Tech News

A quantum-counting CT scanner that allows revolutionary insights into the human body: The researchers at Siemens Healthineers in Germany have produced a worthy contender for the Federal President’s German Future Prize of 2021. Fraunhofer IZM-ASSID contributed to make this showstopping innovation by Siemens Healthineers possible in the first place.

Quantum computing is hailed everywhere as the technology of the future, but what about quantum sensing and communicating? These capabilities promise to make quantum technologies the seed for a new generation of products in information and communication technology and modern sensor systems. But manufacturers who want to use the great potential and fundamental principles of quantum mechanics need highly specialized facilities and processes. With funding from the EU and the State of Berlin, researchers at Fraunhofer IZM have created a vision of a technology centre to power the development of new glass-based quantum technologies.

Researchers at Fraunhofer IZM have joined forces with TecVenture, Optrontec Inc., and KAIST to create a high-speed camera fitted with a unique multi-lens array that can capture images with a far greater depth of field than its conventional counterparts. The miniaturized electronics make the system a good choice for efficient damage analytics in industrial use or for many research activities.

This year Fraunhofer IZM’s Dr. Tanja Braun received the "Sydney Stein Award" in recognition of not only her leadership in the microelectronics packaging industry, but also her significant technical contribution on an international level.

Fraunhofer IZM and the weißensee academy of art in Berlin have opened a unique open innovation lab for prototyping textile electronics. Fitted with the latest in high-tech equipment and machines, the Textile Prototyping Lab (TPL) can turn e-textile visions into real fabrics and garments with its interdisciplinary team of scientists and artists.

His colleagues know and appreciate him as a celebrated expert for electronics system integration and specialist for durable chip connections: Professor Klaus-Dieter Lang is retiring from his post as the long-standing and successful Director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration IZM.

The demand for connected devices keeps growing – in particular in the Internet of Things, or IoT for short. The Fraunhofer flagship project ZEPOWEL has shown successfully how all of these sensor systems can become extremely energy efficient or even completely autonomous. The potential result: Up to 20% less carbon emissions in Germany alone.

After a long journey from Palestine and a not quite as long journey from Hamburg, the participants of the Ecodesign Learning Factory learned one lesson above all: The principles of the circular economy can be used in many different ways to make products, services, and entire business models more sustainable.

Despite the COVID-19 crisis, Fraunhofer IZM and its 17 partners on the PLC 2.0 consortium have achieved excellent results within the first year. All partners met in a virtual meeting for two days. The time difference for such world-wide meetings is a challenge, therefore several sessions have taken place over the whole day to have easy access form Asia, Europe and the US.

PhotonicLEAP, a European Horizon 2020 collaborative research project, has been awarded over €5 million Euros in funding from the European Commission to develop disruptive technologies that will drive down the cost of integrated photonic packaging and test processes.