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As part of the EU research project PROACTIF, project partners from Fraunhofer IZM, Heimann-Sensor, and Riga Technical University met in rural Brandenburg in late October to test technologies intended for future use in firefighting and search and rescue under real-world conditions. The focus was on data acquisition tests as well as the integration of radar, LiDAR, and other sensor systems onto unmanned aerial vehicles.

Researchers at Fraunhofer IZM and the University of Münster have developed a wafer-based manufacturing process for a novel silicon diode that can measure particles depending on their angle of incidence. The energy-filter diode is intended to help distinguish signal electrons from background electrons that strike a detector with nearly the same energy but at different angles. One potential application is the international KATRIN experiment, which aims to determine the neutrino mass. In the cleanroom at Fraunhofer IZM, deep honeycomb-shaped microstructures were introduced into large-area detector wafers, electrically passivated, and transferred to the University of Münster for further investigation.

Flexible electronics enable more comfortable sensor patches, smarter packaging, and adaptable human-machine interfaces. In the CFP project, chip foil packages less than 150 micrometers thick are being developed to reliably protect electronic functions and enable resource-efficient production in high volumes. This paves the way for the widespread industrial use of flexible electronics.

More than 500 participants from over 200 companies, including ASML, Bosch, Intel, Infineon, GlobalFoundries, and TRUMPF, gathered in Berlin on September 30 and October 1, 2026, for the inaugural edition of FIRST by FMD. The new European forum focused on key trends in microelectronics brought together decision-makers from industry, policy, and research who are actively shaping the future of microelectronics in Europe. A central focus was the APECS pilot line, a key building block of the EU Chips Act.

A major success for technology transfer from applied research: At the end of July 2026, Fraunhofer IZM, Fraunhofer ENAS, and WIKA Alexander Wiegand SE & Co. KG signed a comprehensive agreement to commercialize the ASTROSE® overhead line monitoring technology. Under the licensing agreement, WIKA will take over the industrialization, production, and global marketing of the system. At the same time, the partners agreed on a five-year research and development collaboration to jointly advance the technology and open up new international markets.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration IZM, the Fraunhofer Institute for Electronic Microsystems and Solid State Technologies EMFT, Kumamoto University, and Yamagata University are pooling their expertise. On September 15, 2026, the four institutions signed a memorandum of understanding in Kumamoto to promote international cooperation in research, education, and workforce development. The partnership focuses on semiconductor packaging, system integration, and printed electronics.

Automated Guided Vehicles that can sense and process their environment in all three dimensions: that is the result of a collaborative project funded by the Federal Ministry for Research, Technology, and Space. A radar platform for industrial applications helps improve safety while enabling the flexible distribution of AI workloads across multiple vehicles.

Europe has invested billions in its semiconductor industry. The decisive question now is how the pilot lines established under the EU Chips Act can create industrial value creation. Leading representatives from industry, research, and policymaking will discuss this at FIRST by FMD on September 30 and October 1, 2026, at the EUREF Campus in Berlin.

Working with partners from across Europe, Fraunhofer IZM has helped create highly integrated and flexible brain implants as a new, minimally invasive method for treating neurological disorders like Parkinson’s Disease.Patients can benefit from a more comfortable experience and less invasive surgery.

Fraunhofer IZM and quantum tech company Nomad Atomics are teaming up on QuoGkA, a research project developing a compact atom gravimeter that will, in the future, measure gravitational fields from the air. The goal is to shrink measurement systems that have always been confined to the lab down to a size that fits comfortably on a drone. The breakthrough making this possible is a highly integrated glass bench developed at Fraunhofer IZM, which combines key optical components and a rubidium gas cell into a single unit. The result is precision gravity measurement that can finally leave the lab, opening up new possibilities in mining, environmental monitoring, and research.