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.

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.

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.

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.

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.