War, energy crises, climate change What can artificial intelligence do to help? 2 2 | 2 Protection and security A new era, new challenges, new solutions Reflecting the times we live in Caroline Schweitzer, managing director of the Fraunhofer Segment for Defense and Security VVS, at the International Aeronautical Exhibition in Berlin Quick, safe, objective coronavirus monitoring How Fraunhofer’s mobile laboratory measures viral load »Cybersecurity will be an ongoing task« German Federal Minister for Digital Infrastructure Volker Wissing

2 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine Editorial Prof. Reimund Neugebauer There is no one short-term, all-encompassing solution that will solve all our energy problems. In the medium term, we will need to ramp up our use of renewable energies. The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft is a co-signatory of a joint declara- tion aimed at ensuring that at least 500,000 new heat pumps are installed annually in Germany from 2024 on- ward. In the long term, nuclear fusion may hold great po- tential for a country that imports nearly three quarters of its energy carriers. Needless to say, implementing a mecha- nism that replicates the sun’s energy source will be very technically challenging. And yet the vision of being able to generate as much energy as 11 tons of coal using just 1 gram of fuel in nuclear fusion is highly motivational. Whether it’s security, energy supply or mobility, one thing is true for our society: cutting back on investments in re- search means cutting back on our future. Sincerely, Reimund Neugebauer President of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft — Learn more about the main research topics of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft: Prof. Reimund Neugebauer on LinkedIn Ready for a new era Security is the order of the day: for energy, supply chains, distribution systems and prices, as well as online and in our national defenses. This desire for security may be rooted in emotion, but we must take a rational approach to fulfilling it. In this issue of the Fraunhofer magazine, Germany’s first Minister for Digital Affairs, Dr. Volker Wissing, talks about the contradictions that need to be resolved with the power of reason. Even in this era of cybercrime and cyberwarfare, he reaffirms what his party put on their election posters: “Digital first, doubts second.” In his interview with Fraun- hofer, Volker Wissing said: “Data forms the foundation of digital business models and innovative solutions. Forgoing data means forgoing opportunities.” This new member of the federal government is full of praise for the Digital Ser- vices Act, a set of measures intended to strengthen internet users’ rights across Europe, and the G7’s resolution to collab- orate on digital protection. As part of the German Cyber Se- curity Council, Fraunhofer scientists are working full steam ahead on improving protection for industry and end users. Dependency is a threat to security, as the trouble caused by Russian gas supplies during Putin’s ongoing military cam- paign have made abundantly clear. Germany and Europe are not rich in raw materials. However, they do have a wealth of knowledge, information, education and innovation. At this time, when so much that we believed to be secure is being called into question, it is precisely these assets that we must capitalize on. Until recently, phasing out fossil-based energy carriers was just one more part of the economic discussions around the future of the affected coalfields; however, securi- ty of supply and the stability of energy prices have now sud- denly become central sociopolitical issues. For a secure fu- ture, we must use a variety of supply sources. In addition, Germany must be open to using new technolo- gies. Diversifying our energy sources is the only way to achieve a number of goals, including reducing dependen- cies — particularly when it comes to mobility. Electromobil- ity is the future. However, the more important battery cells become for road transportation, the more certain it is that hydrogen will be a crucial energy carrier in the future — especially for trucks and heavy-duty commercial vehicles. back to page 1 3 r e b u H d r a h n r e B / r e f o h n u a r F : o t o h P

2 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine 24 On your marks … get set … compute! Which quantum computer technologies will win the struggle for supremacy? 28 Ready for action with artificial intelligence War, crises, climate change: AI-driven early warning systems could help make the economy and society more resilient 31 Brew number two Coffee grounds conceal hidden treasures 32 A voice from the business world Global supply chains are in disarray: Dr. Volker Treier, Chief Executive of Foreign Trade at DIHK, discusses what we will need to rethink to achieve better supply security 68 The search for the perfect plant The summers keep getting hotter and drier. X-ray technology is helping in the search for heat-tolerant crops. 34 Alexa, we have to talk! 52 Research prizes How we can protect our privacy from omnipresent voice assistants 35 Knowledge relay, episode 5 When it comes to hydrogen, many people are concerned about the Knallgas reaction — Prof. Melz, how safe are these new technologies? 31 Brew number two Coffee is the Germans’ favorite drink. Even the grounds contain plenty of untapped potential. The Joseph von Fraunhofer Prize and the Fraunhofer Founder Award for outstanding research 62 The lasers that can see cancer cells A new laser scanner microscope for quick, precise monitoring during operations 64 Outsmarting the garbage disposal Proxidrugs provide new treatments for previously incurable diseases — cancer, infections and Alzheimer’s disease 66 Public transport for the times we live in The German government intro- duced a special, discounted nationwide travel pass costing just 9 euros — now what? 68 Which crops can withstand the heat? Field robots and X-ray technology help cultivators in their search for the perfect plants 70 Fraunhofer worldwide back to page 1 52 Research prizes The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft has been recognizing its employees’ outstanding scientific achievements since 1978 — André Weidauer (left) and Christian Süß snapped up the Founder Award 2022 for their environmentally friendly method of disinfecting seeds. 72 Protecting crops without poison The threat of hunger looms large. As insects devour a third of the world’s harvests, Fraunhofer is developing a new method of envi- ronmentally friendly pest control 74 Photo & Fraunhofer How manta rays inspired an underwater robot 76 Making excellence more measurable New assessment criteria means new opportunities for engineers 79 Fraunhofer on the road The number of cybercrimes in Germany continues to increase. In 2021, the German Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) logged a new record number of attacks, at 146,363 — more than a 12 percent increase on the previous year. The dig- ital association Bitkom surveyed 1,000 companies in Germany. 86 percent complained of cyberattacks — and that was in 2021, before the war in Ukraine. 86 l h s a p s n U / y r e v A n i v e D , i k s w o r e z c n a B r t o P / r e f o h n u a r F i , g r e b n a w h c S e D r o t c i V / y r a r b i L o t o h P e c n e i c S , i k s w o d u h C s a e r d n A , n n a m r e t a R s a n o J , n a h n e g a W n i t r a M : t n e t n o c o t o h P 5 ; i k s w o d u h C s a e r d n A l , r e v o G e n e G : s o t o h p r e v o c k c a b d n a t n o r F

2 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine Combating microplastics with lasers Until recently, sewage treatment plants have been unable to completely filter microplastics out of waste water. Now, for the first time, a team of researchers has managed to build a laser- drilled waste water filter for microplastics. The filter contains metal sheets with minuscule holes just 10 micrometers in diameter. The Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT developed the technology used to efficiently drill these holes, which number 59 million in total. The researchers used a multi-beam method involving an ultrashort pulse laser that drills with 144 beams simultane- ously. The laser-drilled metal sheets were then installed in the patented KLASS Filter GmbH cyclone filter and underwent extensive testing. In the initial test, the researchers success- fully filtered water that had been contaminated with a fine powder from 3D printers. The system will now be tested under real-life conditions at a sewage treatment plant. travel routes for a large number of passengers in different scenarios. This means that creat- ing a single simulation can quickly add up to several minutes of computing time. Optimiz- ing a timetable requires many thousands of these kinds of simulations. A short traffic jam during rush hour or a jammed door — even minor setbacks can lead to considerable delays. back to page 1 7 In the microplastic filter, the sheets with micro-holes are attached to a coarser layer to prevent the water pressure from tearing them. Arrive on time — thanks to AI Many hope that in the future, artificial intelligence (AI) will be able to help reduce delays in public transportation systems. This particular AI system was developed by a team at the Fraunhofer Institute for Indus- trial Mathematics ITWM, the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) and TU Kaiserslautern. The researchers were looking for an efficient way of designing more robust timetables for public transportation that could more effectively compensate for minor disruptions and delays. The options for combating delays in advance are few. Although the calculations for journey durations, the pauses between successive journeys and the waiting times at stops could be more generous, this would come at the cost of economic efficiency. The new process could help optimize timetables within milliseconds in such a way that they strike a balance between robustness and the external economic conditions affecting the transpor- tation companies. Until now, optimizing timetables in this manner has required com- plex computer simulations that calculate the l h s a p s n U , n e h c a A , T L I r e f o h n u a r F , H b m G x o r e e P , I K W r e f o h n u a r F / r e h ö P h p o t s i r h C l : s o t o h P

Editorial notes Fraunhofer. The magazine, magazine for research, technology and innovation ISSN 1868-3428 (print edition) ISSN 1868-3436 (online edition) Published by: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft Hansastrasse 27c, 80686 München, Germany Editorial address as above Phone +49 89 1205-1301 magazin@zv.fraunhofer.de www.fraunhofer.de/magazin Free subscription: Phone: +49 89 1205-1301 publikationen@fraunhofer.de Editorial team: Roman Möhlmann (responsible for content), Josef Oskar Seitz (editor-in-chief), Dr. Sonja Endres Editorial assistants: Dr. Janine van Ackeren, Marina Babl, Mandy Bartel, Christine Broll, Meike Grewe, Sirka Henning, Dr. Monika Offenberger, Moritz Schmerbeck, Tim Schröder, Franziska Sell, Claire Stark, Beate Strobel, Mehmet Toprak, Britta Widmann Layout and lithography: Vierthaler & Braun Cover image and cover story photography: Gene Glover, Martin Wagenhan Cyberwarfare photography: Gene Glover, Jonas Ratermann Printed by: Zeitfracht GmbH, Nürnberg © Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft e.V. München 2022 Find Fraunhofer on social media: @Fraunhofer www.facebook.com/ fraunhoferde www.instagram.com/ fraunhofergesellschaft www.linkedin.com/company/ fraunhofer-gesellschaft www.youtube.com/ fraunhofer 2 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine Climate-neutral shipping on the horizon In a world first, an electrically powered high-speed ferry that does not produce emissions will go into service in the Norwegian city of Stavanger this September. The name speaks for itself: Medstraum means “with electricity” in Norwegian. T he Medstraum was developed as part of the EU project TrAM, which the Fraunhofer Institute for Mechatronic Systems Design IEM and the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering IAO were involved in. By using modular engineering methods, the Fraunhofer researchers have been able to reduce the hours required for construct- ing the ferry by 70 percent, and saved 25 percent of the manufacturing costs — making climate-neutral shipping cheaper. To ensure that the environmentally friendly ferries of the future can be man- ufactured more quickly and cheaply, the TrAM consortium use the principle of modularization, which has been widely adopted in other industries such as aviation and vehicle engineering. The researchers build system models for ferries based on a modular approach. For one thing, this makes managing the complexity and the many dependencies involved in the devel- opment process easier and more transpar- ent. It also means the modules they develop can be transferred over to new ferry projects, quickly and cheaply. In the TrAM project, the researchers have created a platform consisting of four parts that are combined to create the ship during the design process. There are stan- dardized interfaces for each platform component: internal interfaces for the different internal systems, and external ones for the other platform elements. The modular product requires a customized manufacturing strategy, so as to use as many of the advantages of modularization as possible, including homogeneous pro- cesses, standardization and reusing parts for other ferries. Until now, designing ships has been extremely complex and labor-intensive. Each ferry is designed and built individ- ually — which is a laborious and expensive process. When it comes to alternative drive systems in particular, where any excessive energy consumption drastically reduces the ferry’s range, it is crucial to design the ships with meticulous care. back to page 1 9 M A r T / n e s t u n K s u i r a M i , s r e t n W D s e . l r a h C / y r a r b i L o t o h P e c n e i c S , o t o h p k c o t s i / a e s e n i r a m : s o t o h P

2 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine Security that reflects the times we live in Resilience, defense capability and increased protection for civilians and against cyberattacks have become topics of public debate almost overnight. Fraunhofer is working on intelligent solutions — including measures for the best possible deployment of the 100 billion euros in special funding awarded to the German armed forces. By Mehmet Toprak, photos by Gene Glover and Martin Wagenhan back to page 1 11

2 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine 2 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine “The research institutes of the Fraunhofer VVS can substantially contri- bute to our country’s defense capability.” Caroline Schweitzer, managing director of the Fraunhofer Segment for Defense and Security VVS back to page 1 13

practice — one that researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute of Optronics, System Technologies and Image Exploitation IOSB are currently aiming to improve upon. They are working on camou- flage clothing that autonomously adapts to its environment. Integrated sensors measure the ambient brightness and predominant colors and then transmit this information to intelligently controlled LEDs integrated into the textiles. These then emit light in the appropriate color and level of brightness, al low ing sold iers to essentially merge with t hei r s u r rou nd i ngs . The person wearing the uniform does not need to do anything — they do not have to press a button or activate any sensors. This technol- ogy is already here. In the future, if a soldier is in contact with aerial reconnaissance via an information system, the camouf lage clothing will be able to adjust its color spectrum in order to avoid being detected by the optical sensors of an overhead drone. “We can use camouflage to manipulate perception,” explains Max Winkel- mann, research fellow at Fraunhofer IOSB. The team is not only focused on optics, however — the researchers are also conducting research into textiles that can deceive thermal imaging cameras. “We are currently experimenting with a broad range of new tech- nologies to enhance protection for our soldiers,” reveals Winkelmann. Dr. Max Winkelmann, Fraunhofer IOSB The Fraunhofer Institute for High-Speed Dynamics, Ernst-Mach-Institut, EMI is also focused on optimized protection for people in deployment. Here, Elmar Straßburger and Dr. Steffen Bauer shoot at glass with metal projectiles, evaluate the damage and draw conclusions about how windows in vehicles can be better protected when under “We are currently experimenting with a broad spectrum of new technolo- gies to enhance protection for our soldiers.” fire. Laminated safety glass is generally used for this purpose. Ultimately, its strength is determined by the thickness of the individual layers and the combination of different glass types used. “We are not simply investigating whether the projectile breaks through the pane. The pane often with- stands the first shot, and the second one, too. But with the third shot, the pane shatters completely and can no longer protect people inside the vehi- cle.” The researchers are therefore focusing on the question of how stable a pane of glass is when it has already been dam- aged by a projectile — and the initial damage hap- pens right at the moment the projectile strikes, i.e. before it begins to pene- trate the glass. This is because the impact cre- ates shock waves within the glass that precede the projectile at high speed and can lead to cracks forming. Fraunhofer EMI researchers are using high-speed cameras to record these processes — from the impact to the deceleration of the pro- jectile in just 200 micro- seconds. The experts are also using X-ray com- puted tomography and numerical simulation models “in order to make more precise predictions regarding the strength and resilience of lami- nated glass and laminates with different material combinations and layer thicknesses,” explains Bauer. Fraunhofer researchers are also involved in what is expected to be the largest and most ambi- tious European defense program of the coming decades. There are plans to integrate the Future Combat Air System (abbreviated FCAS) as an air defense system into existing platforms such as Eurofighter or Rafale from 2040 onwards, before fully replacing them at a later point. Almost all VVS institutes are participating in this 2 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine 2 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine Camouflage Fraunhofer researchers are working on innovative technology for camouflag- ing uniforms and vehicles. A combination of sensors and LEDs integrated into fabric creates colors and patterns on uniforms that continu- ously adapt to the environ- ment and purpose of the operation. Mission planning The digital map table is a software system that allows users to visualize and work on complex situations. Any number of users can use it to work together on the same situation — either on a large display, or from different loca tions with their indivi - dual devices. Using VR tech- nology, they even can meet around a 3D map table in a virtual situation room. Ten of these systems are already in use at the Bundes wehr Command and Staff College. Information system for networks Coalition Shared Data (CSD) allows stakeholders to save reconnaissance data in multinational networks in a needs-based, uniform manner — in accordance with a NATO standard — as well as distribute and retrieve it, all while respect- ing data ownership. CSD technology is deployed in a variety of the German armed forces’ foreign assignments. Fraunhofer Institute of Optronics, System Technologies and Image Exploitation IOSB* *The mentioned institutes are not always solely respon- sible for projects, but may participate in or manage a respective project. back to page 1 15

two-dimensional reflectivity of the scene. Scien- tists at Fraunhofer FHR are experimenting with circular SAR at extremely high carrier frequencies. Dr. Palm has also completed a PhD on the topic. Research must focus on public safety and security During this process, an aircraft or reconnaissance drone follows a circular flight path around the area to be observed while continuously directing a radar beam at the center. This generates images “Our aim is to create a virtual visual represen- tation of these events and their specific effects, including using 3D VR.” Daniel Hiller, managing director at Fraunhofer SIRIOS from multiple angles, enabling individual objects to be captured in 3D, i.e. viewed from several sides. This also allows for a much higher resolu- tion can be achieved with conventional imaging on linear trajectories. “Circular SAR makes it possible to create SAR videos and visualize objects in motion on the ground, such as moving cars,” says Dr. Palm. 2 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine Using the current experimental system, a reconnaissance aircraft flying at a height of 600 meters over the target area can identify objects smaller than 5 centimeters in size. Aircraft can also reach much higher altitudes if more output power is provided. This allows for high-resolution reconnaissance in real time, even in poor weather conditions or at night. An additional focus of research activity at Fraunhofer is public safety and security. Daniel Hiller, managing director at Fraunhofer SIRIOS, describes enormous “challenges for society posed by dangers such as terrorism, cyberattacks and climate change.” Fraunhofer SIRIOS, a collabora- tion between four Fraunhofer institutes, com- menced operations in January 2022 in Berlin. These Fraunhofer experts are focusing on the principle of simulations that can be experienced virtually. Fraunhofer SIRIOS creates detailed simulations of the development of dangerous events such as attacks or explosions, and the probable reaction of the people affected. However, the simulation is not only limited to abstract data sets and graphics. “Our aim is to create a virtual visual representa- tion of these events and their specific effects, including using 3D VR.” How can warnings be issued to the public? Olaf Korte at Fraunhofer IIS is focusing on early warning systems, which are crucial in hazard- ous situations such as natural disasters. Many traditional warning siren systems have been dismantled in recent years, or are no longer being maintained. Although warning apps do exist for smartphones, these devices rely on a functioning cell phone network. Radio networks are much more robust. Olaf Korte and his colleagues are betting on these. The EWF (Emergency Warning Functionality) feature allows for a warning to be triggered from a central location such as an interior ministry. This is sent as a switchover or wake-up signal, and transmits an audio message with scrolling text to the display on the end device. DAB+ radios can receive the message. Higher-quality receivers also offer multilingual and more detailed text for hearing impaired peo- ple and foreign language speakers. The warnings and information text can also be used for public display boards. “An advantage of this technology is that warnings about an imminent storm, for Warning and alarm systems High-performance information logistics and architecture for net- worked public warning and alarm systems. Fraunhofer Institute for Open Communication Systems FOKUS Defense against drones with high- energy microwaves Detecting and tackling drones using conventional weapons is difficult, especially when the drones are small in size. Targeted disruption of drones’ electronic systems for motor control, flight attitude and other control elements using high-en- ergy microwaves offers all-round protection against individual drones, but also safeguards objects that need to be protected against swarms. Detecting electromag- netic attacks Weapons that disrupt, or even destroy, modern electronic systems using high-energy microwaves fall within the category of modern directed-energy weapons. Detecting this type of attack is the crucial first step. An extremely compact detector can be integrated into mobile and stationary weapon systems. It then recognizes and analyzes the type and direction of an attack using microwaves. Fraunhofer Institute for Technological Trend Analysis INT back to page 1 17

instance, can be regionally distributed in a highly precise way,” says Korte. The distribution of DAB+ in Germany is currently only around 25 percent, but this figure is increasing. “An advantage of this technology is that warnings can be sent out regionally in a very precise way.” Olaf Korte, Fraunhofer IIS A radar for investment Globally, research and technological develop- ment in the areas of civil protection and defense has been running at peak levels in order to bet- ter protect people not only from the impact of climate change, but also from military attacks. The military technology radar (MiTeRa) tool developed at Fraunhofer FKIE delivers a con- tinuously updated overview of a wide range of research activities. Dr. Hanna Geppert and Dr. Carsten Winkelholz have created this software tool together with their team and the German Federal Ministry of Defence (BMVg) to maintain a continuous overview of the maturity level, intensity and planning status of research activities related to important future technologies. “When certain communication tools become obsolete, it’s important to know when new technology will be market-ready, in order to avoid gaps,” explains Dr. Geppert. This is made possible by taking an ergonomic approach, and by consid- ering who requires information to make an informed decision, what kind of information they need, and when they need it. The result is an interactive, intuitive representation based on visual analytics. The BMVg is currently using the tech- nology radar tool in cybersecurity and IT research, and there are plans to use it in additional areas as needed. A growing need — and government willingness put down on paper The German armed forces and Ministry of Defense also want to know about future technological trends and what the armed forces’ equipment will look like in the future. The technology that will be employed in modern weapon systems in 10 or 20 years is the subject of ongoing research proj- ects — mostly driven by civilians — in laboratories around the world, although technology readiness levels are still low. The Fraunhofer Institute for Technological Trend Analysis INT offers an over- view of this research. “We have been providing a 360° view of this complex technological landscape for over 40 years, and we advise the BMVg in terms of designing their departmental research program,” explains Prof. Michael Lauster, head of Fraunhofer INT and deputy spokesperson of the Fraunhofer Segment for Defense and Security VVS. In addition, the quarterly publication from Fraunhofer INT, “Defense Technology Foresight,” provides planners and decision-makers with essential information for making future-proof equipment decisions. Germany’s defense requirements are growing, the government’s willingness to act is a docu- mented fact — and research is ready and waiting. “We have already made targeted offers of services to the Ministry of Defense,” says Schweitzer, VVS managing director. “We are in a position where we can rapidly react to specific requests from the German armed forces and bring new technologies into the field,” Prof. Jürgen Beyerer, VVS chair, also affirms. When it comes to the current situa- tion, the VVS chair believes that: “We will be able to demonstrate this capability to an even greater extent in the future.” 2 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine Emergency warning The warning system EWF (Emergency Warning Functionality) uses DAB+ digital radio to issue warnings to the public in the case of disasters, attacks or incidents of any kind. This robust system complements internet- based technology such as smartphone warning apps. Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS SE/EKUS operations management and communication system The SE/EKUS operations management and commu- nication system supports special police units in operational preparation, mission management and communication. This system, which is now award-winning and has become established in Germany as standard, provides state-of-the-art web and server technologies along with mobile applica- tions. In this way, forces on the ground can use mobile apps to stay up to date. Fraunhofer Institute for Transportation and Infrastructure Systems IVI Rocket detection Bi-spectral infrared detectors can be used to detect and identify approaching rockets. This system is used by Airbus A400M aircraft, for instance. Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Solid State Physics IAF back to page 1 19

2 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine Following his officer’s training, Michael Lauster studied aerospace technology at Universi- tät der Bundeswehr München (military university of Munich). Prof. Lauster has been deputy spokesperson for the Fraunhofer Segment for Defense and Security VVS since 2020. 5 Space travel is set to play an increas- ingly significant role in security. Satellites will be used for navigation and communication, but that’s not all. In the future, it will be possible to carry out recon- naissance using satellites in low Earth orbit, with customizable configurations that can be launched as required. Under the “responsive space” model, it will be possible to quickly replace disabled satellites in orbit by launch- ing our own assets within a short time. forms of transportation led to the rise of superpowers. Still today, armies aim to use the highest-quality equipment. However, even the most up-to-date technology is useless without people who know how to use it. The difference between combat effectiveness(i.e. the type and number of weapons) and combat readiness (i.e. the determination and ability to deploy them) is crucial. Only a combination of effective technology and highly motivated, well-educated soldiers will lead to success in combat situations. 7 For all the latest technology, it is the 2,500-year-old saying from Sun Tzu’s “The Art of War”, the earliest histori- cal text on strategy, that holds sway: “To fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy’s resistance without fighting.” 6 Technology has been a decisive fac- tor in armed conflict throughout his- tory. The side that could build more effective weaponry had a significant advan- tage. Swords and shields made from bronze were tougher and more durable than their precursors made of copper or wood and ani- mal hide. The development of powerful cross- bows and the first muzzle-loading firearms brought the era of heavily armored knights to an end; the invention of aircraft unlocked the aerial domain as an additional battlefield. When combined with ships from which they could launch and land, aircraft enabled global power projection. A range of nuclear weapons, alongside carrier rockets and other long-range T N I r e f o h n u a r F : o t o h P “Supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy’s resis- tance without fighting.” Sun Tzu, “The Art of War” back to page 1 21

excrete viruses in their stool and when brushing their teeth — and on average, this begins more than a week before the onset of symptoms. This means that sew- age analysis can be used to map current infection levels without the time delays that occur with individual testing, which has been the primary indicator until this point. “At the same time, the sewage sam- ples give us a conclusive average value that covers every individual in the respective treatment plants’ catchment area — we don’t have to allow for undetected cases any more,” emphasizes Dr. Udo Gommel, head of the Ultraclean Technology and Micromanufacturing division and the The safety of the researchers conducting the tests is one of the many important concerns for the mobile lab. Intelligent Automation and Cleanliness Technology department at Fraunhofer IPA. “Many people are tired of being tested, so they’re no longer willing to go in for COVID screening. This solution gets around that issue without impacting data protection requirements.” The test results show a relative viral load value for the water sample, which can be com- pared across different places or measuring points in order to ascertain how the virus is spreading. These tests are so sensitive that they can return a positive result if as few as 10 people out of 10,000 are infected. There are already established methods for analyzing coronavirus fragments in sewage. First, the samples from the treat- ) 2 ( z e B r e n a R / A P i I r e f o h n u a r F : s o t o h P 2 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine ment plant are heated to kill any potential pathogens. Then, they are cleaned and concentrated. A magnet-based technology is used to collect all the RNA and DNA fragments in the sample. The scientists have special probes that can specifically identify, mark and reproduce the SARS- CoV-2 fragments. In the process, a light signal is produced, which can then be detected and assessed via quantitative real-time PCR measurement. Stationary sewage analysis facilities for coronavirus monitoring are already being used to great effect in many countries around the world, such as the Netherlands, where they have been implemented on a large scale. However, the German govern- ment has proven much more hesitant so far, attempting just a few small, individual pilot projects. Meanwhile, last spring, the EU Commission requested that the mem- ber states implement more systematic initiatives for coronavirus monitoring via sewage analysis, and that they incorporate this technique into their national testing strategies for fighting the pandemic. At the same time, Germany’s estab- lished stationary sewage testing facilities are reaching their limits: most samples are not analyzed at the site where they are collected, but rather are sent to external testing labs, which leads to delays. “On top of that, you have the issue that, as yet, there is no standard protocol for analyzing sewage,” points out Thude. Analysis guide- lines for nasopharyngeal swabbing were created and widely distributed at an early stage, which meant that comparing data from different labs became possible very quickly. However, for sewage monitoring, each individual municipality is essentially left to decide for themselves how they will proceed. Results within hours “This is where our mobile testing labora- tory comes into play,” highlights Kreck. “It allows us to conduct the analyses directly at the sample collection site, and it only takes a few hours to get the results. Because all the analyses are performed by the same lab and we have a standard- ized procedure, the results can easily be compared with each other.” The resulting data is also fed into an algorithm that uses artificial intelligence to predict the direction and speed at which the virus is spreading. “Then, based on the results, we get a recommended strategy for sub- sequent testing, so we don’t have to carry out testing over an extensive area,” Dr. Gommel explains. A nationwide testing strategy The project began back in summer 2020, with the mobile lab obtaining approval for road usage last winter. It was particularly challenging to incorporate all the ele- ments of a standard stationary laboratory into the smallest possible space. To keep the risks of cross-contamina- tion as low as possible, two different compartments were created: one small section for water treatment and another larger one for the actual analysis. A hatch for passing the samples through links the two compartments. The researchers have also taken other steps to physically sepa- rate the stages of the workflow as far as possible. The equipment was specially selected so as to ensure that the smallest possible number of different instruments would be needed, while also allowing for a certain level of redundancy in case any equipment breaks down. The trailer is also equipped with a heating system, air con- ditioning and a fire alarm, as well as facilities for reagent cooling and safe waste disposal. Protective clothing is provided for the staff and all the necessary hygienic precautions have been taken. “We have taken every possible aspect into account here, and created a laboratory with adequate space and equipment for conducting multiple, consecutive tests. The only thing it doesn’t have is space to sleep,” says Thude with a laugh. Dikksi Co Vi has already completed its first successful test runs in the Stuttgart metropolitan region. Dr. Gommel is firmly convinced that the mobile lab could go all the way: “It would only take a very reason- able number of these units to implement an effective German-wide test strategy.” back to page 1 23

2 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine t r e n u e N i a K / W D A B : o t o h P back to page 1 25

2 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine In the SPINNING project, scientists are working to develop a compact, scalable quantum processor that can be connected to a conventional computer. The shining lights: photonic qubits The tough guy: atom qubits One option that can be described in glowing terms — literally — uses “squeezed” light in special, integrated light channels on silicon wafers. In these photonic integrated circuits, the light particles can be used as qubits and can be monitored and con- trolled with almost no losses even at room tempera- ture. The photonic approach also offers advantages in terms of scaling, because the functions needed for the computing operations can be implemented on a single chip using established semi-conductor manufacturing processes. In the PhoQuant project, some 14 partners are developing a new, photonic computer architecture for industrial applications, such as optimizing airport schedules in real time when unexpected delays arise. The researchers are not only developing algorithms for specific prob- lems, but also for universal quantum computing applications. In PhoQuant, the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering IOF in Jena is laying the technological groundwork for quantum computing, with solutions such as optically integrated quantum light sources and low-loss optical and fiber-optic interferometers for combining light waves. The Dresden-based Fraun- hofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems IPMS is bringing its expertise to bear by developing FPGA and ASIC architectures; these are integrated cir- cuits with active interfaces, which make it possible to control and evaluate the functionalities of the photonic chip with great precision. This project represents an important step on the road to scalable, error-tolerant, photonic qubit technologies. Atom qubits have very low susceptibility to dis- ruption. As part of the Munich Quantum Valley initiative, Fraunhofer is working to develop a quantum processor based on neutral atoms in the MUNIQC-Atoms project. Individual strontium atoms, which function as the computing units, are caught in special optical traps using laser pincers and cooled. These atoms can be excited and moved using individual laser beams. As only individual atoms require cooling, the expensive process of keeping the entire qubit system at extremely low temperatures is not necessary here. What’s more, due to their electrical neutrality, atoms are less sen- sitive to disruptions, which results in longer coher- ence times. The project partners aim to demonstrate the basic functionality of the quantum processor, its scalability and the possibility of accessing it externally. The Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS is developing control electronics for directing the lasers. The researchers’ goal is to create a quantum processor with up to 400 qubits by 2026. In the coming years, a winner will emerge vic- torious from the quantum marathon. However, by themselves, hardly any of these technologies are likely to make it to the finish line. Ultimately, the greatest potential lies in a combination of quantum and classic high-performance computers (HPC). In this kind of system, quantum processors could massively increase the speed of the type of computing operations they are suited to, while the other processors would handle the remaining tasks. The old saying still holds true: many hands make light work. k c o t S e b o d A : o t o h P Atom qubits have a very low susceptibility to disruption. As only individual atoms require cooling, the expensive process of keeping the entire qubit system at extremely low temperatures is not necessary. back to page 1 27

2 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine then be shared with as many companies as possible — similar to the COVID-19 dashboard that the Robert Koch Institute uses to publish the current numbers of corona- virus cases. I n an analysis of the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) back in 2017, the Fraun- hofer Big Data and Artificial Intelligence Alliance stated that “We have come to a turning point.” The alliance predicted that this technol- ogy, “in the form of talking devices and digital assistants, cooperative robots, autonomous vehicles and drones,” would pervade our everyday lives with “astonishing speed,” making us more comfortable and safer. The DAKI-FWS (Data- and AI-supported early warn- ing system for stabilizing the German economy) project, commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Eco- nomic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) as part of its AI innovation competition, is an ambitious step in this direction. Launched in December 2021, the goal of the project is to develop an early warning system that can detect both infectious disease crises, such as a virus pandemic, and natural and climate-related catastrophes such as floods and heat waves. This system will place a particular focus on warn- ing companies well in advance, so that they can make decisions in good time. Predicting catastrophes using data analysis is not a new idea. “There are already a lot of very special- ized expert solutions in this area,” confirms mathematician Dr. Jackie Ma, head of the Applied Machine Learning Group at the Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute HHI, which has taken on the overall manage- ment of DAKI-FWS. However, the wide range of possible catastrophes that this project covers is what sets it apart. “What’s especially exciting is that in DAKI-FWS, we’ve linked infectious disease data — such as incidence rates, hospital bed occupancy and transmission rates — with data sources such as temperature, rainfall and traffic data,” explains Dr. Ma. The researchers have set them- selves the lofty goal of building up a more comprehen- sive overview of the complete picture and making more precise projections. So, are we on the verge of having a supercomputer with a flashing blue light to tell us when things are getting dicey in Germany or Europe? “That’s not how it works in reality,” laughs Fraunhofer HHI expert Dr. Ma. The inten- tion in the DAKI-FWS project is to create an AI-based crisis intervention platform that can be fed with a large amount of varied data in the simplest way possible. An AI will analyze this and develop projections, which will r e n t t ü B s n e J / e c n a i l l a - e r u t c i p : o t o h P “An early warning system like DAKI will only work if politicians, industry and the general public trust it.” Dr. Jackie Ma, head of the Applied Machine Learning Group at Fraunhofer HHI Fraunhofer HHI can build on the expertise gained through previous successful Fraunhofer projects: The SAUBER project provides AI projections regarding the air quality in different cities and regions, using data from the Copernicus space program as its primary basis. The KLIPS project, on the other hand, focuses on AI-driven predictions of what are known as heat islands in cities. “In terms of technology, there are a lot of similarities between these two projects and our new early warning system,” explains Dr. Ma. “However, the scale of DAKI-FWS is significantly larger.” In addition to Fraunhofer HHI, the consortium project involves the Charité university hospital in Berlin, the Justus Liebig University in Giessen, the Robert Koch Institute, the Zuse Institute Berlin and the Hasso Plattner Institute for Digital Engineering gGmbH, as well as the companies Budelmann Elektronik, Data4Life, LOGIBALL, NET CHECK and Esri Deutschland. While artificial intelligence has proved its worth in the sales and finance sectors, applying AI in the field of natural catastrophes is much more challenging. “Modeling the planet is unbelievably difficult,” explains proj- ect manager Dr. Ma. “The models required are extremely complex, and the quantities of data we’re feeding in are enormous and technically very difficult to handle.” Like weather and climate phenomena, viruses do not generally tend to stay within geopolitical boundaries — which is why it only makes sense to use global data in the DAKI-FWS project in the long term. However, in terms of quality and quan- tity, this data can vary hugely: While China, for example, collects data on everything but is extremely reluctant to share it, far less data is collected in the Global South. Then there’s the fact that strict German and European data protection laws make it difficult to use Big Data. “You can’t cut corners when it comes to data protection,” says Dr. Ma. “An early warning system like DAKI will only work if politicians, industry and the general public trust it.” These days, artificial intelligence is already a “master projection maker,” as the Zukunftsinstitut (institute for the future) in Hamburg puts it. And its potential is becom- ing more obvious all the time. Particularly when it back to page 1 29

Brew number two You can read your fortune in coffee grounds — And now, as part of the InKa project, researchers are working on more sustainable uses for this rich substance. By Claire Stark 2 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine Valuable waste: Coffee grounds contain up to 25 percent coffee oil. A team from the Fraun hofer Institute for Environmental, Safety and Energy Technology UMSICHT is aiming to process coffee grounds into high-quality intermediate products. The researchers have identified potential uses for this in fields such as the paper and cardboard industry and bioplastics production. The industrial production of instant coffee generates large quantities of coffee grounds. This process uses far more effec- tive extraction systems than standard household coffee machines. Nevertheless, every 1 kilogram of soluble coffee produces 2 kilograms of wet coffee grounds, and at present, most of this is thermally recycled, i.e. burned. The valuable substances they contain remain unused. To put various possible recycling methods to the test, the researches separated the coffee grounds into their individual components. These included coffee oil, which amounted to 20–25 percent of the grounds. y r e v A n i v e D / h s a p s n U l : o t o h P This oil consists of up to 44 percent glyc- erol esters of linoleic acid, a double unsat- urated fatty acid. “The only other place you will find these amounts of linoleic acid are in high-quality edible oils,” explains Dr. Inna Bretz, head of the Circular and Bio-based Plastics department at Fraun- hofer UMSICHT. “Our goal is to isolate and modify this fatty acid in order to make it usable for other products or for chemical syntheses.” To do this, the researchers carry out a process of transesterification, where the bond between the linoleic acid and glycerin is broken and the fatty acid forms a new compound with an added alcohol, allowing it to be isolated. It is then chemically modified so that it can be used as an additive in bio-based plastics. There are also potential ways to use the de-oiled coffee grounds. Together with their project partner BellePapier GmbH, Fraunhofer is investigating how these can be applied in the manufacture of paper and cardboard — as a brown dye for cardboard, for example. They are also currently experimenting with using the oil as an additive in tissue products such as wet wipes. There are still a number of challenges to overcome before the method is ready for the market. This includes scaling up processes from the laboratory to industrial production. “There are up to five steps involved in the process of turning coffee grounds into additives for bioplastics. And when scaling up, every step has to be adjusted accordingly,” says Dr. Bretz. The logistical aspects are also challenging. Transportation and storage must be opti- mized to prevent the formation of mold, which can alter the substances contained in the grounds, resulting in the production of toxic materials. For this reason, InKa will only work with industrial partners who already use freeze-drying to produce instant coffee, as this means they can also ship the coffee grounds freeze-dried. To this end, the project is seeking other com- panies in the industry that are interested in collaborating. — Scan here for the podcast: back to page 1 31

2 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine companies could rely their materials being deliv- ered “just in time” for production. However, for months now, jams in container ship traffic, staff shortages in the logistics industry and an imbalance between supply and demand have been leading to empty warehouses, reduced production and enormous price increases. Supply chain manage- ment has become a major challenge for German industry, which is oriented towards exports and largely consists of medium-sized companies. The return of lockdowns in China, Germany’s most important trading partner, as well as upheav- als in world trade caused by the war in Ukraine and sanctions against Russia, mean that, once again, there is no immediate improvement in sight for supply chains. The effects of material shortages and price increases could be mitigated through new measures in the areas of trade, industry and environmental policy. In the short term, the suspension of duties or punitive tariffs on certain scarce products could bring some relief. The European Union (EU), for example, imposes various anti-dumping duties on steel, aluminum and fertilizer products that are either currently in short supply in Europe or have seen sharp increases in price. Political intervention aside, companies are working at full steam to make their supply chains more resilient. And as survey figures show, they are examining their supply relationships and production sites with a critical eye. The German Chambers of Commerce and Industry, a network of 79 chambers of industry and commerce in Germany, and the German Chambers of Commerce Abroad (AHK), which has 140 locations in over 90 countries, actively support companies to help them restructure their supply chains. A number of “German chambers of commerce abroad” (German organizations established in foreign countries with the aim of advising, supporting and representing German companies) have come together to set up the AHK Industrial Suppliers Forum. The purpose of the forum is to connect industrial suppliers from European countries with buyers and sales partners from Germany, thereby creating one of the largest supplier communities in Europe. In addition, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) is supporting competence centers that focus on raw materials, which are located at several AHKs in resource-rich countries. The aim of these com- petence centers is to provide information about the opportunities and risks associated with the e k c i h c S s n e J / K H D I : o t o h P markets and to support companies in establishing business relationships, whether for procuring raw materials or marketing their own mining technologies. Politicians must support the realignment of supply chains by providing suitable framework conditions. Diversifying import sources and work- ing to expand and intensify trading partnerships through trade agreements, for example, can help companies to spread their supplier network across several countries and regions. After all, reliable trade agreements break down barriers to trade and create common standards based on legal security and planning security. For example, the EU could implement the trade agreements negotiated with Mercosur, South America’s common market that includes Chile, Mexico and New Zealand. In addition to trade policy measures, the EU will also provide vital momentum for ensuring the resilience of supply chains in terms of industrial and environmental policy. Expanding the cir- cular economy in Germany and the EU can help ensure that raw materials remain sufficiently available. Increasing the rate at which materials are reused will not only ensure a lower output of emissions, but also a greater level of independence when importing primary raw materials. There is a need for greater research and development, both in terms of materials that can be recycled, i.e. as part of a circular economy, and in terms of recycled materials that can be used in place of primary raw materials. Higher rates of energy efficiency in industry will also contribute to alleviating shortages of raw materials, offering scope for further research regarding, for instance, increasing the utilization rates of energy carriers and increasing the energy efficiency of production by converting machines and making it possible to process alternative materials. Political measures to promote research projects, help the workforce acquire the necessary expertise and remove reg- ulatory hurdles in these fields would also have a positive effect. However, at a time when company supply chains are in such disarray, increasing the bureau- cratic requirements that companies must meet, for example through the Supply Chain Due Dili- gence Act (Lieferkettensorgfaltspflichtengesetz, LkSG), creates further challenges. In order to get an overview of the risks in their supply chains, companies will tend to limit themselves to fewer suppliers from fewer countries, which prevents necessary diversification processes and negatively effects the resilience of their supply chains. “There is a need for greater research, both in terms of materials that can be recycled, i.e. as part of a circular economy, and how recycled materials can be used in place of primary raw materials.” Dr. Volker Treier Chief Executive of Foreign Trade at DIHK and Mem- ber of the Executive Board since January 2019. Dr. Treier first started with the German Chambers of Commerce and Industry e. V. in 2003 and has since held numerous positions, from head of the depart- ment for economic cycle and growth policy, to Managing Director Inter- national Economics Affairs. Studied economics and completed a doctorate in Economic Sciences in Bam- berg on the subject of fis- cal competition in Central and Eastern Europe enti- tled “Realität oder Fik- tion?” (Reality or fiction?). Was born in Creglingen in Baden-Württemberg on August 6, 1969. back to page 1 33

2 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine Knowledge relay When it comes to hydrogen, many people are con - cerned about the Knallgas reaction — Prof. Tobias Melz, how safe are these new technologies? back to page 1 35

2 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine Knowledge relay When it comes to hydrogen, many people are con - cerned about the Knallgas reaction — Prof. Tobias Melz, how safe are these new technologies? back to page 1 35

Prof. Tobias Melz is director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Structural Durability and System Reliability LBF. 2 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine especially as regards its interaction with materials and the precautions that can be taken to improve safety. H2 molecules are very small, and they can permeate metal surfaces and react with them. At room temperature, H2 is a gas; it becomes liquid at -253 °C and can easily react with oxygen to form water. This reaction, which releases a large amount of energy, is the whole reason that we can use H2 as an energy carrier. If not con- trolled, it can actually be explosive; how- ever, when it is controlled, for example in fuel cells, the reaction is safe because it takes place at the molecular level in the fuel cells, rather than in large volumes of gas. H2 — a true all-rounder Hydrogen has been used on a large scale in industry for quite some time, whether in the extraction of raw materials, in pro- cesses or in the production of ammonia and fertilizers. The concepts of electrolysis and fuel cells have been around for over 150 years. However, in recent years, these fields have heralded many new develop- ments, including innovative materials, structures, applications and many overall] influencing factors. In addition, repurpos- ing existing structures such as the natural gas network needs to be considered. Apart from economic challenges, there is one significant problem associated with H2: especially under standard operating conditions, H 2 can react with various materials, causing brittleness and cracking, which leads to damaged seals, uncontrolled leaks or even ruptures. It is important that we understand the chemical and mechan- ical stresses that simultaneously affect components and systems, as well as the resulting impact on safety and reliability at both a small and large scale, and bring these factors under control in the design and operation phases. To achieve this, after the material, component and system stresses have been identified, a stress resistance analysis is usually carried out. It is increasingly common to conduct this analysis using a combination of digital simulations and real-world experiments. In addition, the components that come into contact with H2 can also be continuously monitored during operation, in order to detect damage as quickly as possible and initiate countermeasures. If the mecha- nisms causing damage are known, suitable digital twins can be used to monitor the components, make reliability predictions for the overall system and estimate the effects of damage and failures in sub-sys- tems. However, dealing with these kinds of connected systems actually gives rise to another safety-related question: How well prepared are Germany’s critical research and industry infrastructures in terms of cybersecurity? Safety and reliability are important. Every new tech- nology comes with new opportunities and risks, that must be identified, under- stood and safely controlled. F B L r e f o h n u a r F / i k s w o r e z c n a B r t o P i : o t o h P In the next issue: How well prepared are Germany’s critical research and industry infrastructures in terms of cybersecurity? back to page 1 37

2 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine “The lines between internal networks and the outside world are becoming blurred. In the face of this develop- ment, security models based on bundling every compo- nent into one secure network no longer make the grade,” says Martin Seiffert of Fraunhofer AISEC. back to page 1 39

2 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine Prof. Haya Shulman has already snapped up many a big catch in the shark tank of the world wide web. An Israeli with German roots, she learned her trade in the cybersecurity division of the Israeli army, which is known worldwide as a training ground for the elite warriors of the cyber world. back to page 1 41

2 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine But cyberattacks are not the only danger — there’s a hybrid threat to reckon with. Cyberwarfare also involves disinformation campaigns aimed at undermining the truth in media and politics. Even before the war in Ukraine, there was a clear trend toward adopting zero-trust systems. The USA is leading the charge here. In January, binding orders were issued to the effect that all American federal authorities must implement zero-trust security architectures by the end of 2024. The recent geopolitical developments could give Germany’s implementation process a signif- icant boost. Haya Shulman and her team, as well as their colleagues at the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied and Integrated Security AISEC, help a wide range of companies and various organizations in making their IT systems more secure. Their first step here is to create a model of the whole system. “We check what data is exchanged between com- ponents, what data is stored and why. Then we identify security goals, such as ensuring confi- dentiality of the data or their integrity, i.e. making sure it cannot be modified,” explains Martin Seiffert, a senior scientist in the Secure Systems Engineering department at Fraunhofer AISEC. Finally, they analyze how easily an attacker could breach these security goals and develop controls for countering these threats. companies as to what it would make sense to implement in their individual case.” In general, she sees making the switch as a worthwhile invest- ment, in light of the enormous damage cyberattacks can cause. However, even zero-trust architectures cannot guarantee 100 percent security. This is why Prof. Shulman is advocating for the establishment of an active national cyberdefense strategy, involving targeted initiatives aimed at stopping ongoing cyberattacks or incapacitating attack infrastruc- tures at an early stage. It is also important to avoid collateral damage in the process. If, for example, certain networks are blocked, this could also effect people with no involvement in the attacks. It takes an expert to assess what the consequences of these defense measures might be before they are imple- mented. The damage an attack could cause and the risks involved in possible defensive countermea- sures must be weighed up and compared carefully. Prof. Shulman and her team conduct simulations and develop procedures for effectively combating attacks while also minimizing damage. However, she emphasizes that having an active cyberdefense “Whether a post is actually disinformation or not is something for a human to decide. We only identify suspicious messages.” Prof. Martin Steinebach, Fraunhofer SIT “If these controls are based on a zero-trust strategy, this means that traffic and every access to resources are constantly monitored and vali- dated. However, data protection requirements must always be guaranteed,” Seiffert continues. If, for example, a user were to access data first from Germany and try then again from Panama an hour later, the system would notice that something is not plausible. The access request would be denied. However, this should not impact usability, as the extra layer of monitoring, which queries a variety of criteria in order to verify trustworthiness, runs automatically in the background. “There’s a lot of technology involved in zero-trust systems,” Prof. Shulman points out. “You don’t have to take on all of that. We analyze the whole system and advise system does not mean conducting “hackbacks,” as so many people mistakenly believe. Despite hacker groups affiliated with Russia carrying out virtual retaliatory strikes of that nature and Ukraine calling for similar operations at the start of the war, Prof. Shulman strongly advises against them. “Inexperienced hackers can unintentionally wreak havoc online. If the whole world were to start launching cyberattacks, things could escalate uncontrollably in a very short space of time.” Target acquired: weaken democracy But cyberattacks are not the only danger — there’s a hybrid threat to reckon with. Cyber warfare also involves disinformation campaigns aimed at back to page 1 43

2 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine undermining the truth in media and politics and weakening democratic societies. Of course, his- tory shows that disinformation and propaganda have been around for many years, but the speed and extent of their spread across websites, social media and messaging services is a new phenom- enon. For the last five years, an interdisciplinary research team comprised of computer scientists, media psychologists, journalists and lawyers and led by Fraunhofer SIT have been working on effective ways of combating this phenomenon — starting in project DORIAN, and now continuing in DYNAMO, a follow-up project. However, the highly dynamic nature of this research field pres- ents challenges. Disinformation campaigns result from ongoing political controversies. For example, in 2015/2016, they focused on the refugee crisis and issues relating to migration, integration and national security. The coronavirus followed not long after, and now they are targeting the war in Ukraine. As these events unfolded, both the people involved in creating disinformation and the channels they use to share it have changed. Five years ago, disinformation was still spread almost exclusively via fake news websites and social media. However, as time went on, messag- ing services became another important avenue for fake news proponents. Winning the war on lies requires a whole bundle of initiatives, from programs for improv- ing media skills and political literacy and statutory regulations that create stricter requirements for social media platforms and messaging services, to initiatives for bolstering high-quality, indepen- dent media outlets and investigative journalism. Journalists will have a key role to play in this process. They must provide the population with reliable, fact-checked content, while also taking action against the spread of disinformation by producing evidence-based counter statements — but with the daily deluge of news they face, that is a Herculean task. Prof. Martin Steinebach and his team at Fraun- hofer SIT aim to use artificial intelligence to support journalists in this endeavor. The SIT computer scientists are developing automated forensic methods for analyzing text, images and videos and filtering out possible fake news. “Whether a post is actually disinformation or not is something for a human to decide. We only identify suspicious messages,” says Prof. Steine- bach. In order to teach the AI systems to recognize disinformation, the researchers feed enormous Prof. Martin Steinebach of Fraunhofer SIT wants to combat the spread of lies online — and artificial intelligence is his weapon of choice. back to page 1 45

2 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine When quantum computers attack Encryption techniques are used to secure online banking, ID documents, smart cards and masses of confidential information. The security of these techniques is based on assumptions regarding the difficulty of mathematical problems. But what if quantum computers develop the ability to solve these problems rapidly — and soon? By Mandy Bartel A quantum computer is something of a savant when it comes to mathematical calculations. It will take much longer than a normal computer to multiply two simple numbers together, but will breeze through the factorization of multidigit numbers. Because of quantum parallelism, quantum computers can find factors for large numbers or certain discrete logarithms much more quickly and efficiently than conventional computers. This is why the continued advancements in quantum technology present such a challenge: because almost all the cryptographic processes that users cur- rently rely on to keep their money and identities secure could be cracked within hours using quantum processes. The BSI is operating on the assumption for the high-se- curity sector that quantum computers could impact cryptographic primitives by as early as 2030. Because our world is increasingly connected, this would put ever more security-critical applications at risk: blockchain, the internet of things and Industry 4.0. “Shor’s quantum algorithm could break the factorization-based public key systems that we currently use, like RSA encryption and other asymmetric signature methods, in the foreseeable future,” explains Prof. Daniel Loebenberger of the Fraun- hofer Institute for Applied and Integrated Security AISEC. “Also, solutions like Grover’s algorithm are threatening the security of symmetric methods too, although using larger keys seems to mitigate the problem. Hybrid, agile encryption solutions To address this vulnerability, researchers at Fraunhofer AISEC, together with industry partners and government authorities like the BSI, are working on the question how novel post-quantum cryptography (PQC) methods can be applied in practice. These new technologies will be used for encryption and decryption. However, they must also facilitate easy use for digital signatures. “Researching how new encryption methods have to be applied in practice involves a constant interplay with the very dynamic developments taking place in the field of quantum com- puting. This is why we have to take steps now to organize the change process as efficiently as possible and make products quantum-safe — especially when they have a long service life, as with industry equipment,” Prof. Loebenberger adds. However, unfortunately, due to the totally new algo- rithm properties of PQC processes, such as their different algorithmic properties such as time or space consumption, for example, it is not possible to replace existing cryp- “Researching how new encryption methods have to be applied in practice involves a constant interplay with the very dynamic developments taking place in the field of quantum computing.” Prof. Daniel Loebenberger, Fraunhofer AISEC tographic methods just like that. “The implementations of the novel PQC primities are at the moment still combined with classical implementations, so hybrid solutions will tend to predominate far more. Crypto-agility — that is, the ability to support multiple cryptographic methods and rapidly switch between them — will also be an import- ant consideration in this context. This is the only way that we can react to threats that remain as yet unknown and adapt systems in a flexible way,” Prof. Loebenberger affirms. In order to support companies and government bod- ies in making the transition to quantum-resistant cryp- tographic processes, Fraunhofer AISEC established the Competence Center for Post-Quantum Cryptography. The specialists at the center are independent of any particu- lar manufacturer, and provide neutral advice on issues such as compatibility with existing solutions or cryp- to-agility, as well as conducting security analyses and building up a publicly accessible pool of knowledge on post-quantum cryptography. back to page 1 47

2 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine It’s nice to see you in 3D, Dr. Wissing. And to meet Germany’s first ever digital minister – the man who wants to do away with analog systems. What I mean by that is that we have to be ambi- tious. If we continue to rely on analog solutions, we are robbing digital infrastructure of some of its efficiency – and accepting the high costs resulting from dual structures. It is my task as digital minister to face this challenge and take society down this path. “Digital first. Doubts second.” – was how your party phrased this idea on an election poster. This aspiration is one that I have really taken to heart. We need to move away from analog systems and from the structures that we are familiar with. You want to increase the amount of data that we collect, store and exploit – even now, when we are experiencing ever more cybercrime, as well as ongoing cyberwarfare in Ukraine? Any political decision involves a process of weighing up opportunity versus risk. Data forms the foundation of digital business models and innovative solutions. Forgoing data means forgoing opportunities. I take an optimistic view and my focus will always be on highlight- ing opportunities for digital transformation. Although data that is not collected can’t be misused, it also can’t be exploited. That is not an option for the future. You were a public prosecutor, Dr. Wissing, so let’s translate this into the lan­ guage of your previous field: The only person who cannot be stolen from is someone who doesn’t have money – but despite this, few people think that owning nothing is a goal worth striving for. The same applies to the digital world. We cannot forgo digital innovation simply because the pos- sibility of data misuse exists. Politics can’t stop at outlining the problems; it must come up with solutions. Our task is to eliminate misuse to the greatest extent possible through regulation. On the European level, we have made great strides in this regard thanks to this year’s Digital Services Act. “The example of Ukraine has shown us all that war is being waged online, too.” Dr. Volker Wissing So the principle is: Anything that is prohibited offline should be prohibited online, too. But do criminals and warring parties really care about that? Cybersecurity will be an ongoing task. The more closely we coordinate with friendly countries, the better equipped we will be against attacks. This is why I brought this issue to the table at the G7 summit of digital ministers in Düssel- dorf. We must analyze cybersecurity vulnera- bilities and open up a dialogue around how we can make our digital systems more resilient. We require a new error culture that views mistakes as an opportunity or a challenge to do better. Was a consensus reached at the summit? We received concrete proposals for cooperation. The digital minister from the Ukraine was well-informed and offered to enter into a dia- logue with us on his country’s experiences with cyberwarfare – once the current war has ended. Ukraine cannot currently disclose the exact measures it is taking to repel Russian attacks. The example of Ukraine has shown us all that war is being waged online, too. You are talking about mistakes, about a new error culture. Every cyberattack looks for vulnerabilities. If a vulnerability is found, this means someone made the mistake of not fixing it in time. This is precisely where learning and dialogue are crucial. International coordination is the only way that we can take full advantage of the learning potential. I am responsible for network security and resilience. If we want to drive soci- ety’s digital transformation further, we need to create a more secure digital world. Digital transformation and reinforced cybersecurity should go hand in hand. i k s w o d u h C s a e r d n A : s o t o h P Standing in the en- trance hall of the fed- eral ministry, Dr. Wissing, the man of the house, talks about the history of the building, which was constructed in 1878 for the Prussian Geological Survey. back to page 1 49

2 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine “Science and research are essential as we search for the best solutions for our country.” Dr. Volker Wissing upon to act. The budget for my ministry is one of the largest investment budgets in Germany. By this I mean: We can’t do everything, per- haps, but we can do a lot. The variety of tasks the ministry faces is a chal- lenge. However, you don’t overcome challenges by fearing them, but rather by carefully analyz- ing and approaching them logically. Out of every 5 euros your predecessor in office could have used for 2021, he only drew down 4, leaving 5.1 billion euros unused. How do you plan to improve on this performance? We want to accelerate planning and are making systematic use of digital technology to do so. We intend to build up and strengthen data platforms in order to advance infrastructure projects. The focus is on building information modeling, i.e. an intelligent cloud model for connected collaboration. How can research assist you? Through genuine innovation. This is urgently required to make up for shortcomings in the areas of mobility and CO2 neutrality in the future. And we also need science in order to avoid mistakes. Science and research are essen- tial as we search for the best solutions for our country. Business newspaper “Handelsblatt” used the caption “Mission impossible” when outlining the wide range of tasks assigned to you. Does this worry you? z l i S n e t s r o h T , ) 5 ( n o i t c e l l o c e t a v i r p , i k s w o d u h C s a e r d n A : s o t o h P While still enjoying what you do? Politics represents an opportunity to change society for the better. But this comes with a huge level of responsibility, of course, and soci- ety must make a leap of faith to trust you. Every politician needs to prove themselves worthy of this trust. Speaking of the facts of life, Germany consistently occupies a fairly low position in digital rankings. We are our own country with our own history, our own geographical position, our own federal structure, and therefore our own challenges. International comparisons are important for analyzing our shortcomings and identifying areas for improvement, but it is also important not to lose sight of specific national issues. How- ever, there is no doubt that we could and must do better. Tackling this challenge and working each day to ensure we do better – that’s what drives me. We have the opportunity to enhance our future and make our country a better place to live in. Let’s make the most of it. 2021 Predecessors and successors Dr. Wissing took over the ministerial role from Andreas Scheuer on December 8. According to “Der Spiegel”, the de- parting minister talked about himself for almost 20 minutes during the official handover. Dr. Wissing got his revenge when he went public about an item that Scheur had left behind in his office: bathing trunks from Berlin’s pub- lic transport company. 2022 “Bread ambassador” — was the accolade the state of Rhineland-Palat- inate gave Dr. Wissing, who is a passionate bak- er himself. Even at the end of this interview, the minister talked enthusi- astically about home- made bread and showed us photos of his baking creations. back to page 1 51

Research prizes Since 1978, the Fraunhofer- Gesellschaft has awarded prizes to its employees for outstanding scientific achievements. 99 percent of the power, meaning that a battery that would last just over a month with conventional tech- nology could now hold out for ten years,” relates Dr. Frank Oehler enthusiastically. The appeal of this product lies in the fact that, even with the extended battery life, the sensor node is still ready to receive signals at any time: it needs just 30 milliseconds to respond to a signal by performing an action. The development of this market-ready product, including applications for 16 patent families, has secured the Joseph von Fraunhofer Prize for Dr. Frank Oehler, Dr. Heinrich Milosiu and Dr. Markus Eppel — although naturally, they represent the whole team in this. In addition to the complete process chain covering everything from the initial idea to implementation, the project’s particular societal relevance was the deciding factor for the jury, as the number of devices with wireless connections is skyrocketing — raising energy consumption levels with it. RFicient® is always on watch “The carrot for us was bringing energy use down, while still continuously receiving signals,” says Dr. Milosiu with a chuckle. To achieve this, the team took a conventional sensor node — which consists of a sensor, a microcontroller, external memory, a power source, a transceiver and actuators — and added in their wake-up receiver. “With the RFicient® chip, all 2 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine these components will be put into deep sleep mode, so that they use a negligible amount of power. But the chip stays on watch: it is always ready to receive signals from neighboring nodes, a gateway or a base station. And it only needs 3 microamperes of power for that,” emphasizes Dr. Eppel. What’s more, it does it all in real time. While other wake-up receivers are often switched off for minutes at a time — often only responding when it is already too late — the RFicient® chip guarantees an immediate response. This is vital for time-sensitive applications and situations where many services run simultaneously — such as airports, train stations and football stadiums — or where requests are sent to many individual chips. The RFicient® technology has already blossomed from an initial idea to a commercially available stan- dard chip. The team have also acquired suitable indus- try partners, bringing the American semiconductor manufacturer Globalfoundries Inc. onboard to produce the 1.3 by 1.3 millimeter chips and RoodMicrotec GmbH to produce the plastic casings and monitor the quality. Meanwhile, EBV Elektronik GmbH & Co. KG will take care of global sales and marketing. “The industry sector needs IoT receivers that are always reachable, and can react quickly and function for long periods of time without needing maintenance work. Thanks to the new Fraunhofer receivers, we can now deliver this for the first time ever,” says Thomas Staudinger, pres- ident of EBV Elektronik GmbH. Dr. Oehler was also Conservative estimates suggest that over 50 million IoT devices will benefit from the RFicient® technology in the coming years. full of enthusiasm about the interest coming from the industry sector. “The over 100 requests that came from a variety of different fields were a serious motivator for us,” he revealed. “Our customers are ready and waiting to equip their new products with Rficient® chips.” Conservative estimates suggest that over 50 million IoT devices will benefit from the RFicient® technology in the coming years. Its developers have put their finger on the pulse of the current age in two ways: first, by greatly expanding the possible applica- tions for the internet of things and, second, by simul- taneously driving progress in sustainability. back to page 1 53 i k s w o r e z c n a B r t o P / r e f o h n u a r F : i o t o h P

2 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine “The system produces 3D images of the patient before and during radiotherapy that are accurate to below the half-millimeter level and all with a high-frequency frame rate — that is unique.” Dr. Christoph Munkelt D eveloping this system was like walking a tightrope at the outer limit of technologi- cal possibilities,” recalls Dr. Peter Kühm- stedt, head of the Imaging and Sensing department at the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering IOF. “But now, at the end of that rope, we’ve actually found an industry solu- tion.” He’s referring to a novel system that allows doc- tors to monitor a patient’s position continuously, both before and during radiation therapy. This significantly increases the treatment’s chances of success, which in turn increases the patient’s chances of recovery. In other words, this system is making a vital contribution to increasing the effectiveness of cancer treatment, while simultaneously reducing the dangerous side effects on the patient. Dr. Peter Kühmstedt, Dr. Chris- toph Munkelt and Matthias Heinze from Fraunhofer IOF were awarded the 2022 Joseph von Fraunhofer Prize for the overall system, which was developed in collaboration their industry partner, Varian Medical Systems, and is ready to go into production. The aspect that particularly stood out to the jury was the relief it afforded cancer patients undergoing treatment. To treat tumors, doctors harness the destructive power of radiation, using it to target and kill tumor cells so that cancer patients can recover. The most important factor here is to treat the entire tumorous region with the radiation, while avoiding damage to the surrounding healthy tissue as much as possible — the success of this treatment is fundamentally depen- dent on this level of precision. To do this, medical personnel start by creating an accurate image of the tumor using computed tomography scanning meth- ods based on X-rays. This image is then used to plan the treatment. When the actually radiotherapy session takes place a few days later, the patient must be in the exact same position as in the initial examination, and they must stay this way throughout the session. High-frequency frame rates meet half-millimeter accuracy This is where the award-winning technology comes into play: it can be used to monitor a patient’s position continuously over the course of the treatment. “The system produces 3D images of the patient before and during radiotherapy that are accurate to below the half-millimeter level and all with a high-frequency frame rate — that is unique,” emphasizes Dr. Mun- kelt. “This enables doctors to monitor the optimum direction of the rays with minimum additional radi- ation exposure from imaging X-ray systems. Optical systems also allow for precise monitoring of patient positioning during high-dose radiation treatment with fewer sessions. The treatments are very effective and also reduce physical and mental stress.” During the initial examination using computed tomography, an optical sensor projects a variable infrared pattern — invisible to the human eye — onto the body, which is then recorded by two cameras. This means that the light does not put additional stress on the patients, who are generally already under great emotional pressure due to their illness — another point in the system’s favor. Based on these images, the system generates a 3D model that is later used to arrange the relevant body parts — an irradiated body area of approximately 30 x 30 cm — in exactly the same position as they were for the preliminary examination. A further advantage here relates to cases where the patient moves during treatment (for example, because they are breathing heavily or adjusting their position for comfort) and thus changes the irradiated body area. The system makes these situations safer for the patient, because if their position changes, the system immedi- ately registers this and turns the radiation off as a precaution. Going forward, the system will be able to adapt to smaller changes, caused by breathing for example, and adjust the radiation positioning in real time. In the future, it is expected that the system will even be able to cope with more challenging types of radiation treatment involving tumors that are difficult to track down, for example in the abdominal region. Virtually impossible? Think again! The team had to get around quite a few obstacles to develop this system. For example, the measurement technology had to continuously take data readings at a very high frequency, so that movements caused by breathing could be recorded correctly, and then trans- mit that data with a guaranteed latency of less than 100 milliseconds. At first, achieving this measure- ment frequency across a measurement area as large as the human body seemed virtually impossible. Solving this puzzle took an interdisciplinary team consisting of experts in optics, physics and engineering from three different countries: Switzerland, Hungary and Germany. “The key aspect of this development was translating the methodology of the entire package into an industrial solution and creating a sensor net- work for it,” explains Heinze. In the long term, the global corporation Varian Medical Systems expects that this innovative system will be widely used for patient position monitoring all over the world. back to page 1 55 i k s w o r e z c n a B r t o P / r e f o h n u a r F : i o t o h P

2 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine “Our system is the first to enable checking of complex 3D components in production cycles mere seconds long.” Dr. Albrecht Brandenburg coatings and contaminants with a high depth of field. Another important factor is having an optical detec- tion system that uses extremely intense light, so that not even a single photon goes undetected — otherwise, it could not pick up the weak fluorescent radiation. The researchers use a highly accurate weighing system as a reference to calibrate the instruments. As the amount of contamination increases, the fluorescent radiation levels also grow in a linear fashion. In other words, the more oil or dirt is present, the brighter the light will be. “And finally, by using our patented com- bination of this system and infrared reflection anal- ysis, it’s possible to record quantitative data regarding unknown mixtures of substances on metal sheets that are moving at speed,” Dr. Blättermann adds. Worldwide demand Robert Bosch GmbH has been one of the team’s cus- tomers since the early days of the project. “With this new Fraunhofer process, we can detect minuscule traces of contamination on surfaces and increase qual- ity, and so also safety in adhesive joining in electronic control devices,” says Dr. Heiko Elsinger, a process developer in the Automotive Electronics division at Bosch. “This improves operational safety, speeds up processes and helps make production more sustain- able.” In the car manufacturing industry, the system is also used during the forming of metal sheets into 3D components, as a reliable means of detecting whether the coating of forming oil has been applied too thickly or thinly. If the coating is the wrong thickness, this can cause cracking or deformation during forming, ultimately resulting in unusable components. The technology has been adopted by many companies since its creation, with the team bringing in around 3.5 million euros in industry contracts since 2015 — totaling 20 customers across 5 countries. “These days, I sign quotes for various types of fluorescence-based inspection equipment — for Germany and the whole world — practically on a weekly basis. And those numbers are rising quickly,” says Prof. Karsten Buse, institute director at Fraunhofer IPM. The word is get- ting out: Fraunhofer has the expertise. This innovative technology can sniff out trace contamination from oil and dirt. It was developed by Dr. Alexander Blättermann (left) and Dr. Albrecht Brandenburg. back to page 1 57 i k s w o r e z c n a B r t o P / r e f o h n u a r F : i o t o h P

2 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine In the long term, the recently founded company aims to capture a market share of up to 50% with its small units — first in Germany and then worldwide. S imply scattering harvested seeds on the fields is not a good idea. This is because there are fungi, viruses and bacteria clinging to the seed husks that could drastically reduce the yield. Seed producers tackle these pathogens using chemical dressing agents. However, this presents certain disadvantages. As the dressing agent sticks to the seeds, the farmer has to handle potentially dangerous substances when sowing them — this could harm the farmer, the natural environment and the soil. There are restric- tions in place that are aimed at curbing these risks to the environment. For example, seed dressings are off-limits in water protection areas and the treated seeds cannot be sown in very windy conditions, as the dressing agent containing the active ingredients might be blown further field. To cap it all, any leftover seeds are classified as hazardous waste. In addition, numerous fungicidal dressing agents have already been banned. The number of available product groups has declined drastically in recent years, particularly for insecticides and fungicides. Very few of the more than 20 active ingredient groups that used to be sold on the fungicide market can still be obtained today. But it would be impossible to do without them entirely — that’s why every year, special emergency authorizations for using the remaining dressing agents are issued once again. Chemical-free, sustainable and field-tested However, E-VITA GmbH, a joint venture by the Fraun- hofer Institute for Organic Electronics, Electron Beam and Plasma Technology FEP and Ceravis AG, may soon put an end to this cycle. Instead of using dressing agents to eliminate pathogens like fungi from seeds, they are working on a chemical-free, sustainable, field-tested and economical alternative — accelerated electrons. Fraunhofer Venture and the High-Tech Gründerfonds were quick to notice the direct benefits the technology creates for society and presented the start-up with the Fraunhofer Founder Award. The basic principle of this electron treatment requires little explanation: the seeds are “bombarded” with energy-rich electrons, which kill harmful organ- isms very effectively — but without damaging the embryo and endosperm within the seed at all. “The end result is clean seeds without any traces of harm- ful substances or toxins that could affect humans or the environment. They can be sown in windy condi- tions and in water protection areas — in fact, they can even be fed to livestock,” reports André Weidauer, managing director of E-VITA GmbH. Another point in favor of the electron treatment is that it does not cost farmers the earth — in fact, the prices are much the same as for chemically dressed seeds. “This con- stitutes a strong motivation for farmers to buy E-VITA seeds. They get sustainable, higher quality seeds for the same price,” summarizes Weidauer. The process is nothing new. The Manfred von Ardenne Research Institute began basic trials on electron treatment of seeds back in the 1980s. Fraun- hofer FEP then brought the technology from this initial testing stage to industry readiness by means of four large pilot plants covering different stages of the development. “The question was, what is the next step for a technology like this?” the company founder recalls. “Our big breakthrough stemmed from two developments: The first key step consisted of convert- ing the large-scale, fully automated, stationary system into a mobile unit that we can rent out together with expert personnel. This unit consists of a 40 foot con- tainer towed by a truck and can process 25 tons of seeds per hour.” In the second and more important development, the Fraunhofer FEP researchers managed to create a much smaller version of the electron source, thereby laying the groundwork for systems that can remain economically viable even at a lower through- put of 8 tons per hour. “Reaching this milestone laid the foundations for the E-VITA spin-off,” recalls Weidauer. E-VITA aims to build a pilot version of one of these small units inside a 20 foot container by 2023. In the long run, the start-up hopes to capture a mar- ket share of up to 50 percent with its small units — first in Germany, and then across the rest of Europe. High yields even during water shortages The E-VITA founders also hope to make an impact in the fight against challenges such as water shortages and the reduction in fertilizers that supply plants with nitrates and phosphates. To this end, they are also adding naturally occurring microorganisms to the treated seeds. The conditions under the seed sur- faces cleaned by the electron treatment are perfect for growing microorganisms that can then help the seeds to absorb water and nitrates. Essentially, these micro- organisms increase yields, improve nutrient efficiency and provide long-lasting protection for the seed. This means that E-VITA seeds help to fulfill the require- ments of the European Green Deal and implement the targets of the EU’s Farm to Fork strategy. “Once our small systems are available on the market, there will be absolutely no more reasons to uphold the emergency authorization granted for dressing agents that pollute the environment,” says Weidauer emphatically. back to page 1 59 i k s w o r e z c n a B r t o P / r e f o h n u a r F : i o t o h P

2 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine Prof. Matthias Scherge (left) and Prof. Michael Moseler have won the “Collaborative Research” Stifterver- band Science Prize. equations, we can zoom in from the millimeter scale to the atomic scale or even the quantum mechanical electron level in extreme cases, allowing us to gain an understanding of bonding in the friction gap.” Getting a visual of the atomic level is no joke — after all, even a relatively small number of the “right” or “wrong” atoms on the surface of a component can make the difference between a seal working perfectly and total failure due to friction and wear. However, developing the virtual material probe would not have been pos- sible without industry collaboration. The company EagleBurgmann has been a partner in the project for more than 15 years. “Our perseverance paid off. This unique synergy between ourselves and Fraunhofer IWM is expanding and constantly picking up the pace,” relates Otschik. “My colleagues’ understanding of this field is absolutely world-class.” The virtual material probe has actually already shone a great deal of light into the darkness of the friction gap. In the case of that Canadian power plant, for example, it turned out that the mechanical seal comes to a standstill for the briefest of moments when the rotational direction is changed. During this pause, the atoms “bond” with each other in a process known as cold welding, and it takes effort to break them apart again when the rotation starts again in the other direction. “These results have allowed us to develop a robust technological solution — the only one of its kind worldwide — reduce development time by at least 99 percent and secure a contract worth millions,” reports Otschik. The seals at the Canadian power plant are now running smoothly once again, but that is not enough for EagleBurgmann. They also want to use the new tool to help develop an atom-proof seal that experiences almost entirely no friction or wear and tear. In short, the virtual material probe is here to bring lasting change to the world of friction processes. back to page 1 61 i k s w o r e z c n a B r t o P / r e f o h n u a r F : i o t o h P

2 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine T o operate on a brain tumor is to work on a knife’s edge, in the truest sense of the word: Surgeons must completely remove the affected tissue so that no cancer cells remain. Otherwise, the tumor could flare up again. On the other hand, they must not remove too much healthy tissue in order not to damage the brain. For this reason, surgeons often perform multiple checks during surgery to deter- mine whether the cancer foci have been completely removed. In particular, it is crucial to check the edges of the wound, as this is where cancer cells often remain. The doctor takes a tissue sample and sends it to the hospital laboratory. Then it is simply a matter of waiting. The operation can only continue once the results arrive back at the operating room. If there are any remaining tumor cells, then more tissue must be removed. If the foci have been completely removed, then the doctors can close the wound. Depending on the size of the hospital and the staff’s workload, this entire process can take up to 20 minutes — meaning valuable time is lost. Detecting cancer cells directly in the operating room This situation is problematic for doctors and patients alike. That is why researchers at the Fraunhofer Center Microelectronic and Optical Systems for Biomedicine MEOS in Erfurt have developed a laser system that can be used right in the operating room to check whether or not a tissue sample still contains tumor cells. Their method involves what is known as a confocal microscope, which uses a laser scanner. The system creates a microscopic image by scanning the surface of an object with the laser. The challenge here was to develop a compact device that is small enough to use on-site. “The primary concern for medical professionals is reducing the length of anesthesia, as this puts a huge strain on the patient,” explains Dr. Michael Scholles, head of Fraunhofer MEOS. “Thanks to our innovation, doctors can study the tissue almost directly at the operating table. After two minutes, the results are there.” The way the laser scanning microscope works is that the laser beam stimulates the tumor cells, causing them to fluoresce and become visible under the microscope. “We had to combine a variety of technical ele- ments in the device, which was particularly challenging,” says Scholles. It was in devel- opment for a total of three and a half years. The project’s participants included experts from the Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems IPMS in Dresden and the Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology IZI in Leipzig. Researchers “Thanks to our innovation, doctors can study the tissue almost directly at the operating table. After two minutes, the results are there.” Dr. Michael Scholles, head of Fraunhofer MEOS from Fraunhofer IZI, for example, developed a staining technique specifically for use with the laser scanner microscope, using special antibodies that dock onto cancer cells. These antibodies are combined with dyes so that they fluoresce green under the light of the laser, making the cancer cells visible. Scanning tissue at lightning speed The project partners aimed to make effi- cient use of space when installing the var- ious components in the microscope. After all, the device has to fit in the operating room alongside many others. The compo- nents include the laser unit and a mirror mechanism. Its core element is a movable mirror, just 1.5 millimeters in size. This oscillates several thousand times per sec- ond, guiding the laser beam over the tissue sample and scanning it at lightning speed. There is also a highly sensitive detector that picks up the weak fluorescent light, as well as an electronic analysis system that reconstructs an image of the tissue based on the numerous fluorescence sig- nals and the movement of the mirror. The technology is so precise that it can image structures of just 1 micrometer — that’s accurate enough to detect even individual fluorescent cancer cells. In the process of developing the new laser scanning microscope LSC-Onco, the team made good use of their many years of experience with the various technologies, for example when it came to designing the mirrors. These are entirely etched from silicon discs known as wafers with great precision, in a similar process to a computer chip. Even the mirrors’ mounting is made from silicon. Experts refer to this as a micro- electronic-mechanical system (MEMS). “At Fraunhofer IPMS, we have been working on MEMS technology for more than 20 years. We have really benefited from this now while designing the highly sensitive optics of our laser scanning microscope,” says Dr. Scholles. In the meantime, several doctors have put the LSC-Onco system to the test. The feedback has been consistently positive, says Dr. Scholles. The fluorescence image of the tissue sample is displayed on a screen in the operating room so that the surgeons can selectively remove remaining cancer cells without damaging healthy brain tissue. Since it is possible to change the focal plane of the microscope, the surgeons can detect cancer cells that lie a little deeper. In principle, the system can be used for other types of cancer as well. Dr. Scholles is also working with dermatologists, among others. In the medium term, he and his col- leagues want to make the device even more compact so that it can be installed in sur- gical robots. The robots will then use the fluorescence image to position themselves in a fully automatic manner and cut out tumors with a high degree of precision, all without any waiting time. S M P I r e f o h n u a r F : o t o h P back to page 1 63

2 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine tion and Research through the Clusters- 4Future competition, which received 137 submissions. PROXIDRUGS was one of seven projects to receive the highly coveted funding. The inhibitory effect of traditional medications begins to wear off as soon as the drug is broken down in the body. This is why drugs that combat conditions such as high blood pressure must be taken on a regular basis. Proxidrugs, on the other hand, tackle the pathogenic proteins, thereby eliminating the cause of the disease. They use the cells’ own protein shredders, called proteasomes, to trigger the protein degra- dation process. These proteasomes are part of an efficient cellular recycling strategy. A biological monitoring system continuously searches for defective or spent proteins and, upon detecting such a protein, marks it with a “flag” in the form of a molecule called ubiquitin. This ubiquitin marker acts as a recognition signal for the proteasome. Once captured, this unwanted protein is unfolded and broken down into smaller components within the barrel-shaped proteasome complex. Shredding flagged proteins Proxidrugs ensure that disease-related proteins are marked with a ubiquitin flag, allowing them to be recognized as waste by the cell’s own waste removal system and broken down by the proteasome. It’s simple in principle, but is technically difficult to implement. The ubiquitin flag is attached to the protein by means of a special enzyme, E3 ligase. Proxidrugs are designed so that they can bind to the target protein on one side and the E3 ligase on the other. The substance class gets its name from the proximity induced between the target protein and the E3 ligase (see the illustration). “In the PROXIDRUGS project, we are addressing all aspects associated with these active substances,” says Dr. Kannt. The consortium consists of 10 partners, includ- ing Goethe University Frankfurt (the coor- dinating institution), the Technical Univer- 80 percent of all possible protein target structures are inaccessible to the active pharmaceutical ingredients that are currently used. sity of Darmstadt, the Max Planck Institute of Biophysics and the pharmaceutical companies Merck and Abbvie. The project focuses on three medical problems: cancer, neurodegenerative dis- eases and infectious diseases. In all three fields, the aim is to eliminate the proteins that promote the disease process. In the case of cancer, for example, these are messenger substances that stimulate the growth of tumor cells. In the field of neurodegenera- tive diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, the goal is to target proteins that are involved in the formation of deposits in the central nervous system. Fraunhofer ITMP is taking the lead for this subproject. New strategy to fight multi- drug-resistant germs Proxidrugs offer a completely new approach to fighting infectious diseases. There is hope that effective new drugs will be found to tackle multidrug-resistant bac- teria. One such bacteria that the project is focusing on is Acinetobacter baumannii, a dangerous hospital bug that primarily causes pneumonia and wound infections. To make the process of searching for effective proxidrugs more efficient, Fraun- hofer ITMP is working with other partners to develop special test systems that can be used to identify active substances that can counter the various target proteins. At the same time, Dr. Kannt is also establishing a cross-institute platform for the development of proxidrugs as part of the Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence Immune-Mediated Diseases CIMD. The platform is expected to cover the entire value chain, from the search for suitable active substances (drug discov- ery) to preclinical tests. Here, the focus is on inflammatory bowel diseases and fibrotic lung diseases. “Proxidrugs seem to be well tolerated by the human body and very effective,” says Dr. Kannt. He adds: “This is motivating us to work extremely hard on developing this new drug class.” How proxidrugs work The proxidrug simultaneously binds to the target protein and the E3 ligase enzyme. This allows the ligase to attach a ubiquitin tag to the target protein. The marked target protein migrates to a proteasome, a cylindrical cell organelle that shreds proteins. Thanks to the flag, it is recognized as waste at the organelle and is broken down into small pieces. Proteasome Target protein Proxidrug E3 ligase Ubiquitin n u a r B & r e a h t r e V i l : n o i t a r t s u l l I ; N I S I O V / E I N A H P / y r a r b i L o t o h P e c n e i c S : o t o h P back to page 1 65

L aunching the mobility transition will take more than abstract ideas. Even with the massive rise in gas prices, the financial savings alone are not a strong enough argument for switching to bus and rail travel. In rural areas in particular, many people are still reluctant to use public transport, despite the German government’s introduction of a special, discounted nationwide travel pass costing just 9 euros. Because what good is a cheap ticket if there is no bus to use it? The Fraunhofer Institute for Experimental Software Engineering IESE and the Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logis- tics IML recently joined forces to investigate how to make public transport a more attractive option in the long term. In their study on the fu- ture of the mobility transi- tion as far as 2030, the Fraunhofer researchers fo- cused on rural and subur- ban areas in particular, be- cause in these regions, public buses are often the only means of transport available apart from owning a car — but a kind of chick- en-egg situation is causing problems here. Rural bus services tend to focus heav- ily on school transport, without considering com- muters’ needs in their schedules. “In an ideal world, mobility services would actually be so attractive that people would prefer to use public transport services instead of a car of their own.” Patrick Mennig, Fraunhofer IESE 2 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine shuttles, driving services, carsharing platforms, e-scooters and bike rental systems — and there are even multiple different providers, too. For more and more users, these public mobility services are coming to represent a more individualized, tailored solution than the one-size-fits-all approach of buy- ing a car. “In an ideal world, mobility services would actually be so attractive that people would prefer to use public transport services instead of a car of their own,” says Mennig. Connected and coordinated through digital networks The full potential of pub- lic transport will never be unlocked until mobility services are connected via a digital network and coor- dinated based on data-driv- en methods. This is the on- ly way that people will be able to use it as a reliable, comfortable means of get- ting around from door to door — and not only more cheaply, but also more quickly than driving a car. In this context, even big cit- ies have some catching up to do. Even now, if a user wants to take an on-de- mand shuttle from their house to reach a regular bus service, ride that bus as far as the route allows and then use an e-scooter for the last leg of their jour- ney, they still need three apps from three different In rural areas, the school bus is often the only bus that runs at all. “This is the exact issue we’re tackling,” explains Patrick Mennig, a senior digital innovation designer at Fraunhofer IESE. “When planning and evaluating mobility services, the fo- cus has to be placed on people that don’t use it, in order to try and make public transport an attractive option for them.” o t o h p k c o t s i / o l l O : o t o h P Lots of options — anywhere, anytime According to the Fraunhofer scientists, the only way to create demand is to start by providing an attractive service. In big cities like Berlin, Hamburg and Munich, travelers can already take their pick from a whole smorgasbord of options — for any destination and at any time. They not only have access to train, subway, bus and tram services, but also on-demand providers with three different pricing structures. “Users want a seamless customer journey, tak- ing them through every step from looking for con- nections to reaching their destination without in- terruption. And virtually all of this needs to happen in one smartphone app that also provides easy pay- ment options,” explains Mennig. “For this to work, mobility service providers have to stop seeing each other as competitors. They need to work together to realize the vision of creating a high-quality, cli- mate friendly service for all users. Collaborating with others may look like a loss of market power to begin with, but these new partnerships and the more attractive services they facilitate will ultimate- ly result in an expanded customer base.” back to page 1 67

2 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine I s this Mars or Southern Ger- many? A long-legged vehicle reminiscent of NASA’s Mars Rover trundles through a wheat field, moving as though guided by an invisible hand. But this robot is on a very earthly mission. As it makes its way through the densely packed ears of wheat, it continuously X-rays the plants and simultaneously generates 3D images using an optical system. For the cultivator who owns the field that the robot is working in, this is important information — it allows them to essentially look inside the ears of wheat and determine whether the variety they are cultivating will produce a good yield. The sensors on this high-tech machine were developed by the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS, where for many years, research has been carried out into technologies that can identify plant phe- notypes. This refers to their external appear- ance, which includes a multitude of factors such as leaf size, leaf arrangement, root thickness and yield. “People have been selecting crops based on external charac- teristics for thousands of years,” explains Dr. Stefan Gerth, head of the Fraunhofer Development Center for X-ray Technology at Fraunhofer IIS. “We’re developing tech- nologies to objectively measure these phenotype characteristics and optimize cultivation based on this data.” After all, the cultivators face great challenges. Heat-tol- erant, drought-resistant plants are in demand on account of climate change. These new varieties should also be able to survive with as little fertilizer and pesticide as possible. The experts team up The most important objective of the trans-regional Fraunhofer project on bio- genic value creation and smart farming is to support cultivators. This is why the project participants are launching the Fraunhofer Center for Plant Phenotyping Technologies in Triesdorf, Bavaria, where Dr. Gerth and his colleagues intend to expand their expertise and translate it into real-life application. Triesdorf, Germany’s smallest town with a university, is home to agricultural teaching institutes and the Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Science, making it a trans-regional center for agriculture. Fraunhofer IIS works closely with the Competence Center for Digital Agriculture located there. High-tech cultivation In the Fraunhofer IIS greenhouse, Stefan Gerth demonstrates how cultivators will work in the future. On the narrow con- veyor belt in front of the X-ray machine, pots of various crop plants are arranged in neat rows. The door of the X-ray machine opens, and a pot rolls inside. Once the door “People have been selecting crops based on their external character- istics for thousands of years.” Dr. Stefan Gerth, Fraunhofer IIS has closed, the pot undergoes a computer tomography scan, among other tests. Just five minutes later, it’s time for the next pot. “Over ten years ago, we started X-raying potato plants to get information about the tubers’ growth,” reports Dr. Gerth. “Based on the 3D X-ray scans, we can determine the weight of the tubers without having to dig them up.” This process is being used for tasks such as selecting particularly heat-tolerant varieties. To this end, the plants are placed under heat stress inside the greenhouse. The scans then show which plants deal with the stress most effectively, forming strong tubers in spite of the heat. Whereas only thick roots and tubers could be X-rayed with the first computer tomography scans, the new systems can also capture the delicate underground root structure of wheat. “Our new X-ray machine is the most modern, powerful system for X-raying parts of plants that lie under- ground,” says Dr. Gerth. Researchers at Fraunhofer IIS are also conducting 3D digital imaging of the parts of the plants that are above ground, such as leaves and ears of wheat. This data can be used to determine more than just the area of the leaf surface — the 3D images also provide information on the plant’s heat tolerance. Does the plant raise its leaves to protect itself from the sun? Does it curl up its leaves due to stress? The efficiency of Fraunhofer IIS’s opti- cal plant recognition systems was clearly demonstrated in a test field at the seed company Strube D&S GmbH. In this case, the second BlueBob prototype was used — a field robot that navigates on its own and automatically removes weeds in sugar beet fields. As it moves between the rows, it records images of all the living plants using multispectral cameras. “Through artificial intelligence, the phenotype of each indi- vidual plant is analyzed and classified as either a weed or a beet plant,” explains Christian Hügel, Head of the Technical Center of Seed Research at Strube. If Blue- Bob 2.0 identifies a weed, it removes it from the ground with its hoeing tools. It cuts down weeds both between the rows (using static tools) and within the rows (using moving tools). As a result, almost all of the weeds around the beet plants are removed. This means the use of chemical weed killers can be drastically reduced. One major work package at the new center in Triesdorf will involve processing the data obtained during phenotyping. “Our main goal is to use our technology to support cultivators in the SME bracket,” emphasizes Dr. Gerth. “That is why we are collaborating closely with the practitioners themselves in Triesdorf, to develop business models that offer added value for the company.” — Scan here for the podcast: back to page 1 69 g r e b n a w h c S e d r o t c i V / y r a r b i L o t o h P e c n e i c S : o t o h P

2 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine Climate change is making it necessary to optimize agricultural irrigation. PORTUGAL Sustainable irrigation In the future, an underground sen- sor-based system will help remotely monitor the moisture content of soil and accordingly make precise adjust- ments to irrigation systems. The LoRa4UProbes system is being devel- oped by Fraunhofer Portugal AICOS, together with the company Aquagri. What sets LoRa4UProbes apart from other ground monitoring solutions is its use of underground hardware with extended range, which is com- patible with probes from various manufacturers. The modular structure varies depending on the size of the area. One unit is sufficient for an aver- age-sized garden, while multiple units are required for a golf course. LoRa4UProbes can currently communi- cate with a gateway over a distance of 1.7 kilometers, which the data packets all forward at the same time. The researchers are currently working on increasing the range. AUSTRIA Food: Less waste, more prediction Every year, 88 million tonnes of food end up in garbage across the EU. Researchers working in the APPETITE project aim to reduce this waste by up to 10 percent. To this end, artificial intelligence will be used to regulate supply and demand at participating supermar- kets, ensuring that large quantities of food are no longer sent to the wrong branch. The research consortium led by Fraunhofer Austria Research GmbH is developing a prototype for a fore- casting platform that can process all the necessary data in close to real time. This data includes checkout and logis- tics data for the individual stores, as well as information on when large crowds occur and the weather condi- tions. After all, expected sales are heavily dependent on these external influences. If the retail chain can rec- Artificial intelligence will help to better predict consumption. ognize demand in good time, it can relocate groceries to where they are likely to be bought to avoid them being left behind elsewhere. If the logistics cannot be modified in time, food-saving organizations can be informed at an early stage and the goods can be passed on. GREECE Renewable raw materials to replace crude oil Researchers in BioMates, a European project, are looking to reduce the use of fossil fuels. To this end, they are con- verting plant waste into high-quality bio-based intermediate products (Bio- Mates) that can be used for fuel pro- duction in conventional refineries. The Fraunhofer Institute for Envi- ronmental, Safety and Energy Technol- ogy UMSICHT developed a recipe that researchers have now used to produce their first 1,000 liters of bio-oil. The recipe calls for both straw and mis- canthus, a fast-growing Chinese grass. In a laboratory refinery, the Greek research center CERTH, which coordi- nates the project, is testing how the bio-oil can be further processed into fuel under industrial conditions. Their goal is a bio-based fuel consisting of 90 percent fossil fuels and 10 percent BioMates. So far, only ready-to-use biofuels can be mixed with conventional fuels at the end of the production process for this kind of hybrid fuel. BioMates would make this step unnecessary. The advantage would be savings in terms of both fossil fuel energy and costs. Bio-oil from fast-growing miscanthus grass can be processed into fuel in conventional refineries. back to page 1 71 o t o h p k c o t s i l l a / n i L o a m a i i J , g r e b n a v S r a n n u G , s o t o f r m , r E i r y a H , t s r o h n e d a B k n e H , r e m A n a f e t S : s o t o h P

2 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine the same sequence are simultaneously destroyed. If you want to silence a single gene, all you need to do is copy the RNA sequences that it codes as double-stranded RNA and make sure that the RNA gets into the pests, i.e. is consumed. There are two ways of doing this. The first is to program the genome of the cultivated plant so that it produces the double-stranded RNA that coun- teracts an essential gene in its predator. “The best thing about this method is that it allows you to have species-specific control over pests, so long as we can silence the selected genome in this organ- ism alone, and not in others. This means even closely related organisms are not affected, especially bees and other animals, or people,” emphasizes Prof. Vilcinskas. Taking the example of aphids, we can see how his team plans to proceed. This insect feeds on the plant sap by breaking through to the vascular tissue within the host plant. A special protein in its saliva hardens upon contact with the sap, and acts like a drinking straw for the aphid. “If we can silence this specific protein using RNAi, they can no longer form this drinking straw, and will starve to death,” explains the biologist. Other research groups have succeeded in using RNAi technology to make potato plants resistant to voracious potato beetles. It is hoped that this new technology will be used worldwide as an environmentally friendly alternative to poisonous crop spraying. However, due to significant reserva- tions regarding the use of GM plants, it is not yet clear whether the resilient pea and potato varieties will also be cultivated in Germany in the future. For this reason, Prof. Vilcinskas favors the sec- ond option. “We want to produce the dou- ble-stranded RNA in the lab and then spray it directly on the fields. The pests will ingest it there as they feed. Even in large quantities, this is harmless, as RNA doesn’t contain any toxic compounds and completely decomposes outdoors,” explains the insect researcher. However, the biomolecules must not be allowed to decompose or be digested too soon. “Many insects produce enzymes in their saliva that break down RNA. We need to find a solution for that as well. Ultimately, the RNA must be ingested by the insects and move through the intestinal epithelium intact. Only then can it take effect. This means that for each type of pest, we have to develop a suitable formulation that fulfills all these condi- tions and can also be sprayed using commercially available equipment,” explains the Fraunhofer researcher. A compound developed by Fraunhofer IME together with the US company Greenlight Biosciences has already been proven successful in combating the potato beetle, and is now undergo- ing field testing in collaboration with the Julius Kühn Institute. “In the USA, the outdoor tests carried out this year have been successful, and they have already applied for authorization to bring it on the markets,” says Prof. Vilcinskas. “Next we’re going to test an agent to combat common pollen beetles. These beetles eat the pollen from rapeseed blossoms, which prevents the rapeseed pods from maturing.” Tried and tested — and affordable In order for the new biopesticides to be compet- itive, they need to be affordable. The Fraunhofer researchers in Giessen are working toward this goal with Greenlight Biosciences. The company has developed and patented a cell-free process for synthetic RNAi production that is significantly less expensive than the conventional production methods based on genetically modified yeast cell cultures. The German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture is also betting on RNAi-based pesticides, and is supporting Fraunhofer IME in developing appropriate compounds for combating aphids and plant hoppers. At the same time, Prof. Vilcinskas has his sights set on dozens of other harmful bugs, including a number of beetles and caterpillars — and about a dozen viruses that affect one of our most important “farm animals”: honey bees. The deadly pathogens are spread through bee- hives by mites or other parasites, or are transmitted from one insect to the next as they visit flowers. Prof. Vilcinskas believes RNAi could also be helpful here. “We want to silence genes that these viruses require to live, in order to prevent them from multiplying.” His team are working on finding specific gene sequences and packaging them in such a way that they remain stable for several days. If dissolved in sugar water, they could be fed to honey bees in winter, and then unleash their healing effects. Prof. Vilcinskas stresses that this would also bene- fit their wild relatives. “More and more often, we’re seeing that viruses from honey bees are being transmitted to bumblebees and other wild bees when they visit flowers. If we could render these pathogens harmless using RNAi, that would be an important step toward saving these pollinators, as they are crucial in the natural world and in agriculture.” back to page 1 73 There are around 850 known species of aphid in central Europe alone.

2 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine Photo & Fraunhofer Robo-ray on the hunt It’s a race against time. The 1.6 million tons of mines and explosive devices from the Second World War are ticking time bombs in the North and Baltic Seas. As they rust, car- cinogenic TNT, nitroaromatics and mercury are released into the water. Now, working in conjunction with partners, researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration IZM have developed a flexible sensor skin for an underwater robot that, thanks to its innovative, digi- tally connected sensors, can detect metal lying on the seabed or buried in shallow sand. Its mobility and agility is based on the model of the manta ray. The robo-ray also explores narrow places that are difficult to reach, and could previously only be inspected by professional divers. Autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV) have already existed for a number of years. Taking inspiration from living creatures, they have been optically and anatomically adapted to the marine world. So far, however, the robo-rays have not been smart enough to take over the dangerous work of divers. In the Bionic RoboSkin project, the robotic manta rays are covered with a flexible, bionic sensor skin that allows the underwater vehicles to autonomously find their way around their respective environments. The sensors are located on the surface of the wings. Researchers at Fraunhofer IZM are developing the integrated sensor modules, thanks to which the AUV can recognize and analyze things that approach and touch them, as well as their surroundings. back to page 1 75 Photo: Mark Carwardine/EvoLogics GmbH

2 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine W hen it comes to competing for the best positions and funding in the scientific world, the publication list is the mea- sure of all things: How long is your list? Have you had articles published in renowned specialist journals? How often have you been cited by others? “However, this is only of limited significance in applied engineering sciences, especially when it comes to Industry 4.0, which aims to digitalize industrial produc- tion.” So says Dr. Michael Schmidt, chief scientist at the Fraunhofer Institute for Mate- rial Flow and Logistics IML. In this case, the central question — namely, what practical projects the candidate has actually implemented — receives far too little attention. There is no better example of the inade- quacy of the present system than the Industry 4.0 handbook (“Handbuch Industrie 4.0”): “The handbook has been down- loaded millions of times. But the number of downloads is not treated as a relevant criterion in determining what is known as the h-index, an indicator that demonstrates how often a person has been quoted. Despite this, the manual is considered a standard work and greatly influences industry practice: Over one million people have read it and learned from it.” Dr. Michael Schmidt, Fraunhofer IML cation features had to be systematically taken into account. “It was exciting to see the sheer variety of relevant, measurable variables that came out of our many discussions,” reports Schmidt. After all, there are other factors that influence scientific success, for instance management experience, the amount of state and industry funding an individual has received, their presence at trade fairs and their lecturing experience. “These are all relevant and meaningful parameters — and they are not easy to determine.” The specialists from Ubermet- rics provided support based on their media analysis expertise here, while the DFKI team also pitched in by using in-house speech recognition solutions to extract information from doc- uments that had been collected previously, such as résumés. The researchers at Fraun- hofer IML analyzed the data, divided it on the basis of whether it would be collected automatically or manually, and then used their findings to build a demonstrator. They worked out the different ways that the data could be distrib- uted and compared, and devel- oped algorithms that enable users to compare individuals on the basis of flexible criteria and carry out any search they want. “It was exciting to see the sheer variety of relevant, measurable variables that came out of our many discussions.” In response to this, Fraunhofer IML, together with the Speech and Language Technology Lab of the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence DFKI in Berlin and the company Ubermetrics Technologies GmbH, started the EVALITECH research project, with funding from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). Dr. Schmidt says, “Our goal was to make it easier to measure scientific excellence in the area of industry 4.0. In doing so, we hoped to help identify the most suitable candidates during application and appointment procedures, for example in univer- sities and other research institutions.” The project team developed their own indicator system. First of all, they analyzed the usual evaluation parameters and determined which additional qualifi- Artificial intelligence (AI) was used to collect, filter and process the data, but not to evaluate it. For that last step, the experts created flexible, adjustable profiles to use when evaluating candidates, for example “entre- preneur,” “scientist” and “influencer.” “These individ- ual profiles can be combined with the automatically collected data in order to work out who is suitable for a specific position and just how well suited they are. For example, does the individual have a particularly extensive network? Are they noticeably active on social media? Or are they in touch with a lot of start-ups?” explains Dr. Schmidt. “In the future, with our flexible, multi-layered indicators, it will be easy to analyze a database of 1,000 candidates and interactively filter them using various sliders.” k c o t S e b o d A : o t o h P back to page 1 77

Fraunhofer on the road Berlin Düsseldorf 2 | 22 Fraunhofer magazine Berlin September 20–23, 2022 InnoTrans International trade fair for transport technology Düsseldorf November 14–17, 2022 Medica/Compamed The leading international trade fairs for the medical sector Berlin September 28–29, 2022 Futuras in Res — The Quantum Breakthrough A series of conferences by the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft Düsseldorf October 19–26, 2022 K The world’s most important plastics and rubber industry fair Munich November 15–18, 2022 electronica The leading international fair and conference for electronics Freiburg November 18, 2022 6th Fraunhofer Alumni Summit Freiburg Munich Last updated: July. Changes may occur due to the pandemic. Please keep an eye out for information from the event organizers. Fraunhofer magazine The magazine for people shaping the future Would you like to get the Fraunhofer magazine in your mailbox as soon as it comes out — for free? Order it online directly at https://s.fhg.de/of 2 2 | 1 Stronger support for hydrogen Energy transition Ocean-powered War, energy crises, climate change What can artificial intelligence do to help? 2 2 | 2 This is not an egg Our diet is changing radically. What does the future taste like? Verónica García-Arteaga, Fraunhofer researcher and start-up founder Protection and security A new era, new challenges, new solutions Reflecting the times we live in Caroline Schweitzer, managing director of the Fraunhofer Segment for Defense and Security VVS, at the International Aeronautical Exhibition in Berlin How safe are the autobahns? Bridges at the breaking point: A sensor system to detect defects “Changes that affect 83 million people.” An interview with German Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture Cem Özdemir Quick, safe, objective coronavirus monitoring How Fraunhofer’s mobile laboratory measures viral load »Cybersecurity will be an ongoing task« German Federal Minister for Digital Infrastructure Volker Wissing back to page 1 79 4 | 21“Stronger support for research!”An interview with minister Stark-WatzingerThe cars of the futureMobility of the futureMore diversity on our roadsFrom the heart Research with its finger on the pulse — new technology and treatmentsDr. Andrea Herbst, Fraunhofer ISIWe have the energy!Sun, wind, heat — ready for the transition