - -RUBRIK
06 70 YEARS OF FRAUNHOFER
Fraunhofer magazine Fraunhofer
1.19 magazine 1.19
March 26 Joseph von Fraunhofer,
namesake of the
Foundation of organization
© Deutsches Museum
the Fraunhofer-
Gesellschaft Prof. Emil Sörensen
Hugo Geiger Chairman of the senate
Chairman of the senate
Dr. Hermann von Siemens
Prof. Walther Gerlach is appointed Dr. Wilhelm Roelen is appointed is appointed Fraunhofer’s
Fraunhofer’s first president Fraunhofer’s second president third president
Prof. Walter Gerlach Dr. Wilhelm Roelen Dr. Hermann von Siemens
© Fraunhofer © Fraunhofer Funding is extended to © Fraunhofer
researchers throughout
the federal republic
1949 1951 1953 1955
1950 1952 1954 1956
Start of
Funding for selected cooperation
researchers, primarily with the Federal
in Bavaria Defence Ministry
Romanstraße, Munich, original premises of the © Fraunhofer
Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft © Fraunhofer
The Marshall Plan June 1 Establishment
Initial funding comes from the European Recovery Program, of the first Institute
better known as the Marshall Plan
for Applied Microscopy,
Hans Luther, chairman of the senate and former German Photography and Cinematography
Reich chancellor in Mannheim
Fraunhofer magazineFraunhofer
1.19 magazine
70 YEARS
1.19 OF FRAUNHOFER
RUBRIK- -07
7
Grinding and polishing The original glassworks,
benches from Joseph von with the towers of Benedikt-
Fraunhofer’s workshop beuern Abbey behind
© Fraunhofer
Inauguration of Fraunhofer’s Federal Research Minister The German Council of Twenty years after its
first institute building in Freiburg Hans Lenz raises the Science and Humanities founding, the Fraun-
prospect of base funding recommends transforming hofer-Gesellschaft now
Celebrations to mark the tenth the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft comprises 19 institutes
anniversary The Fraunhofer glassworks into an umbrella organization with 1200 employees
in Benediktbeuern is for applied research and a budget of
– Nine institutes restored to its original state 33 million deutschmarks
– 135 employees and opened to the public August Epp is appointed
– Business volume of 3.6 million secretary general
deutschmarks
1959 1963 1965 1969
1962 1964 1968 1970
Prof. Franz Kollmann © Fraunhofer Prof. Otto Mohr © Fraunhofer
Prof. Franz Kollmann is Prof. Otto Mohr is
appointed Fraunhofer’s appointed Fraunhofer’s
fourth president fifth president
Establishment of the
Federal Ministry for The presidency is still an For the first time, the Federal
Scientific Research honorary position. Koll- Ministry of Research provides a
mann remains professor grant of two million deutsch-
of wood research at the marks and sets up a commission
Technical University of to promote the expansion of the
Munich Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft
The commission presents
Fraunhofer LBF, Darmstadt its recommendations to the
© Fraunhofer federal research minister
8 - -RUBRIK
08 70 YEARS OF FRAUNHOFER
Fraunhofer magazine Fraunhofer
1.19 magazine 1.19
A joint commission, chaired
by the senior civil servant
Max Scheidwimmer, is
charged with restructuring
the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft.
The commission comprises
eight members: four from
Dr. Hans-Ulrich Wiese Prof. Max Syrbe
Fraunhofer and four from A cabinet decision approves © Fraunhofer © Fraunhofer
the relevant government transforming the Fraun-
ministries hofer-Gesellschaft into an A new framework agree- Prof. Max Syrbe is
umbrella organization for ment on research funding appointed Fraunhofer’s
The revised constitution institutes working in applied enters into force. Contract seventh president
enters into force with a new research research in nonmilitary areas
executive board: Otto Mohr, is supported by federal and
president; Max Scheid- Formerly spread across six regional governments at a
wimmer, executive board buildings in Munich, the new ratio of 9:1
member for legal affairs and enlarged Fraunhofer
and human resources; and headquarters relocates Dr. Hans-Ulrich Wiese is
August Epp, executive board to larger premises on the appointed executive board
member for financial affairs Leonrodstrasse member for financial affairs
1971 1973 1977 1983
1972 1974 1976 1978
The Fraunhofer model of Twenty-five years after establish- Launch of the
performance-related base ment, the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft Fraunhofer program
funding is being developed now has 1700 employees and, for to promote contract
the first time ever, a total business research for small
volume of more than 100 million and medium-sized
deutschmarks. It is the start of a new enterprises
era at the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft
Dr. Heinz Keller is appointed All institutes are given the
Fraunhofer’s sixth president uniform title “Fraunhofer
Institute for...”
Dr. Eberhard Schlephorst is
appointed executive board member The Joseph von Fraunhofer
for legal affairs and human resources Prize is inaugurated
Dr. Heinz Keller The Joseph von Fraunhofer Prize is presented
© Fraunhofer for the first time © Fraunhofer
Fraunhofer magazineFraunhofer
1.19 magazine
70 YEARS
1.19 OF FRAUNHOFER
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9
Establishment of the
European Association
of Contract Research
Organisations (EACRO)
Establishment of Fraunhofer-
Prof. Hans-Jürgen Warnecke
Management-Gesellschaft, © Fraunhofer
which provides services to
external institutes Prof. Hans-Jürgen Warnecke is appointed
Fraunhofer’s eighth president
Institutes involved in military
research switch in part to The German Council of The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft
civil research Science and Humanities adopts a new set of guiding
approves Fraunhofer’s principles, known as “Leitbild 2000”
Dr. Dirk-Meints Polter proposal to establish Establishment of the
is appointed executive organizations in the Total business volume Introduction of a unified Fraunhofer Group for
board member for human states of the former East exceeds one billion deutsch- Fraunhofer corporate Materials and Components
resources and legal affairs Germany marks for the first time image for all institutes and the Fraunhofer Group for
Manufacturing Engineering
1989 1991 1993 1995 1997
1984 1992 1994 1996 1998
Establishment of the In the states of the former Fraunhofer expands
Fraunhofer Group for East Germany, a total its presence abroad
Microelectronics of eight institutes, one
branch and 12 branch labs
are officially opened on
Microelectronics: testing a new chip © Fraunhofer IIS January 1, 1992
Successful system
evaluation of the
Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft
Establishment of the
Establishment of Fraunhofer Group for
Fraunhofer USA Light & Surfaces
10 - 70
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YEARS OF FRAUNHOFER
Fraunhofer magazineFraunhofer
1.19 magazine 1.19
Presentation of
Establishment of 12 signposts to
Fraunhofer Sweden tomorrow’s markets Dr. Andreas Bräuer, Dr. Stefan
Illek, Dr. Klaus Streubel Fraunhofer
Establishment of the Foundation of the © Deutscher Zukunftspreis marks its 60th
Fraunhofer Group for Fraunhofer Technology anniversary with
Life Sciences Academy the launch of a
fresh corporate
Prof. Dennis Tsichritzis Establishment of the first The German Future Prize to identity and the
is appointed to the innovation clusters OSRAM and Fraunhofer IOF Fraunhofer brand
executive board as a for “Light from Crystals”
fourth member © Fraunhofer The Leibniz Prize to Prof. Establishment of
Andreas Tünnermann, The Leibniz Prize to Prof. Fraunhofer Austria
Creation of the Relocation to new premises: director of Fraunhofer IOF Peter Gumbsch, director of
Fraunhofer Information the Fraunhofer-Haus, on Fraunhofer IWM Establishment of
and Communication Hansastrasse in Munich The German Environ- Fraunhofer Italy
Technology Group from mental Award to Prof. The Fraunhofer Information
eight former GMD Focusing on strategy: Joachim Luther, director of and Communication Tech- Incorporation
institutes and seven presentation of 12 leading Fraunhofer ISE nology Group is renamed of three FGAN
Fraunhofer institutes innovations Fraunhofer ICT Group institutes
2001 2003 2005 2007 2009
2000 2002
Dr. Alfred Gossner replaces
2004 2006 2008
The Leibniz Prize to Prof. Holger
The German Future Dr. Hans-Ulrich Wiese as Launch of the Partners for Prof. Ulrich Buller is
Boche from Fraunhofer HHI
Prize to Fraunhofer IIS executive board member Innovation initiative appointed executive
for mp3 for financial affairs board member for
Presentation of 12 Fraunhofer
The German Future Prize to research planning
frontline themes
Establishment of a Prof. Hans-Jörg Bullinger Siemens and Fraunhofer ISIT
Brussels office is appointed Fraunhofer’s for a lab-on-a-chip system Prof. Ulrich Buller
Prof. Marion Schick is appointed
ninth president © Fraunhofer
executive board member for human
Incorporation of
resources and legal affairs
GMD-Forschungs-
zentrum Informations
The Fraunhofer Forum opens in Berlin
technik
Establishment of the Fraunhofer
Future Foundation
Prof. Hans-Jörg Bullinger
Dr. Bernhard Grill, © Fraunhofer
Prof. Karlheinz Brandenburg, Establishment of Fraunhofer Portugal
Harald Popp Establishment of the Fraunhofer
© Deutscher Zukunftspreis Group for Defense and Security VVS Prof. Marion Schick © Fraunhofer
Prof. Hans-Jörg Bullinger
and Dr. Arendt Oetker
from the Stifterverband
are chosen to head the
Industry/Science Research
Union, an advisory board to
federal governmentFraunhofer magazine
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1.19 magazine
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YEARS OF FRAUNHOFER
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Prof. Neugebauer and Prof.
Andreas Barner from the
Stifterverband head the High-
tech Forum, an advisory board
to federal government on the
implementation of high-tech
strategy
Dr. Jens König, Prof. Stefan
Nolte and Dr. Dirk Sutter Establishment of three high
© Ansgar Prudenz / Deutscher performance centers: Base funding is increased to
Zukunftspreis – Sustainability, in Freiburg 60 million euros
– Electronic Systems, in Erlangen
– Micro-/Nanoelectronics, Launch of research clusters
in Dresden and Chemnitz as a new instrument for
The German Future Prize to developing a distinctive
Dr. Alexander Kurz is Bosch, Trumpf and Fraunhofer Fraunhofer opens a project scientific profile
appointed executive board IOF for work on ultra-short center in Wolfsburg
member for human resources pulse lasers Establishment of the Fraun-
and legal affairs © Fraunhofer Launch of a Fraunhofer initiative hofer Group for Innovation
Fraunhofer formulates ten for secure data space Research
The German Future Prize
recommendations for federal
to Prof. Karl Leo from
government science policy Establishment of the inaugural Launch of Research Fab
Fraunhofer FEP for work
Young Research Class as a Microelectronics Germany,
on organic electronics
Presentation of Fraunhofer’s cross-institute research and involving 11 Fraunhofer
Establishment of international strategy career development program institutes
Fraunhofer Chile
2011 2013 2015 2017
2010 2012 2014 2016 2018
The German Future Establishment of Fraunhofer publishes a policy Establishment of Launch of Agenda
Prize to Festo and Fraunhofer UK paper on cyber security Industrial Data Space e.V. 2022, a new strategy
Fraunhofer IPA program to increase
Prof. Alexander Verl is
for a robotic arm Prof. Georg Rosenfeld is the impact of research
appointed executive board
modeled on an Prof. Reimund Neugebauer appointed new executive on business and
member for technology
elephant’s trunk is appointed Fraunhofer’s board member for technology society
marketing and business
tenth president marketing and business models
models
Andreas Meuer
Publication of the first ever replaces Prof. Alfred
Fraunhofer sustainability report Gossner as executive
board member for
The German Future Prize to
financial affairs
Fraunhofer IVV for work with
lupine proteins
German Future Prize, Dr. Stepha-
nie Mittermaier (spokesperson)
© Ansgar Prudenz / Prof. Reimund Neugebauer Dr. Peter Eisner, Katrin Petersen Prof. Georg Rosenfeld Andreas Meuer
Deutscher Zukunftspreis © Fraunhofer © Fraunhofer © Fraunhofer © Fraunhofer12 - 70
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Fraunhofer magazineFraunhofer
1.19 magazine 1.19
“An elementary driver of
innovation for the economy
and society”
In this interview, Fraunhofer President Prof. Reimund Neugebauer ushers in the 70th
anniversary year with his thoughts about success and innovation, adjustments and
solutions, retrospects and prospects, and the namesake of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft.
Interview: Franz Miller
It was not until the performance-based It takes a balancing act to straddle the
funding model was invented that the demands of science and business – how has
Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft’s 70-year history that changed today?
really picked up steam. Was it an innova-
This balancing act between science and business has not
tion that set the wheels in motion?
changed all that dramatically, but industries are developing at
Performance-based funding is indeed an innovation. It was different speeds. Take, for example, automotive engineering,
not until later, however, when we used the previous year’s the source of many innovations, some of which Fraunhofer
business income to calculate our internal allocation of funds, is party to: The entire industry has suffered a severe setback
that it was effectively put into practice. Unfortunately, we as a result of the diesel scandal. However, this kind of thing
still do not receive success-based funding from the federal usually results in demand for new innovations that change
government, but our internal allocation is based on success. the situation for the better. Fraunhofer has also been part of
No other research organization does this. This means that a lot of new developments in the IT sector, microelectronics
sustainable science has a much higher priority for our leaders. and medicine. What has fundamentally changed is that proj-
Our success proves us right; we keep growing and growing. ects have become so complex. Conventional mechanical engi-
neering, for instance, is now entwined with new materials
What prompted you to join the Fraunhofer technology such as programmable materials, IT solutions and
family with your Chemnitz Institute in control engineering. Projects are no longer about propelling
1991? just one company forward with a thrust of innovation;
they are about making entire industries more competitive.
At the time, I had the choice of pursuing a normal university Our institutes have joined in strategic project alliances. We
career, going into business or getting into applied research at have developed new formats to this end, including the lead
Fraunhofer in conjunction with a professorship at Chemnitz projects and the Fraunhofer Clusters of Excellence.
University. I then looked at the Fraunhofer Institutes in Berlin
and Aachen, which made the decision very easy for me. The government often finds it hard to keep
I wanted to build something like this in my native central up with the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft’s
Germany and make a creative contribution in service of success. You were recently able to close a
progress for this part of the country. growing funding gap. What is the next move
here?
We were fortunate to have had a hike in our government
“Making entire industries funding – an additional 15 percent is significant. This will
more competitive” finally bring us back close to the 30 percent funding that is
urgently needed to conduct the necessary pre-competitiveFraunhofer magazine
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Prof. Reimund Neugebauer
© Fraunhofer /
Bernhard Huber
research. This hike served to fund new strategic, interdisci- The effort to steadily improve research
plinary and system-relevant research formats. Looking to the planning and strategy development is an
future, we are holding talks with the federal government to important success factor. You have your
establish national research centers, for example, for cyber sights fixed firmly on the future with the
security. We are also setting up a research factory for battery
Agenda Fraunhofer 2022. How is the Fraun-
cell production. These are huge investments we are talking
hofer-Gesellschaft going to safeguard the
about here; orders of magnitude beyond anything Fraunhofer
has seen in the past. I also have to praise the policymakers, qualities that set it apart?
who are responding with such a concerted effort to the Fraunhofer is a rigorously mission-oriented research orga-
major challenges facing the German economy. nization, and therefore has its fixed place in the science
system. The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft will continue to be an
elementary innovation driver for the economy and society.
“We want to further increase In the future, we want to further increase our impact on
our impact on the economy.” the economy. We had this calculated back in 2014. The
monetary effects on gross domestic product triggered by14 - 70
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Fraunhofer magazineFraunhofer
1.19 magazine 1.19
Fraunhofer exceeded our own project-based revenue by a Breakthrough innovations cannot be predicted, but I can cite
factor of 18. For every euro the public sector spends on the areas where they will emerge – certainly in photonics, beam
Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, the federal government, states and sources and, by extension, in quantum communication. This is
municipalities get four euros in return in the form of higher where we can expect to see innovations that will revolutionize
tax revenues. This figure has since increased significantly entire industries. The energy sector is another area. The
as the impact of major strategic projects is gradually taking climate summit at Krakow showed that we still have a long
effect. And we are committed to creating value with values way to go and bigger strides to take toward decarbonization
in mind: We want to produce more for a growing world in Germany. We will have to establish a hydrogen economy
population, while consuming fewer resources and protecting in Germany and Europe. New high-temperature electrolysis
the climate and environment. After all, everything we do processes produce hydrogen with greater efficiency. A whole
revolves around humankind and meaningful employment for new industry will emerge here. This is of great importance
people. to the Federal Republic of Germany. I also expect to see
major advances in the field of artificial intelligence, which is
By the Key Strategic Initiatives and your disruptive. If we combine machine learning with neuroscience,
foresight processes, you want to set the we can develop algorithms that not only analyze upstream
agenda for key areas of research and aim processes and find correlations, but also recognize causal
to be the technology leader in these relationships. This will have a major impact on a whole range
of control technologies.
areas. What exactly are they?
IT security is a very important topic. Hacking and cyber If we look ahead 70 years into the future,
attacks are a big problem these days. In quantum physics, what role will AI play in our lives?
we have the photon entanglement effect. We can take
advantage of this effect to enable hack-proof data commu- If I knew the answer to that, I would turn it into a business
nication. Our institutes are the global leaders in this field. We model and sell it! I suspect that in a few decades artificial
are also a leading player in programmable materials. Their intelligence will be a methodological tool that many industries
internal structure is designed and manufactured for complex and scientists will use as a very smart assistant. It will become
and locally variable functions to be programmed in specific somewhat routine to use methods involving artificial intelli-
ways. These materials hold the unique potential for new gence. Of course, we have a duty to implement this technol-
system-based solutions where the material itself provides ogy carefully and responsibly so that things do not – literally
key aspects of a function. Another area in which I see us at – get out of hand, which brings us to the subject of ethics.
the forefront is research into RNA biomarkers. And, last but The same goes for genetic engineering. But humankind would
not least, there is 5G. Our institutes are working hard on not have made it this far had we not kept asking ourselves the
preparations to put this high-speed Internet into practice. right questions about fundamental ethics. I am undaunted, for
Research is not an issue for the 5G network; it is all a matter I believe rationality will prevail.
of implementation and funding. I could add more artificial
intelligence and machine learning topics to the list. If you could meet Joseph von Fraunhofer
today, what would you like to talk to him
about?
“I am undaunted, for I believe The notion of combining scientific curiosity and entrepreneur-
rationality will prevail.” ship is what drove him in his time. Was it an altruistic wish to
make the world a better place, or was it the desire to make
money as an entrepreneur? Both are valid, but of course the
former is particularly honorable.
Disruptive innovations can topple entire
industries, which is why they are a deci-
sive driver of structural change. In what
areas do you expect to see these break-
through innovations? www.fraunhofer.de/en/whatsnextFraunhofer magazine 1.19 SOLUTIONS FOR TOMORROW - 15 Go Beyond 4.0: Industrie 4.0 and then some One of the main goals of the Go Beyond 4.0 lighthouse project is to transfer digital manufac- turing processes from the lab to robot-assisted production lines. © Steve Leisner / Fraunhofer IWU
16 - SOLUTIONS FOR TOMORROW Fraunhofer magazine 1.19
Components like these are used in the additive inkjet funded by political bodies such as the EU or
printing process, for example, for lab-on-a-chip systems.
© Fraunhofer IOF federal ministries. A lighthouse project addresses
current industry challenges. The financial
resources are provided exclusively by the
Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft,” says Prof. Baumann
by way of explanation. Fraunhofer is investing
associated with industrial-scale manufacturing eight million euros in the project over a period
– the first using digital inkjet, dispensing and of three years.
aerosol jet printing techniques, and the second
by means of laser sintering. Fraunhofer research- Prof. Thomas Otto, acting director of Fraunhofer
ers want to harness the powers of these tech- ENAS, heads up the Go Beyond 4.0 lighthouse
nologies to add functions to any component project. It is a joint effort of six institutes, the
during production. This initiative was sparked Fraunhofer Institutes for Laser Technology ILT,
by an idea that Prof. Reinhard Baumann and Dr. for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering
While many companies are busy Ralf Zichner had at the Fraunhofer Institute for IOF, for Silicate Research ISC, for Machine Tools
putting Industrie 4.0 concepts Electronic Nano Systems ENAS in 2014. Now and Forming Technology IWU, and for Man-
into practice in their factories, they are pursuing that notion with their research ufacturing Technology and Applied Materials
new challenges are already knock- in the eponymous lighthouse project. Research IFAM.
ing at the door. For example,
demand for customized products “The idea behind a lighthouse project is to Subprojects in aviation, auto
is on the rise. Fraunhofer support and finance readily applicable funda- motive engineering and lighting
researchers have set out to mental research in areas that have yet to be
The researchers opted to go with three marketable
develop technologies to meet
applications. The Smart Wing subproject targets
these emerging requirements and The latest Fraunhofer the aviation industry, Smart Luminaire the lighting
take Industrie 4.0 to the next lighthouse projects technology sector, and Smart Door the automotive
level in a lighthouse project industry. The object of the latter, a car door, vividly
called Go Beyond 4.0. Quantum Methods for Advanced illustrates how the people in the Go Beyond 4.0
Imaging Solutions (QUILT): The QUILT project are putting digital printing technology to
Text: Mehmet Toprak project’s objective is to develop new work. Andre Bucht, head of Adaptronics at the
quantum imaging and detection techniques. Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technol-
ogy IWU, says, “Car doors have many electronic
The basics of customized mass production are Rare earths: The Criticality of Rare Earths modules and mechatronic functions built in.
easily explained with a visit to the pizzeria around project aims to ensure industry has access Fraunhofer printing technology can be used to
the corner. It is nothing unusual for a diner to to urgently needed raw materials, especially add components such as sensors, switches, LEDs
order a Pizza Napoli base and then pile on the rare earths. and conductor pathways.”
special requests – hold the olives, add some
mushrooms, how about some extra capers. Ten eHarsh: In this lighthouse project, research- To install a conductor track, engineers first print
minutes later, a steaming hot pizza pie replete ers are seeking to build a technology an insulation layer made of polymers onto the
with the diner’s favorite toppings arrives on a platform to facilitate the development of component, followed by the conductive silver
plate. sensor systems for deployment in extremely paste and then another insulation layer. A printer
harsh environments. applies all these layers that a laser then cures
What has long been the norm in catering – a with high spatial resolution. Robot arms guide a
standard product tailored to the buyer’s taste – is Electricity as a Raw Material: Developing dispenser or an inkjet system and a laser over the
now sweeping the manufacturing industry. and optimizing processes that use low-car- component. On a conventional assembly line,
The challenge for manufacturers is to find a bon electrical power to synthesize key base workers have to crawl into the car and install cable
way of customizing on the fly in highly flexible, chemicals – that’s what this lighthouse harnesses by hand.
connected Industrie 4.0 factories. This is akin project is all about.
to asking for bespoke products off the rack, Smart Luminaire –
delivered with assembly-line speed and reliability. Theranostic Implants: Fraunhofer it’s all about light
researchers are working on smart implants
Digital printing and laser that combine diagnostics and therapy in a Exciting innovations also figure prominently in
sintering for Industrie 4.0 plants
single medical device. the Smart Luminaire subproject. Dr. Erik Beckert,
project manager at the Fraunhofer Institute
The Go Beyond 4.0 initiative aims to make that s.fhg.de/lighthouse-projects for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering
happen with two technologies not normally IOF in Jena, says, “I had had the basic idea ofFraunhofer magazine 1.19 SOLUTIONS FOR TOMORROW - 17
Structures printed on glass fiber fabric Various functions can be integrated into the
serve to integrate heating into the fiber process chain for aircraft components made of
composite. © Kay Michalak / Fotoetage fiber-reinforced composites.
© Kay Michalak / Fotoetage
producing optical components using inkjet
processes back at the IOF.” The Go Beyond
4.0 lighthouse project provided the perfect
opportunity to explore it further. This subproject
aims to make polymer optical components in
an additive process. Inkjet printers serve to
customize and add functions to existing optical
components such as plastic lenses. For their ink,
Beckert and his team are using ORMOCER®, an
optical hybrid polymer developed by the ISC at
Würzburg. The optical properties of this material
come very close to those of good optical glass
and can be adapted to the given application.
Smart Wing: Wired for warmth
A truck with a big tank arriving to spray de-icing
fluid over the wings is a familiar wintertime sight
for passengers looking out the window of an
airplane, longing for it to taxi out for take-off.
Dr. Volker Zöllmer and his team expect that
that truck could be soon be obsolete if the
Smart Wing subproject gets off the ground and
soars. Dr. Zöllmer heads up the Smart Systems
department at the Fraunhofer Institute for
Manufacturing Technology and Applied Materials
Research IFAM. Its researchers have succeeded
Fraunhofer IFAM integrates printed
in integrating heating lines to defrost wings from functionalizations into fiber-reinforced methods. The equation is simple: assembly line
the inside out. This handy capability also comes plastics. © Kay Michalak / Fotoetage plus robot plus printer equals fast, effective
courtesy of printers. They apply silver paste to customizing.
print current-carrying conductor tracks into the
wing’s fiber composite material. The team is the star
This built-in defroster is just one of the appli- technology. The ability to print conductor The management team’s constructive collab-
cations on the team’s R&D agenda. The Smart pathways into car doors may be put to good use oration has helped steer the Go Beyond 4.0
Wing can be also equipped with sensors to elsewhere – in the interior or on the dashboard, project to success. Emphasizing this point,
measure temperature or pressure in the wing to stick with the automotive example. Much Deputy Project Coordinator Ralf Zichner says,
or fuselage of an aircraft. These functions are the same holds true for the Smart Wing. The “This was never about one institute striving
deeply embedded in the composite material, techniques outlined above would also work for for a certain result. Instead, the participating
which in aircraft construction typically consists civilian drones, wind turbines, and automotive institutes are interacting as equals, which is the
of plastics reinforced with glass or carbon fiber. and mechanical engineering applications. key to success.” All stakeholders are confident
Sensors could also detect damage to the aircraft that the objectives will be achieved by the
fuselage caused by bird strikes. Zöllmer is quick to point out another aspect: “For time the project wraps up in November 2019.
the Go Beyond 4.0 project, we also set ourselves Baumann expects that the technologies “will
The ties that bind the goal of developing manufacturing process be established in German companies in three
chains further so they can then be executed at to five years at the latest.” Consumers are sure
Although these applications are quite diverse, a much faster rate and more efficiently, even for to be delighted with the outcome – mass-man-
the three subprojects have much in common. highly customized products.” The key enabler ufactured products that are personalized to
The object of each is not just to make products; here is the pairing of conventional manufacturing suit their tastes, just like that pie at the pizzeria
they all go to demonstrate the possibilities of processes with digitally controlled manufacturing round the corner.18 - SOLUTIONS FOR TOMORROW Fraunhofer magazine 1.19
© istock
Seven initiatives for
When the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft set out the Agenda 2022, it
charted a roadmap for its research activities. One of the pri-
orities on this agenda is to develop end-to-end solutions to
provide the systems Germany needs to remain a hub of business.
The organization launched a set of Key Strategic Initiatives
(KSIs) centered on seven priority research topics to make
that happen. One of these initiatives is all about cognitive
systems, artificial intelligence and data sovereignty.
Text: Christine Broll
Artificial intelligence helps
physicians assess images.
More and more Fraunhofer institutes are turning Artificial intelligence © Fraunhofer IIS / Kurt Fuchs
their attention to artificial intelligence and
learning machines. They put these technologies Fraunhofer researchers are putting artificial intel-
to good use in a wide range of applications ligence (AI) to work in medicine. For example,
from underwater robots to data analysis tools they develop self-learning computer algorithms
that screen medical images. Now they aim to to screen medical images for potentially harmful
pool their skills in these areas and develop them mutations. Scientists are developing personal AI
further as part of this KSI. assistants for the elderly. Brain-computer inter-
faces that forge a direct link between brain waves
Cognitive systems and smart software are also in the works. They
will enable people with severe physical disabilities
Fraunhofer develops smart robots to serve many to operate electronic devices. Many other AI
purposes. Service robots, for example, talk to projects in robotics, imaging, speech processing
customers and even detect the mood of the and process optimization are under way. These
humans they interact with. Cognitive assistance are all stepping stones on Fraunhofer’s way to
robots in industrial manufacturing enable taking the lead in this key technology.
humans and machines to work together in close
quarters. An underwater robot developed by Data sovereignty
Fraunhofer operates fully autonomously in the
depths of the sea. This part of the KSI addresses a third topic, data
sovereignty. Ever the pioneer, Fraunhofer broke
Researchers schooled these cognitive systems new ground in this field by coming up with the
with machine learning techniques, so they concept of Industrial Data Space. As the name
really are able to learn. This training, paired suggests, IDS creates a secure data space that
with powerful algorithms, enables IT systems enables companies of all sizes and from a variety
to recognize patterns and rules, and then solve of industries to cultivate and capitalize on their
problems. In other words, they are able to apply data while retaining control over it. A Fraun-
knowledge gleaned from data to new situations. hofer Cluster of Excellence is also developing
Machine learning also provides the foundation cognitive technologies for the industrial Internet
for creating artificial intelligence. (see pages 20 – 21 for more on this).Fraunhofer magazine 1.19 SOLUTIONS FOR TOMORROW - 19
the business hub Germany
Key Strategic Initiatives
2022
The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft is pooling the expertise of its 72 institutes in the Key Strategic
Initiatives. The purpose of these KSIs is to develop end-to-end system solutions for strategically
important issues, all of which are highly relevant to the German economy and society. The
initiatives’ objectives vary. Some aim to take the lead in science, others to generate significant
business returns, and still others to raise public awareness for the given topic. The KSI addressing
cognitive systems, artificial intelligence and data sovereignty is but one of seven. Six others are
also ongoing:
Battery cell production Translational medicine
Cognitive systems are
taking on more and more Asia is the market leader in battery develop- No less than 40 of the 72 Fraunhofer institutes
tasks in industrial manu- ment and manufacturing, but Europe wants address four major areas of medical science
facturing. © zapp2photo / to catch up – or perhaps more accurately, it – drugs, diagnostics, devices and data, or 4D
Adobe Stock
must close the gap. Fraunhofer has already for short. Many innovations are born at the
accumulated a great deal of expertise in the crossroads where disciplines intersect, which is
Fraunhofer Batteries Alliance, a coalition of why this KSI encourages collaboration among
19 institutes. This KSI goes to step up research physicians, scientists, computer specialists and
into the various battery manufacturing engineers. This alliance of 4D experts is able to
methods. put new, cost-efficient ideas into practice that
much faster.
Programmable materials
This KSI’s objective is to investigate ways of Public security
augmenting conventional materials with new Fraunhofer is redoubling its efforts to develop
capabilities. The idea is to modify their internal innovative public safety technologies jointly
structure rather than change the material itself. with the police force and security agencies.
A 3D nano-printer, for example, can accom- New solutions have to effectively avert harm
plish this by printing a precisely calculated yet safeguard the rights of the individual and
grid structure made of a plastic material. The protect data. The institutes’ expertise in this
structure’s shape then serves to modify – or area encompasses civil security, public IT and
program, if you will – the material’s properties cyber security.
in very specific ways.
Biological transformation
Quantum technology The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft is striving to
Quantum physics sparked many technical advance the digital transformation with a
advances in the past, such as transistors and little help from our friend biology. To this end,
lasers. Lately, though, quantum researchers its researchers are looking into the concept
have been achieving such spectacular of biological transformation – that is, ways
breakthroughs that some have seen fit to of borrowing Mother Nature’s materials,
call this new wave of innovation a second structures and principles to benefit technology.
quantum revolution. This KSI aims to usher These scientists aim to create enduring added
fundamental research out of the lab and into value with the benefit of bionics, biotechnol-
real-world applications as quickly as possible in ogy and bio-economics.
areas such as quantum imaging and quantum
communication.20 - SOLUTIONS FOR TOMORROW Fraunhofer magazine 1.19
A thinking
Internet
Cognitive Internet Technologies CCIT,
one of several Fraunhofer Clusters of
Excellence, embarked on its mission in
2018 with 13 Fraunhofer institutes pooling
their expertise to rise to the challenges
of digitalization and develop new solu-
tions for industry. Fraunhofer magazine
spoke to the cluster’s director Prof.
Claudia Eckert.
Interview: Viktor Deleski
When people talk about the cluster’s stimuli in the form of data so they can provide input to
mission, they often mention “a new Inter- enable decision-making at the receiving end. The Internet
net for industry.” In what way does the serves as the infrastructure here, forming a network of
legacy Internet need to be renewed? cognitive technologies and thereby becoming a cognitive
Internet. The cognitive Internet provides intercompany
Today’s Internet-based applications frequently fall short of platforms to merge data from a wide variety of sources for
the mark. They are all about the paradigms of communicat- it to be accessed in a controlled way. Fraunhofer has already
ing, collecting and processing vast quantities of data. The created an excellent baseline for this with the Industrial Data
infrastructure that we have to come to know as the Internet Space (IDS). What’s more, artificial intelligence (AI) methods
is inadequate for industrial application scenarios. That is why are integrated at many networked levels – for example,
we have to explore new avenues. At Fraunhofer, we believe right there in the sensors – to generate knowledge from
cognitive Internet technologies are the key to the digital data, such as recommendations for action, and to make this
sovereignty and business competitiveness of Germany and knowledge available in real time, precisely and in a way that
Europe’s manufacturing and processing industry. For this ensures data remain protected.
reason, we want to develop these technologies for – and with
– companies in order to satisfy industrial demands in the best How exactly is this technology going to
possible way. We call this the cognitive industrial Internet. do that?
The original meaning of the term “cogni- We have to reimagine it, and then design and develop it
tive” was reserved for humans. How does it accordingly. Take, for example, a thermal sensor. Instead of
apply to technologies? simply relaying temperature readings for further processing in
the cloud, it could sound the alarm in the event of overheating,
We want technologies to be able to properly map the take precautions, provide operating personnel with recommen-
cognitive abilities of humans – our perceptions as informed dations for dialing back overheated components’ performance,
by all the senses; our awareness, imagination and memory; and initiating preventive emergency measures as the situation
our ability to plan, orient ourselves and learn. In a real-world dictates. For instance, it could designate the best evacuation
application, this means that sensors capture and process routes for personnel in areas of the building according to howFraunhofer magazine 1.19 SOLUTIONS FOR TOMORROW - 21
Prof. Claudia Eckert,
director of the Cognitive
Fraunhofer Clusters of Excellence Internet Technologies CCIT
cluster and head of the
Cognitive Internet Technologies CCIT is a Fraunhofer Institute for
Applied and Integrated
Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence with the Security AISEC.
remit to research cognitive technologies © Andreas Heddergott
for the industrial Internet. The aim is for
cognitive solutions and products to underpin
German companies’ competitive stance,
redouble their innovative powers and secure
their digital sovereignty. With the benefit
of its domain-centered expertise, CCIT is
able to offer cognitive solutions tailored to
every phase of the transformation process. It
helps master complexity at every turn, from
analyzing the given situation to planning a
sustainable corporate strategy, developing
agile technology and conducting trials in
CCIT’s many innovation and application
centers.
www.cit.fraunhofer.de
critical the local situation happens to be. To this end, the sensor Otherwise the outcome will be inaccurate forecasts and
has to interact with other sensors in the vicinity. Then they wrong decisions.
need to merge their data to provide a bigger-picture view of
the local situation in order to compute recommended actions, For applications such as autonomous driving, it is imperative
in real time and with exacting precision. What we need to that solutions based on ultra-precise cognitive models are
accomplish this are new methods of generating knowledge able to detect traffic situations in real time and trigger an
based on machine learning. These methods have to deliver appropriate response. This requires new solutions that
precise analysis results even when very little data is available, provide these cognitive abilities deep down at the local level
or when data is distributed across different components. This of sensors and components in vehicles and infrastructure
may be the case if not enough memory capacity is available to components. That way, these solutions will be able to
accommodate a great deal of data or when data have to be respond very quickly to the given situation, plan proactively
processed locally for security reasons. and take actions that are coordinated with the components
in the immediate surroundings.
Where will these solutions be used?
The cluster’s work is up, working and has
The application scenarios are quite diverse, ranging from already presented its first solutions.
logistics to industrial manufacturing to autonomous driving. What’s next?
We are not merely interested in pursuing standalone
solutions however; we want to combine key technologies. One aspect is very important to us – systematic interdisci-
To do that, we need to cover all the domains, including IT plinary collaboration with a long-term outlook. We want to
security and data protection. reimagine technological advances and put them into practice
jointly with industry partners. The goal for the long term is
For example, a self-organizing production line has to be to provide the industry with a technological infrastructure
able to unequivocally identify and locate components, that helps companies improve their products, processes and
machine parts and tools. Data processed by way of cognitive services, and develop new business models that hone their
computing has to be trustworthy. And these processes have competitive edge, enhance their powers of innovation and
to be executed in trustworthy, hack-proof environments. secure their digital sovereignty.22 - SOLUTIONS FOR TOMORROW Fraunhofer magazine 1.19
From square one to
pilot production
The Research Fab Microelectronics Germany
(FMD) is an alliance of more than a dozen
institutes across the country. In this
interview, Jörg Amelung, head of central
office of FMD, explains why a network
as extensive as this has the clout to
advance the cause of research.
Interview: Tim Schröder
Jörg Amelung
© Fraunhofer Group
for Microelectronics
Mr. Amelung, more than 2000 sci- who has those competencies? In future, com- industrial partners is GLOBALFOUNDERIES,
entists are collaborating closely panies will no longer have to ask if an institute which has a production facility geared for
in the Research Fab Microelec- can carry out a given task. As a united front, we 300 mm wafers in Dresden. The various clean
tronics Germany. What benefits do will be able to say, “Show us your problem, we’ll rooms can process these wafers further for
find the solution.” The Research Fab is bringing diverse applications. A lone institute could not
you expect to reap from this?
together many experts from the Fraunhofer offer that kind of diversity. We are setting up
Close collaboration with the industry is a hall- institutes and the two Leibniz institutes. They a production management system of our own
mark of the Fraunhofer institutes’ work. In many are getting to know each other, which greatly for the Research Fab; it will connect the flow
cases, alliances with small or medium-sized facilitates collaboration. Strategy aside, this of products and goods across all institutes, to
companies emerge from personal connections human element is a powerful force that is not to include the clean rooms. This is akin to being in
or from companies asking if an institute can be underestimated. a big company with distributed locations.
take on a task. In my experience, the lone
institute does not always have the necessary Surely this is not going to work And what exactly will you be
skills at hand. Either you decline the job, or you without close coordination among able to offer your customers in
set out on a tedious quest for help from other the institutes. How are we to future?
institutes, a search that may not always succeed. picture this collaboration?
We are taking a much more fundamental, Everything up to pilot production. This means
strategic path with the Research Fab. First, we Take, for example, clean rooms. We have a that we will not just develop the technology,
inventoried and compared the expertise of the total of 13 of them across all locations, each we are also going to cover the entire chain
various institutes. Who has these technologies; equipped for specific tasks. One of our major up to manufacturing. One of the motivationsFraunhofer magazine 1.19 SOLUTIONS FOR TOMORROW - 23
for setting up the Research Fab is not only to in mass manufactured smartphones
retain the R&D know-how, we also want to – replete with the full sensor Promoting microelectronics
keep microsystems manufacturing technology
array – attests to that fact. How in Germany
in Germany so it does not migrate to other
does the Research Fab intend to
regions. We will be able to build a technology The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft and the Leibniz
from the ground up to pilot production. This redress this imbalance? Association joined forces to establish the
will enable us to provide components of It is true that mass manufacturing is taking Research Fab Microelectronics Germany
microsystems technology to customers until place elsewhere today. The problem for many (FMD). More than 2000 researchers from
they build production lines of their own. In fact, high-tech companies in Germany is that they eleven Fraunhofer institutes and two Leibniz
we will be able to set up production processes need microelectronic components with very institutes are to collaborate across locations
in our labs – for example, at our partner X-FAB’s specific capabilities and properties for their in pursuit of a common goal. Their mission is
facility in Dresden – very much like those that products. One such example is surround to champion the development, manufacture
manufacturers will later need. This will expedite sensors that monitor robot workstations where and marketing of microelectronic products
the transition from the pilot production line to humans and machines work together. This and smart systems in Germany. This goes
the company’s factory. sensor technology and the data communication to promote brain gain and prevent brain
have to be exceedingly reliable. Conventional drain, thereby keeping competencies close
The focus is on very different smartphone technology fails to meet these to home. FMD’s efforts target four fields
areas of technology here; for requirements. As a rule, large corporations – silicon-based technologies, compound
example, on More-than-Moore tech- do not offer the tailored components needed semiconductors, hetero-integration, and
nologies, a term stemming from by the individual customer. This is where we designing, testing and reliability. The
step in to offer the full range of services, from products developed at FMD serve many
Moore’s law, which states that
developing a tailor-made component to pilot purposes in sensor applications, information
the performance of chips doubles
production. processing, energy, communications and
at regular intervals. the Internet of Things. One example is
It is not just Germany – all LiDAR; that is, new light detection and
That’s right. More-than-Moore is all about of Europe is seeking to prevent ranging solutions for the automotive sector
transcending the limits of this redoubled the microelectronics market from and industrial applications. Scientists are
performance with new technologies – limits decamping to other regions of the now developing powerful components for
that are already within sight. But the Research vehicle sensors such as radar and camera
world. That is why the European
Fab is not centered on conventional computer technologies.
Commission set up the Strategic
chips. We are focusing far more on industrial
applications; on smart components for the Forum for Important Projects of They are also working on new sensor
Internet of Things or the automotive industry. Common European Interest, which functions and ways to assess and use data
The second major focal point of the Research also aims to address microelec- from various vehicle sensors. The German
Fab is microsystems technology. For example, tronics. What’s next? Is the Federal Ministry of Education and Research
we are working on high-performance sensors Research Fab looking to forge (BMBF) is funding the effort to build FMD’s
and actuators. The third of our research long-term alliances? research infrastructure with around 350
priorities goes by the heading of More-than- million euros.
Moore. This involves building unprecedented We have indeed struck up talks with two
high-performance components using con- renowned research institutes in Belgium and www.forschungsfabrik-
ventional silicon technology alongside other France, Imec in Leuven and Leti in Grenoble. We mikroelektronik.de/en.html
semiconductors; that is, compound semi- want to collaborate in emerging technologies
conductors such as silicon carbide or gallium such as artificial intelligence and quantum tech- © Fraunhofer Group for Microelectronics
nitride. We aim to develop and manufacture nology in the years ahead. But Europe comes
power electronics components for tomorrow’s later. First, we must put the Research Fab in
power grid, optoelectronic components for Germany on a firm footing. This is a tall order to
fast data transmission, and high-performance fill. I had worked for Fraunhofer in the past and
electronics products for fast mobile communi- later in industry, where I founded a company
cations beyond 5G. specializing in organic electronics. I was happy
to return to the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft to set
Southeast Asia rules the roost up the Research Fab. It is a once-in-a-lifetime
in microelectronics development opportunity. Our goal is to create an institution
and manufacturing. Its dominance that will endure.You can also read
