Press and News

The rapid transfer of research findings into clinical applications is essential to ensuring that knowledge and technological innovations effectively improve patient care, enhance treatment quality, and have the power to extend the lives of patients. Today, in Europe, it takes more than ten years on average for an idea to develop into a market-ready medical technology product for use at the patient’s bedside. With a view to reducing the time-related barriers that hamper the translation of scientific insights into medical practice, shortening patient waiting times, and lowering costs for the healthcare system, effective strategies are needed to bring research and hospitals closer together. With this in mind, Fraunhofer ENAS and Klinikum Chemnitz are entering into a strategic partnership to create the conditions needed to translate research into clinical practice more efficiently. By pooling their respective strengths, they aim to more closely integrate research and development, consistently align them with patient needs, and transfer new knowledge directly into everyday clinical practice. The goal is to integrate results from the research laboratory directly into treatment processes and enable needs-based healthcare services. The Memorandum of Understanding signed by both partners and the new “Health Innovation Lab” of Fraunhofer ENAS mark important initial steps toward realizing this vision.

These days, they are an integral part of our lives: They are used to impregnate and weatherproof functional clothing, as non-stick coatings to gently cook the most delicate foods and to extend the shelf lives of cosmetic and hair, skin and body care products. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are both a blessing and a curse. Also known as “forever chemicals,” these compounds are much more than just resistant to water and dirt. They are viewed as persistent, toxic substances that pose significant environmental and health risks. Because they are extremely stable and not biodegradable, they can accumulate in nature and the human body, increasing the risk of disease. However, PFAS chemicals are used not only in consumer and industrial products but also across a wide range of production processes. They have found their way into everything from automotive manufacturing to medical technology and engineering and onto aerospace production lines. In the semiconductor industry in particular, the compounds’ extraordinary heat resistance and chemical stability have made them unsurpassed in applications such as production of functional microstructures and nanostructures. Fraunhofer ENAS, the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI and memsstar Limited are working to reverse course. The three partners are pooling their strengths to identify a PFAS-free, ecofriendly alternative for the chip industry and unlock its potential for industrial use.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Electronic Nano Systems ENAS and X-FAB are joining forces in an innovative cooperation model: the “Lab-in-Fab” approach that integrates research, development, manufacturing, and commercialization to accelerate the transition of microtechnology innovations into industrial-scale production. The technical focus of the collaboration is on advanced packaging and heterogeneous integration of electronic components and systems. The “Lab-in-Fab” model enables efficient development of new processes and technologies in the fields of MEMS, microfluidics, photonics, and heterogeneous integration, and their direct transfer into manufacturing – customer-oriented, flexible, and scalable.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Electronic Nano Systems ENAS in Chemnitz, Singapore’s Agency for Science, Technology, and Research (A*STAR), and the National University of Singapore (NUS) plan to deepen their collaboration with the aim of leveraging their combined R&D expertise in the field of microelectronics in Asia. The cooperation agreements signed in October 2025 with a view to establishing strategic partnerships will forge closer links between Saxony (Europe’s most important microelectronics center) and Singapore (one of Asia’s most dynamic innovation hubs), opening the door to technological advances.

The increasing use of electric vehicles and renewable energy sources is one of the main drivers of dynamics in the semiconductor market. This has led to growing demand for power semiconductors such as silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN), which are considered key to advancements in power electronics and thus to the success of the transport and energy transition. To ensure the highest quality levels for SiC- and GaN-based chip innovations, the Fraunhofer Institute for Electronic Nano Systems ENAS and VX Instruments GmbH are developing a cutting-edge, future-oriented, and highly efficient testing system. By performing precise, parallel functional tests at the wafer level, the system will enable the production of high-performance, extremely robust, and stable devices for power electronics applications while reducing testing times and costs. The system’s combination of complex testing processes and artificial intelligence will significantly increase the efficiency of semiconductor manufacturing.

Fraunhofer ENAS celebrates the opening of the “European Test and Reliability Center” (ETRC). With support from the European Union (EU), the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) and the Free State of Saxony, the Fraunhofer Institute for Electronic Nano Systems ENAS is establishing a new European center for testing and reliability assessment of complex semiconductor components in Chemnitz.

Microelectronics are an important key technology, one that is indispensable in almost all areas of daily life. They facilitate forward-looking innovations, technological progress, and steady economic growth. In order to develop their future potential and lay the foundation for sustainable innovation, the Fraunhofer Institute for Electronic Nano Systems ENAS and Vietnam’s Becamex IDC Corporation have partnered up to begin a unique international collaborative project. The two aim to build and establish a joint research and development center for microelectronics and nanotechnology in the economically powerful province of Binh Duong, which is set to become an important center for the chip industry in Vietnam. In doing so, they are setting a decisive course for advancing the research and development of high technologies in southeast Asia.

Dr. Jochen Müller took over as head of the “Process, Device and Packaging Technologies” business unit at Fraunhofer ENAS on April 1, 2025. With a doctorate in chemistry, he looks back on a successful career in management positions at renowned companies in the semiconductor and automotive industries – including Infineon, Kendrion and ThyssenKrupp. He has many years of experience in global management roles in process development, research and development, sales, as well as the management of a complete semiconductor product segment. To mark the start of his new role, the Kronach native reveals in an interview what challenges he would like to successfully tackle in the future, what motivates him in his work and what is particularly important to him in collaboration.

If sounds seem increasingly muffled, if the outside world is getting quieter by the day, and if conversations become difficult to follow, especially when there is a lot of background noise, these are likely the initial stages of hearing loss. If left untreated, these early signs of hearing loss can lead to becoming completely deaf. Cochlear implants offer hope to people with severe hearing loss and deaf people to take a more active role in everyday life and access the world of sound. Current research efforts are focused on making progress in the field of technically assisted auditory perception with the aid of cochlear implants, which should enable improved speech intelligibility while at the same time ensuring a high level of patient comfort. The polymer Parylene, the innovative key component of these developments, is a real all-rounder, providing virtually invisible protection for the necessary electronics. At Fraunhofer ENAS, researchers such as Franz Selbmann are working on using this wafer-thin polymer to shield sensitive electronics for medical engineering and industry from external influences. In this interview, the scientist explains what makes Parylene unique and the potential applications of this advanced material, for instance for new generations of medical implants.

It is difficult to imagine life today without a smartphone. Stowed within easy reach in our pockets and bags, these mobile companions are permanently by our sides and give us all the information and services we need to make our lives more convenient and enjoyable, whether we’re at home or on the go. All it takes is a click to immerse ourselves in a favorite playlist – making us feel transported back to last weekend’s gig right there in our living room – or share data in the form of vacation memories with friends and family in just a matter of seconds. Unique entertainment experiences can also be found in mobile gaming, which allows consoles to move away from the home PC and go anywhere, and ultra-fast video streaming for a movie theater atmosphere you can enjoy from the comfort of your sofa. The new 5G mobile network standard and its successor, 6G, will give all of these familiar services better and faster performance – but they are also set to make applications in autonomous driving, networked industrial automation and intelligent robot control a reality. There are certain essential technical foundations that need to be put in place to ensure that the mobile network can expand rapidly. A research team from Saxony in Germany is working together with Fraunhofer ENAS to achieve this. In the “KoVoPack” project, the researchers are laying the foundations for smart technologies that will soon allow users to benefit from higher maximum speeds, shorter response times and even more networking opportunities.