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The EPO Technology Dashboard 2025, released today, ranks the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft as Europe's leading research institution for patent applications. This ranking reaffirms the critical role of research and science for Germany's long-term competitiveness.

This year’s Hugo Geiger Prize for the best doctoral theses in applied research goes to three early-career researchers from Jena and Freiburg. Jointly awarded by the Bavarian State Ministry of Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy (StMWi) and the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, the prize recognizes innovative solutions developed by doctoral researchers in close cooperation with a Fraunhofer institute.

AI plays a huge role in the semiconductor industry, both by facilitating more efficient development processes and as a target application in development work. This is why the Fraunhofer Heilbronn Research and Innovation Centers HNFIZ are adding the Chip AI research and innovation center for AI chip design to their service range. The center is funded via the Dieter Schwarz Foundation. The Chip AI research and innovation center relies on close cooperation with stakeholders of the Innovation Park Artificial Intelligence (IPAI).

With the gammaSTAR software platform and the SpinIt project, researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Medicine MEVIS are facilitating the transfer of innovative imaging technologies into routine clinical use.

Artificial intelligence is set to provide optimum learning support for soldiers and increase teaching quality. Fraunhofer researchers have conducted a study to determine which AI functions would be useful in this context and how this technology could be integrated into the existing system.

How can we achieve intelligent teamwork between humans and robots in production? The Fraunhofer NeurOSmart technology platform combines sensor technology with AI-supported data processing and energy-efficient chips that mimic the way the human brain works.

Looking inside an object without having to change it by opening it or taking it apart: This is the goal of nondestructive testing (NDT). However, only items that fit in the testing device can be scanned. In the GiantEye project, the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS is developing an innovative new high-energy computed tomography system at its Development Center X-Ray Technology in Fürth. This system enables nondestructive testing and digitalization of large and complex objects at the highest level of detail.

Paper packaging offers a number of advantages over its plastic counterparts: It has a high recycling rate, lower CO₂ emissions, and lower disposal costs. However, it cannot yet be sealed without adhesives or layers of plastic—a disadvantage for manufacturing and recycling processes. In the PAPURE project, four Fraunhofer institutes are developing a laser-based process that enables completely adhesive-free paper packaging.

High-profile representatives from government and the research sector gathered yesterday in Berlin for a festive kickoff event in honor of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft’s eponym, the researcher and entrepreneur Joseph von Fraunhofer. This event also focused on the importance of innovation for Germany's future competitiveness.

What does the future of industrial collaboration look like — and what role will the metaverse play? Fraunhofer experts invite you to an immersive expe-rience in new forms of engineering, service development and human-machine interaction. At the preview event for the Hannover Messe trade show on February 25, 2026, interested visitors will have a first look at photorealistic AI avatars, digital twins and immersive technologies.