Fraunhofer-GesellschaftForeword
Dear Reader,
In a world full of uncertainty, whether due to economic crises, geopolitical challenges, or technological upheaval, what we need most is an openness to opportunities and courage to remain capable of effective action and develop a positive outlook for the future.
There is every reason to be optimistic: Germany is the world’s third-largest economy and its third-strongest export nation, despite having just one percent of the global population. When it comes to exports of research-intensive high-tech goods, Germany even ranks second world wide. This success is built on first-class research and engineering expertise, a highly diverse scientific ecosystem, a close relationship between research, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and large-scale industry, as well as a strong, forward-looking SME sector. The diversity of companies and their close collaboration helps Germany remain a resilient, future-ready hub, as long as we put ourselves on the right path and push ahead with the necessary transformation processes.
A key step in preparing for the future is to comprehensively strengthen the transfer of research findings into practical application within Germany. The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft’s mission to translate ideas and new scientific findings into practice together with businesses means it has a central role to play as a key innovation partner. We know the strengths and weaknesses of our key transfer channels: contract research, licenses and patents, and spin-offs. And we are making every effort to build on strengths, overcome weaknesses, and improve conditions together with our partners in science, industry, and politics.
In 2024, we once again saw striking evidence of the solid foundation we have in this area, based on entrepreneurial thinking and action, market focus, and scientific excellence. For example, a team from ams Osram and the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration IZM was awarded the German Future Prize for its Digital Light project. This was the sixth time the prize has been awarded to a team involving Fraunhofer since its inception in 1997. Equally remarkable is Teuken-7B, the first open-source large language model developed in Europe, launched by Fraunhofer together with its partners. Among other things, this model makes it possible to keep sensitive data inside an organization. This makes Teuken-7B particularly significant for the development of industrial applications in security-critical sectors, such as the automotive sector, robotics, medicine, or finance.
These are just two examples of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft’s innovative achievements in 2024. I am convinced that, together with our partners, we will continue to contribute significantly to the performance and prosperity of Germany and Europe as a business hub. Let’s embrace the challenge − the opportunities are there and we have every reason to be optimistic.
Holger Hanselka
President and Chair of the Executive Board of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft