Gathering with customers and colleagues at meetings, events, workshops and seminars and collaborating with them in person has always been important – but it is not an option for the foreseeable future.

The transition to a sustainable energy economy for industrial manufacturing.

Highly sensitive and rapid measurements of optical components.

Researchers are working with a mobile robotic platform called Husky A200 that could be used for autonomous logistic tasks on construction sites. This mobile robot is one of many projects pursued by the Fraunhofer Italia Innovation Engineering Center to advance the cause of digitalization in construction and bridge the gap between robotics and the building industry. Researchers at this center based in Bolzano, Italy, are developing a software interface that will enable mobile robots to find their way around in construction sites.

How can mass production methods be applied to individualized products? One answer is to use a combination of digital manufacturing technologies, for example by integrating digital printing and laser processing into traditional manufacturing processes. This paves the way for in-line product customization. Six Fraunhofer institutes have pooled their expertise to take the new process to the next level.

Plastic in cars reduces their weight. Currently, however, camshaft modules, which are a key component of powertrains, are still being made from aluminum. Now a research team from the Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology ICT, in collaboration with their partners, has succeeded in manufacturing a camshaft module from fiber-reinforced thermoset polymers. This lightweight design element helps lower engine weight and reduces assembly costs. It is currently available as a functional demonstrator.

Tomorrow’s industrial Internet will integrate technologies that imitate human cognitive skills such as the ability to plan, to learn, and to perceive our surroundings. The Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence Cognitive Internet Technologies CCIT is working to realize the vision of a Cognitive Internet of Things.

The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, Europe's leading organization for applied research, and IBM (NYSE: IBM) announced today the signing of the agreement aimed at advancing quantum computing in Germany. The collaboration gives companies and research institutions access to IBM quantum computers in Germany and the USA under the umbrella of a nationwide Fraunhofer competence network. The aim is to research the technology, application scenarios and algorithms while generating competence development and competitive advantages for the local economy and science.

When it comes to cars that drive themselves, most people are still hesitant. There are similar reservations with respect to onboard sensors gathering data on a driver’s current state of health. As part of the SECREDAS project, a research consortium including the Fraunhofer Institute for Experimental Software Engineering IESE is investigating the safety, security and privacy of these systems. The aim is to boost confidence in such technology.