News and Pressroom

With the RISC-V Secure Element, the Fraunhofer Institutes for Integrated Circuits IIS, for Applied and Integrated Security AISEC, and for Electronic Microsystems and Solid State Technologies EMFT are introducing a security chip that was designed and manufactured in Germany. The design is based on transparent open-source hardware, integrates post-quantum cryptography, and can be used as a standalone chip or as a system-on-chip component. The goal is to offer companies a trustworthy and customizable trust anchor – with points of contact in the EU – for connected devices and to support them in meeting the requirements of the European Cyber Resilience Act (CRA).

Berlin – The Soofi consortium presents initial performance results for "Soofi S", the first building block of a European AI model family. The project, funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy as part of the IPCEI-CIS / 8ra initiative, aims to develop high-performance foundation models on European infrastructure, offering businesses, public administration, research institutions and start-ups a transparent alternative to non-European models.

Drone swarms can monitor progress on large construction sites, inspect remote offshore wind farms and search for survivors after natural disasters. When multiple drones are deployed, they generally are controlled centrally by mobile communications up to now. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS are working on a decentralized solution that is less susceptible to interference while at the same time ensuring greater flexibility.

In April 2026, the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS successfully demonstrated a broadband 5G NTN connection in the Ka-band frequency range via the geostationary (GEO) satellite Heinrich Hertz. A seamless handover between the two satellite beams of the German communications satellite was also achieved. The transmission and reception equipment, specially adapted for broadband transmission, was installed at the Fraunhofer IIS headquarters in Erlangen. The tests were conducted as part of the Heinrich Hertz mission, led by the German Space Agency at the German Aerospace Center (DLR).

Professor Dieter Seitzer passed away on April 12 at the age of 92. As a professor at Friedrich Alexander Universität Erlangen Nürnberg (FAU) and founding director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS, Seitzer shaped microelectronics research in Erlangen and beyond and laid the foundation for the world-renowned mp3 format.

Nuremberg/Wien/Munich/Noordwijk(NL): The European Galileo satellite navigation system has become a crucial cor-nerstone for global positioning services. As increasingly demanding use cases emerge the need for reliable and highly accurate positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) services in space continues to grow. The European Space Agency (ESA), on behalf of the European Commission and under the Horizon Europe programme, has awarded a contract to the satellite navigation experts of Fraunhofer IIS – together with Beyond Gravity Austria GmbH, Airbus Defence and Space GmbH, and IABG mbH – to design and develop a first space-ready test prototype for the Galileo Public Regulated Service (PRS). This secure test space receiver STACIE could support institutional and governmental space missions and applications of the European Union member states.

Heilbronn: 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).

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.

ADTechnology, a leading South Korea design house and IP company, and Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS, a renowned German applied research institution, have officially announced a strategic technology collaboration. The partnership includes the joint development of SoC (System-on-Chip) and Chiplet solutions utilizing Samsung Foundry’s cutting-edge 4 nm technology process.

Fraunhofer researchers have developed a system that uses sensors and AI to monitor a driver's cognitive load. In the future, this technology could ease driver strain when they reach their stress limit. The system can also be applied in other fields, such as for pilots or surgeons. The researchers are using an innovative sensor network for the project – as well as a PC game for preparing virtual sushi.