The Fraunhofer Society (german: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V., lit=Fraunhofer Society for the Advancement of Applied Research) is a German research organization with 76institutes spread throughout Germany, each focusing on different fields of

applied science Applied science is the use of the scientific method and knowledge obtained via conclusions from the method to attain practical goals. It includes a broad range of disciplines such as engineering and medicine. Applied science is often contrasted ...

(as opposed to the

Max Planck Society The Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science (german: Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Wissenschaften e. V.; abbreviated MPG) is a formally independent non-governmental and non-profit association of German research institutes. ...

, which works primarily on basic science). With some 29,000 employees, mainly scientists and engineers, and with an annual research budget of about €2.8billion, it is the biggest organization for applied research and development services in Europe. Some basic funding for the Fraunhofer Society is provided by the state (the German public, through the federal government together with the states or ''

Länder Länder (singular Land) or Bundesländer (singular Bundesland) is the name for (federal) states in two German-speaking countries. It may more specifically refer to: * States of Austria, the nine federal subdivisions of Austria * States of Germany ...

'', "owns" the Fraunhofer Society), but more than 70% of the funding is earned through contract work, either for government-sponsored projects or from industry. It is named after

Joseph von Fraunhofer Joseph Ritter von Fraunhofer (; ; 6 March 1787 – 7 June 1826) was a German physicist and optical lens manufacturer. He made optical glass, an achromatic telescope, and objective lenses. He also invented the spectroscope and developed diffract ...

who, as a scientist, an engineer, and an entrepreneur, is said to have superbly exemplified the goals of the society. The organization has seven centers in the United States, under the name "Fraunhofer USA", and three in Asia. In October 2010, Fraunhofer announced that it would open its first research center in South America. Fraunhofer UK Research Ltd was established as a legally independent affiliate along with its Fraunhofer Centre for Applied Photonics, in Glasgow, Scotland, in March 2012.

Fraunhofer model

The so-called "Fraunhofer model" has been in existence since 1973 and has led to the society's continuing growth. Under the model, the Fraunhofer Society earns about 70% of its income through contracts with industry or specific government projects. The other 30% of the budget is sourced in the proportion 9:1 from federal and state (Land) government grants and is used to support preparatory research. Thus the size of the society's budget depends largely on its success in maximizing revenue from commissions. This funding model applies not just to the central society itself but also to the individual institutes. This serves both to drive the realization of the Fraunhofer Society's strategic direction of becoming a leader in applied research and to encourage a flexible, autonomous, and entrepreneurial approach to the society's research priorities. The institutes are not legally independent units. The Fraunhofer model grants a very high degree of independence to the institutes in terms of project results, scientific impact and above all for their own funding. On the one hand, this results in a high degree of independence in terms of technical focus, distribution of resources, project acquisition, and project management. On the other hand, this also generates a certain economic pressure and a compulsion to customer and market orientation. In this sense, the institutes and their employees act in an entrepreneurial manner and ideally combine research, innovation, and entrepreneurship. Numerous innovations are the result of research and development work at the Fraunhofer institutes. The institutes work on practically all application-relevant technology fields, i.e. microelectronics, information and communication technology, life sciences, materials research, energy technology or medical technology. One of the best known Fraunhofer developments is the MP3 audio data compression process. In 2018, the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft reported 734 new inventions. This corresponds to about three inventions per working day. Of these, 612 developments were registered for patents. The number of active property rights and property right applications increased to 6881.

Institutes

The Fraunhofer Society currently operates 76 institutes and research units. These are Fraunhofer Institutes for: * Advanced

Systems Engineering Systems engineering is an interdisciplinary field of engineering and engineering management that focuses on how to design, integrate, and manage complex systems over their enterprise life cycle, life cycles. At its core, systems engineering util ...

�
IEM
* Algorithms and Scientific Computing �
SCAI
* Applied Information Technology �
FIT
* Applied and Integrated Security �

* Applied Optics and Precision Engineering �
IOF
* Applied Polymer Research �

* Applied

Solid State Physics Solid-state physics is the study of rigid matter, or solids, through methods such as quantum mechanics, crystallography, electromagnetism, and metallurgy. It is the largest branch of condensed matter physics. Solid-state physics studies how the l ...

�
IAF
* Biomedical Engineering �
IBMT
* Building Physics �

* Cell Therapy and Immunology

* Ceramic Technologies and Systems �

* Chemical Technology �

* Communication, Information Processing and Ergonomics �

* Computer Graphics Research �
IGD
*

Digital Media Digital media is any communication media that operate in conjunction with various encoded machine-readable data formats. Digital media can be created, viewed, distributed, modified, listened to, and preserved on a digital electronics device. ' ...

Technology �
IDMT
* Digital Medicine
MEVIS
* Electron Beam and Plasma Technology �

* Electronic Nano Systems �

* Energy Economics and Energy System Technology

* Environmental, Safety and Energy Technology �

* Embedded Systems and Communication

* Experimental Software Engineering �

* Factory Operation and Automation �

* High-Frequency Physics and Radar Techniques �

* High-Speed Dynamics ( Ernst-Mach-Institut) �
EMI
* Industrial Engineering �
IAO
* Industrial Mathematics �

* Information Center for Regional Planning and Building Construction �
IRB
* Integrated Circuits �
IIS
* Integrated Systems and Device Technology �
IISB
* Intelligent Analysis and Information Systems �

* Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology �
IGB
* International Management and Knowledge Economy

* Laser Technology �
ILT
*

Machine Tools A machine tool is a machine for handling or machining metal or other rigid materials, usually by cutting, boring, grinding, shearing, or other forms of deformations. Machine tools employ some sort of tool that does the cutting or shaping. All m ...

and Forming Technology �
IWU
* Manufacturing Engineering and Applied Materials Research �
IFAM
* Manufacturing Engineering and Automation �

* Material and Beam Technology �

* Material Flow and Logistics �
IML
* Materials Recycling and Resource Strategies �

*

Mechanics of Materials The field of strength of materials, also called mechanics of materials, typically refers to various methods of calculating the stresses and strains in structural members, such as beams, columns, and shafts. The methods employed to predict the re ...

�
IWM
* Microelectronic Circuits and Systems �
IMS
* Microstructure of Materials and Systems �

* Microsystems and Solid State Technologies EMFT

* Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology �
IME
*

Non-Destructive Testing Nondestructive testing (NDT) is any of a wide group of analysis techniques used in science and technology industry to evaluate the properties of a material, component or system without causing damage. The terms nondestructive examination (NDE), n ...

�
IZFP
*

Optronics Optoelectronics (or optronics) is the study and application of electronic devices and systems that find, detect and control light, usually considered a sub-field of photonics. In this context, ''light'' often includes invisible forms of radiatio ...

, System Technologies and Image Exploitation �
IOSB
* Open Communication Systems �
FOKUS
* Photonic Microsystems �

* Physical Measurement Techniques �

* Process Engineering and Packaging �

* Production Systems and Design Technology �
IPK
* Production Technology �

* Reliability and Microintegration �

* Secure Information Technology �

*

Silicate In chemistry, a silicate is any member of a family of polyatomic anions consisting of silicon and oxygen, usually with the general formula , where . The family includes orthosilicate (), metasilicate (), and pyrosilicate (, ). The name is al ...

Research �
ISC
* Silicon Technology �
ISIT
* Solar Energy Systems �
ISE
* Structural Durability and System Reliability �

*

Surface Engineering Surface engineering is the sub-discipline of materials science which deals with the surface of solid matter. It has applications to chemistry, mechanical engineering, and electrical engineering (particularly in relation to semiconductor manufact ...

and Thin Films �
IST
* Systems and Innovation Research �
ISI
* Technological Trend Analysis �
INT
* Telecommunications, Heinrich-Hertz-Institut �
HHI
* Toxicology and Experimental Medicine �
ITEM
* Transportation and Infrastructure Systems �

* Wind Energy Systems �

* Wood Research, Wilhelm-Klauditz-Institut �

Fraunhofer USA

In addition to its German institutes, the Fraunhofer Society operates five US-based Centers through its American subsidiary, Fraunhofer USA: * Coatings and Diamond Technologies �
CCD
* Experimental Software Engineering �
CESE
* Laser Applications �
CLA
* Manufacturing Innovation �
CMI
* Digital Media Technologies �

Fraunhofer Singapore

In 2017 Fraunhofer Society launched its first direct subsidiary in Asia:
Fraunhofer Singapore
– Visual and Medical Computing, Cognitive Human-Machine Interaction, Cyber- and Information Security, Visual Immersive Mathematics

Fraunhofer UK Research Ltd

At the invitation of the UK Government, Fraunhofer UK Research Ltd was established in partnership with the University of Strathclyde. The UK's first Fraunhofer Centre
Fraunhofer Centre for Applied Photonics
was established and quickly recognised as a world-leading centre in lasers and optical systems. The UK Government commented on the significance of Fraunhofer CAP in quantum technology innovation. Ongoing core funding is received from Scottish Government, Scottish Enterprise and the University of Strathclyde.

Notable projects

*The MP3 compression algorithm was invented and patented by Fraunhofer IIS. Its license revenues generated about €100 million in revenue for the society in 2005. *The Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute (HHI) was a significant contributor to the H.264/MPEG-4 AVC video compression standard, a technology recognized with two Emmy awards in 2008 and 2009. This includes the Fraunhofer FDK AAC library. *As of May 2010, a metamorphic triple-junction solar cell developed by Fraunhofer's Institute for Solar Energy Systems holds the world record for solar energy conversion efficiency with 41.1%, nearly twice that of a standard silicon-based cell. *Fraunhofer is developing a program for use at

IKEA IKEA (; ) is a Dutch multinational conglomerate based in the Netherlands that designs and sells , kitchen appliances, decoration, home accessories, and various other goods and home services. Started in 1943 by Ingvar Kamprad, IKEA has been t ...

stores, which would allow people to take a picture of their home into a store to view a fully assembled, digital adaptation of their room. *E-puzzler, a pattern-recognition machine, which can digitally put back together even the most finely shredded papers. The E-puzzler uses a computerized conveyor belt that runs shards of shredded and torn paper through a digital scanner, automatically reconstructing original documents. *OpenIMS, an Open Source implementation of IMS Call Session Control Functions (CSCFs) and a lightweight Home Subscriber Server (HSS), which together form the core elements of all IMS/NGN architectures as specified today within 3GPP, 3GPP2, ETSI TISPAN and the PacketCable initiative. *

Powerpaste Powerpaste is a magnesium- and hydrogen-based fluid gel that releases hydrogen when it reacts with water. It was invented, patented and is being developed by Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials (IFAM) of the F ...

, a magnesium- and hydrogen-based gel, that releases hydrogen fuel suitable for

fuel cell A fuel cell is an electrochemical cell that converts the chemical energy of a fuel (often hydrogen) and an oxidizing agent (often oxygen) into electricity through a pair of redox reactions. Fuel cells are different from most batteries in requ ...

consumption when it reacts with water has been developed by the ''Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials (IFAM)''. *Roborder, an autonomous border surveillance system that uses unmanned mobile robots including aerial, water surface, underwater and ground vehicles which incorporate multi-modal sensors as part of an interoperable network.

History

The Fraunhofer Society was founded in Munich on March 26, 1949, by representatives of industry and academia, the government of Bavaria, and the nascent

Federal Republic A federal republic is a federation of states with a republican form of government. At its core, the literal meaning of the word republic when used to reference a form of government means: "a country that is governed by elected representatives ...

. In 1952, the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs declared the Fraunhofer Society to be the third part of the non-university German research landscape (alongside the

German Research Foundation The German Research Foundation (german: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft ; DFG ) is a German research funding organization, which functions as a self-governing institution for the promotion of science and research in the Federal Republic of Germ ...

(DFG) and the Max Planck Institutes). Whether the Fraunhofer Society should support applied research through its own facilities was, however, the subject of a long-running dispute. From 1954, the Society's first institutes developed. By 1956, it was developing research facilities in cooperation with the Ministry of Defense. In 1959, the Fraunhofer Society comprised nine institutes with 135 coworkers and a budget of 3.6 million Deutsche Mark. In 1965, the Fraunhofer Society was identified as a sponsor organization for applied research. In 1968, the Fraunhofer Society became the target of public criticism for its role in military research. By 1969, Fraunhofer had more than 1,200 employees in 19 institutes. The budget stood at 33 million Deutsche Mark. At this time, a "commission for the promotion of the development of the Fraunhofer Society" planned the further development of the Fraunhofer Society (FhG). The commission developed a financing model that would make the Society dependent on its commercial success. This would later come to be known as the "Fraunhofer Model". The Model was agreed to by the Federal Cabinet and the Bund-Länder-Kommission in 1973. In the same year, the executive committee and central administration moved into joint accommodation at Leonrodstraße 54 in Munich. The Fraunhofer program for the promotion of consulting research for

SMEs Superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES) systems store energy in the magnetic field created by the flow of direct current in a Superconductivity, superconducting coil which has been Cryogenics, cryogenically cooled to a temperature below ...

was established, and has gained ever more significance in subsequent years. In 1977, the political ownership of the society was shared by the Ministries of Defense and Research. By 1984, the Fraunhofer Society had 3,500 employees in 33 institutes and a research budget of 360 million Deutsche Mark. By 1988, defence research represented only about 10% of the entire expenditure of the Fraunhofer Society. By 1989, the Fraunhofer Society had nearly 6,400 employees in 37 institutes, with a total budget of 700 million Deutsche Mark. In 1991, the Fraunhofer Society faced the challenge of integrating numerous research establishments in former East Germany as branch offices of already-existing institutes in the Fraunhofer Society. In 1993, the Fraunhofer Society's total budget exceeded 1 billion Deutsche Mark. In 1994, the Society founded a US-based subsidiary, Fraunhofer USA, Inc., to extend the outreach of Fraunhofer's R&D network to American clients. Its mission statement of 2000 committed the Fraunhofer Society to being a market and customer-oriented, nationally and internationally active sponsor organization for institutes of applied research. In 1999, Fraunhofer initiated Fraunhofer Venture, a

technology transfer office Technology transfer (TT), also called transfer of technology (TOT), is the process of transferring (disseminating) technology from the person or organization that owns or holds it to another person or organization, in an attempt to transform invent ...

, to advance the transfer of its scientific research findings and meet the growing entrepreneurial spirit in the Fraunhofer institutes. Between 2000 and 2001, the institutes and IT research centres of the GMD (Gesellschaft für Mathematik und Datenverarbeitung – Society for Mathematics and Information technology) were integrated into the Fraunhofer Society at the initiative of the Federal Ministry for Education and Research. The year 2000 marked a noteworthy success at Fraunhofer-Institut for Integrated Circuits (IIS): MP3, a lossy audio format which they developed. For many years afterwards, MP3 was the most widely adopted method for compressing and decompressing digital audio. In 2002, ownership of the Heinrich-Hertz-Institut for Communications Technology Berlin GmbH (HHI), which belonged to the Gottfried William Leibniz Society e. V. (GWL), was transferred to the Fraunhofer Society. With this integration, the Fraunhofer Society budget exceeded €1 billion for the first time. In 2003, the Fraunhofer Society headquarters moved to its own building in Munich. The Fraunhofer Society developed and formulated a firm specific mission statement summarizing fundamental targets and codifying the desired "values and guidelines" of the society's "culture". Amongst these, the society committed itself to improving the opportunities for female employees and coworkers to identify themselves with the enterprise and to develop their own creative potential. In 2004, the former "Fraunhofer Working Group for Electronic Media Technology" at the Fraunhofer-Institut for Integrated Circuits (IIS) gained the status of an independent institute. It becomes Fraunhofer-Institut for Digital Media Technology IDMT. New alliances and topic groups helped to strengthen the market operational readiness level of the institutes for Fraunhofer in certain jurisdictions. In 2005, two new institutes, the Leipzig Fraunhofer-Institut for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), and the Fraunhofer Center for Nano-electronic technologies CNT in Dresden, were founded. In 2006, the Fraunhofer Institute for Intelligent Analysis and Information Systems (IAIS) was founded as a merger between the Institute for Autonomous Intelligent Systems (AIS), and the Institute for Media Communication (IMK). In 2009, the former FGAN Institutes were converted into Fraunhofer Institutes, amongst them the Fraunhofer Institute for Communication, Information Processing and Ergonomics FKIE and the Fraunhofer Institute for Radar and High Frequency Technology FHR. In 2012, the cooperation of Fraunhofer with selected research-oriented universities of applied sciences based on the "Application Center" model started. The first cooperation was started with the

Technische Hochschule OWL The Technische Hochschule Ostwestfalen-Lippe (abbreviated: TH OWL, English: OWL University of Applied Sciences and Arts) is a state tech university in the Ostwestfalen-Lippe area in Lemgo, which is part of North Rhine-Westphalia. Additional cam ...

in Lemgo and led to the foundation of the Fraunhofer IOSB-INA in late 2011.

Image gallery

File:Schmallenberg-Grafschaft Fraunhofer-Institut Sauerland-Ost 094.jpg, Fraunhofer-Institut (IME) in

Schmallenberg Schmallenberg ( Westphalian: ''Smalmereg'') is a town and a climatic health resort in the High Sauerland District, Germany. By area, it is the third biggest of all cities and towns of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the second biggest o ...

File:Fraunhofer - Dresden - FEP - IFAM - IKTS - IWS.jpg, Fraunhofer - Dresden - FEP - IFAM - IKTS - IWS

Presidents

* Walther Gerlach (1949–1951) * Wilhelm Roelen (1951–1955) * Hermann von Siemens (1955–1964) *Franz Kollmann (1964–1968) *Christian Otto Mohr (1968–1974) *Heinz Keller (1974–1982) * Max Syrbe (1982–1993) * Hans-Jürgen Warnecke (1993–2002) *

Hans-Jörg Bullinger Hans-Jörg Bullinger ( FREng, born April 13, 1944 in Stuttgart) is a German scientist and former President of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft. The mechanical engineer with a doctoral degree was the Director of the Fraunhofer IAO (since its foundation ...

(2002–2012) *

Reimund Neugebauer Reimund Neugebauer (born 27 June 1953 in Bad Frankenhausen, Esperstedt am Kyffhäuser) is a German mechanical engineer and professor who has been working in the field of machine tools and forming processes. On 1 October 2012 he took office as the ...

(2012–present)

Notes

References

External links

* * * (US) * (UK) * (DE) {{Authority control 1949 establishments in Germany Engineering research institutes Laboratories in Germany Members of the European Research Consortium for Informatics and Mathematics Organizations established in 1949 Robotics organizations Scientific organisations based in Germany 20th-century establishments in Bavaria