Information & Communication

Information and communication technology faces new challenges, because of the new era of increasing connectivity and digitalization. The efficient sharing and storing of data need ever larger data centers and the means to transmit electric and optical signals. Digitalization itself brings its own challenges: There is increasing demand for highly dynamic networks that can transport, process, and analyze data.

Fraunhofer designs integrated, miniaturized, autonomous, and robust sensor systems and wireless networks and constructs high-frequency systems and electro-optical components. The provided services also include the optimization of processes and transfer of construction technologies for highly integrated systems, reliability testing and service life forecasting and consulting and eco-design services for sustainable ICT products.  

High speed with optical signals: Will the printed circuit board of the future be made of glass?

The backbone of our digital world is made of glass: A network of optical fibers spans the globe and lets data criss-cross our globe. We also experience the digital world through a pane of glass: We interact with the online…

Wafer-level system integration on 300mm – The core competence of Fraunhofer IZM-ASSID

For more than 10 years, the “All Silicon System Integration Dresden – ASSID” center has been operating a state-of-the-art, industry-grade 200/300mm 3D wafer-level process line with modules for TSV formation, pre-assembly (thinning, separation), wafer-level assembly, and stack formation. The ASSID…

Sustainable mobile devices for the environment: Long live smartphones and tablets!

Mobility matters for people and their devices, but increasingly, so does sustainability. But smartphones, tablets, and the like generate considerable carbon emissions when they are produced and when they are used. In addition, valuable raw materials are used to make…

Space Electronics – Fit for Orbit!

The Outer Space Treaty of 1967 stipulates that every nation enjoys free access to space. For the last 20 years, more and more nations have been launching commercial projects in space. Private spaceflight companies are planning to use micro and…

Robust5G – How clever module design slows down the material aging of 5G components

Communication networks like 5G need the many modules and components that make them up to be robust and long-lasting, whatever the environmental conditions or other circumstances may be. Researchers at Fraunhofer IZM have now developed a testing method which allows…

Skipping the Laboratory – Turbotesting with Lab-on-a-Chip for Point-of-Care Diagnostics

With Lab-on-a-Chip technology, testing becomes much faster and more efficient. Not only can these sensors replace reference laboratories, they can even communicate the results directly to a computer for validation and statistics. And, as our expert Manuel Bäuscher wants to…

Meet 6G’s Future with Holographic Communication

5G is not fully rolled out yet, but Fraunhofer IZM is already pursuing research on 6G communication modules. As these modules must be distributed more densely, the hardware has to become more compact. Finding the right way to miniaturize modules…

When Software Meets Hardware, or: How AI Can Protect Power Lines

Better, faster and, above all, increasingly automated – this is the vision for many sectors of industry, from the automotive sector to energy suppliers. One solution that is becoming more and more popular is artificial intelligence. We spoke to Bernd…

The Hunger of Data Centers for Critical Raw Materials – and How We Counter It

Fraunhofer IZM is actively involved in the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR) study “Raw Materials for Emerging Technologies lll”, commissioned by the German Mineral Resources Agency (DERA). The project explores the likely trajectory of emerging technologies coming…