News and Pressroom

Erlangen, Germany: Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS and the Technical University of Dresden have tested a new approach for investigating disease-related changes in body odor. Using laser-based photoacoustic spectroscopy, they analyzed volatile organic compounds in simple body swabs. An initial study revealed differences between samples from healthy individuals and those from people with Parkinson’s disease, COVID-19, and other diseases. The results demonstrate the method’s potential for faster preliminary screenings in the future.

Erlangen/Munich, Germany: The Fraunhofer RISC-V Secure Element is now available as a licensable security platform for custom systems-on-chip (SoCs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), and chiplets. The silicon prototype has successfully completed functional validation. Based on this verified hardware foundation, companies can shorten development cycles, reduce technical risk, and implement security by design more effectively at the semiconductor level.

Fürth – The Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS has developed a software library for the automated analysis of 2D X-ray images of vehicle batteries as part of the AIR project. The technology enables the non-destructive assessment of mechanical abnormalities in battery systems, supporting both second-life applications and the safe handling of electric vehicles involved in accidents.

Erlangen/Nuremberg: AI has already found its way into many areas of work and everyday life. However, training modern AI models requires enormous computing resources, resulting in high energy consumption and significant CO₂ emissions. Reducing this demand through intelligent methods has therefore become a pressing priority. The QC-Train project team, consisting of infoteam Software AG, the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS, OptWare GmbH, and the associated partners DATEV and Schaeffler Technologies, is developing a quantum computing-based solution to significantly reduce emissions while simultaneously increasing the performance of training large foundation models. The project is funded under the Bavarian Collaborative Research Program “Digitalization” (BayVFP) of the Free State of Bavaria.

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.

The partial collapse of Dresden’s »Carolabrücke« bridge in September 2024 was a wake-up call for German infrastructure policy. Currently, at least 8,000 highway bridges and around 18,000 kilometers of railway track in Germany are considered to be in poor condition, with the need for renovation estimated at up to €100 billion. Continuous infrastructure monitoring is costly and has therefore been neglected. Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS, Division Engineering of Adaptive Systems is pursuing an efficient and cost-effective solution: using robust radar sensor technology from the automotive sector to monitor bridges, railway tracks, and other structures.

Many people are familiar with audio and video codecs, but who knows how many other technologies are required to enable audio or video streaming? One such technology, largely unknown but nonetheless indispensable, is the Common Media Application Format (CMAF), developed by the leading standardization organization in the media world: MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group). The MPEG Systems Group was honored with the Technology & Engineering Emmy® Award for the CMAF standardization in early December. Colleagues from Fraunhofer IIS made a significant contribution to the development within the MPEG Systems Working Group. The award winners accepted the prestigious golden trophy in New York on December 4.

On 17 November, Eric Fribourg-Blanc, Senior Programme Officer at the Chips Joint Undertaking (Chips JU), visited Fraunhofer IIS in Erlangen. He was accompanied by Dirk Schumann, director of the APECS Pilot Line at the Research Fab Microelectronics Germany (FMD). The visit focused on the APECS Pilot Line, a central pillar of the EU Chips Act, which advances the development and transfer of novel chiplet technologies into industrial application.

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.

Erlangen — In conjunction with his appointment as professor of Information Technology and Electronics at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Giovanni Del Galdo will join the institute management team of the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS on November 1, 2025. Previously, he served as a professor at Technische Universität Ilmenau and headed the Electronic Measurements and Signal Processing department at Fraunhofer IIS.

Erlangen, Germany – As the consortium leader of the EU-funded project SpikeHERO, Fraunhofer IIS is setting its sights on fiber optic networks over the next four years. Together with industry and research partners from the Netherlands, Czech Republic, and Belgium, the institute is developing AI chips based on spiking neural networks to significantly improve signal quality and boost data transmission rates in fiber optics. The project launches on October 1, 2025 and is intended to help expand Europe's digital infrastructure and consolidate its technological sovereignty.

Erlangen (Germany): For quite some time now, Fraunhofer IIS has been delivering MPEG-H Dialog +, a dialogue enhancement solution for broadcast and streaming. The codec separates speech from the rest of a film’s soundtrack and enables its separate enhancement. The audience can then choose between content with the original audio mix and content with easy-to-understand dialogues, providing an ideal solution for people with hearing disabilities, for instance. The latest feature of MPEG-H Dialog+ is available on the video on demand platform of the German-French broadcaster ARTE and will be operational in a few days.