Press Releases

In-ear headphones, which are inserted wirelessly into the ear canal, could replace smartphones in the future. A team of researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems IPMS and Bosch Sensortec GmbH laid the foundation for this with a novel technology for the integrated micro loudspeakers — and received the Joseph von Fraunhofer Prize for it.

Developing pioneering technology solutions and bringing them into application - that is the goal of Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems IPMS. At this year's SENSOR+TEST trade fair in Nuremberg, the institute will present its latest developments in optical, chemical and ultrasonic sensor technology.

The Technical University of Dresden and Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems IPMS have reached concrete agreements on scientific cooperation with several universities in Taipei and Hsinchu in Taiwan in the presence of Saxony's Science Minister Sebastian Gemkow.

Despite in scientific research in multiple technologies, European industry faces challenges in translating quantum technology innovation into robust and scalable hardware processes and products. Project Qu-Pilot will change this by leveraging the existing piloting infrastructure predominantly distributed across the European research and technology organizations (RTOs). The end goal is to accelerate the time-to-market of European industrial innovation in quantum technology and help establishing a trusted supply chain. Fraunhofer IPMS contributes its expertise in state-of-the-art, industry-compatible CMOS semiconductor fabrication in 300 mm wafer standard.

Data security is one of the most important issues in today's digital age. Increasing system attacks and cybercrime make it necessary to secure data in new ways. For this purpose, the Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems IPMS developed the MACsec Controller IP-Core, which implements the latest Ethernet security standards. It provides authentication, integrity and encryption of data between different nodes of a Local Area Network (LAN).

Modern quantum technology opens up many new areas of application. But it also harbors risks. Due to their enormous computing power, quantum computers, could undermine even the most modern data encryption methods. To forestall this scenario, several partners led by KEEQuant GmbH are developing a new approach to secure optical data transmission in wireless networks using light and quantum keys. The "QuINSiDa" project is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research BMBF with a sum of 2 million euros.

The security of digital identities is threatened by future quantum technologies. In the hands of attackers, quantum computers will be able to break classical encryption methods. To fend off such attacks, four partners launched the Quant-ID project. In this project, they are researching the development of novel methods and systems that guarantee cryptographic security in the long term based on quantum random numbers and post-quantum cryptography. Highly critical areas, such as government institutions, banks or insurance companies, will thus receive the necessary protection. The BMBF-funded project started in September 2022 and will run for three years.

Digitalization, automation and efficiency are the buzzwords of the industry of the future. To this end, the Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems IPMS develops customer-specific sensors, actuators and optical components. These represent the key technologies for IoT and numerous future applications with artificial intelligence.

We want modern technology to become smaller and more energy-efficient without losing quality. Technical innovation is needed to achieve this. For several years, the Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems IPMS has been researching a novel energy-efficient actuator system for micro loudspeakers. The prototype now presented has surpassed expectations: High volume and excellent sound quality meet high energy efficiency in practical tests. The results were now presented in the Nature Journal Microsystems & Nanoengineering.

In order to consolidate and expand the existing microelectronic research and development in Germany regarding quantum and neuromorphic computing, the FMD launched on December 1, 2022, a joint project together with four other Fraunhofer institutes, the Jülich Forschungszentrum and AMO GmbH: The Research Fab Microelectronics Germany — Module Quantum and Neuromorphic Computing (FMD-QNC). The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research is funding the equipment and structural setup required for the project.