Press and News

The new “Cryo-Lab for Materials and Electronics Packaging Chemnitz” (CRYME) enables the study of materials and systems for quantum computers at extremely low, so-called cryogenic temperatures

The home is frequently regarded as the number one source of accidents. A brief moment of carelessness is enough to land you in the radiology department with a painful foot or arm – whether from taking a wrong step on the stairs, slipping on wet bathroom tiles, or tripping over a loose carpet edge in the living room. An X-ray provides the necessary certainty by revealing whether the injury is a minor sprain or a complex fracture. Although this is standard practice in urban areas with short travel distances, it often poses a challenge in underserved rural regions. This is because, amid a shortage of doctors and ongoing hospital closures, medical care in rural areas of Germany is deteriorating. The process of obtaining a radiologically confirmed diagnosis and prompt medical treatment can quickly become a race against time. Compact, smart, and portable X-ray systems that offer genuine added value to physicians working in private practice and primary care clinics – and spare affected patients long travel distances and waiting times – could close this gap in care. Intelligent sensors form the technological basis of these systems and are being jointly developed by Fraunhofer ENAS, Klinikum Chemnitz, and Atomed X-Ray GmbH, a specialist in X-ray technology. Integrated into small, lightweight, portable X-ray systems, these sensors are intended to provide precise radiological images quickly and with minimal discomfort to patients.

Ralf Arnold, a proven expert in his field with years of testing experience, joined Europe’s new cutting-edge center for microelectronics in April of this year. He has a degree in engineering and some 40 years of specialist and leadership experience in executive management positions in test engineering for semiconductor innovations from global enterprises and in the academic sector. In his new role as Chief Scientist Test- and Design-for-Test-Concept (DFT), he will be instrumental in shaping the subject-specific and technological direction of the European Test and Reliability Center (ETRC) at Fraunhofer ENAS, advancing test roadmaps and helping to prioritize forward-looking topics. We caught up with him as he starts out in his new role. In this interview, Ralf Arnold shares exclusive insight into his extensive industry expertise, acknowledges the people who have inspired him and shows how orchestrating state-of-the-art testing strategies can help to achieve superior quality and the very highest standards for semiconductor chips in Europe.

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.