Facts & Figures

At Fraunhofer IZM, 2018 was another year of successful partnerships with industry in applied research projects. Earnings from activities with German and international enterprises and industry associations remained stable at the previous year’s high level of 15.3 million euros. Industry projects allowed Fraunhofer IZM to cover 45.4 percent of its costs.Public funding for projects increased again to a level of 12.6 million euros. The overall revenue of Fraunhofer IZM grew to a total of 33.7 million euros.

In 2018, Fraunhofer IZM covered 83.6 percent of its operating budget from third party funds. In total, external funding accounted for 27.9 million euros of ongoing project spending.

The Institute invested 1.6 million euros of its own funds into equipment upgrades and maintenance work. These investments were made specifically to improve the facilities and equipment of Fraunhofer IZM in a considerable number of detailed initiatives and to increase the efficiency of the existing infrastructure. One highlight included the setting-up of Start-a-Factory, a reimagining of the legendary »founder’s garage«, co-funded by the European Regional Development Funds (ERDF), the State of Berlin, and the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).

A further 2.1 million euros were used to cover various small-scale construction projects. These include targeted improvements and changes designed to reinforce the capabilities of Fraunhofer IZM and to comply with new HSE requirements.

The establishment of the Microelectronics Germany (FMD) research factory is making progress. Supported from Germany’s Ministry of Education and Research, a further 17.7 million euros were invested in equipment and systems in 2018.  

The staffing levels of Fraunhofer IZM continue to reflect the positive development in the Institute’s project work. A total of 260 members of staff were employed at the IZM sites in Berlin and Dresden / Moritzburg. Fraunhofer IZM offers students an opportunity to combine their studies with applied scientific work in the offices and laboratories of the Institute. By the end of 2018, 147 student interns, bachelor and master degree candidates, and student assistants had passed through the Institute. Fraunhofer IZM remains committed to its ethos of training and developing the professionals of tomorrow. In 2018, nine apprentices were in training in roles ranging from microtechnologists to office management assistants.