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How will quantum technologies transform digital development in the coming years? And what new opportunities will arise when they interact with artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain technologies? These questions are addressed in the white paper “Quantum Nexus: Synergies Between Quantum Technologies and Key Technologies of the Next Decade” by the Fraunhofer Institute for Communication, Information Processing, and Ergonomics FKIE. It highlights that the future is shaped in particular by the interaction of these technologies. The publication is now available for download.

In mid-June, 21 international teams – more than ever before – took part in the European Land Robot Trial (ELROB) at the Thun military training area in Switzerland. Under realistic conditions, they tested their unmanned ground systems in scenarios such as reconnaissance, convoy operations and supporting transport ("mule"). The five-day event highlighted two key points: the technology has made significant progress, yet at the same time there are still considerable capability gaps. This year’s focus was primarily on navigation and autonomy.

Energy security is of central importance for both national and collective defence. The Fraunhofer Institute for Communication, Information Processing and Ergonomics FKIE is part of the project team for the recently launched EU project SENTINEL (Sustainable Energy Capabilities for Enhanced Military Camps and Operations). The aim of this four-year project is to develop sustainable and innovative energy solutions that perform reliably under adverse conditions while reducing the logistical footprint of military camps and operations. SENTINEL is funded by the European Defence Fund.

The German Navy and Fraunhofer FKIE are strengthening their collaboration. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in May 2023 has now been extended indefinitely in Rostock. The Fraunhofer institute, which focuses on defense and security, has served as a close research partner to the German Navy for around 25 years. Now, both parties intend to work even more closely together to accelerate the transition of technologies from research projects to practical application. The cooperation focuses on the areas of digitalization, AI, and unmanned systems.

As part of a special conference on the topic of “National Defense and Resilience,” Fraunhofer FKIE provided its first glimpse into its research and innovation topics at the new location in Leipzig on April 23, 2026. More than 150 participants from politics, academia, industry, as well as NATO, the German Armed Forces, and government agencies and organizations with security responsibilities attended the event. This event also served as the inaugural conference for the new Saxon research network “Innovation in Integrated Security and Sustainability” (I2SN). Within this network, Fraunhofer FKIE is responsible for the “Cyber/IT” research area and, with its Deputy Director, Prof. Dr. Christoph Igel, also acting as the network spokesperson.

Places were in high demand and had already been fully allocated by the end of January: 20 international teams – more than ever before – will face one of the world’s most demanding performance tests for military robotics at the European Land Robot Trial (ELROB) in mid-June. The impressive venue for this four-day major event is the Thun military training area, which the Swiss Federal Office for Defence Procurement (armasuisse) is providing as host in collaboration with the Swiss Army.

Threats from chemical, biological, or radiological hazardous substances (CBRNE) are becoming increasingly important in the current security environment. But how can emergency responders better prepare for CBRNE incidents and accelerate their response capabilities? Solutions are being developed by the EU project “TeamUP,” in which the Fraunhofer Institute for Communication, Information Processing and Ergonomics FKIE is involved. Extensive practical tests took place at the end of February.

Female Co-Leadership for European Space Association: Together with President Dr. Anne Van den Bosch (IMEC), Dr. Nadya Ben Bekhti-Winkel will lead the European Association of Space Technology Research Organisations (EASTRO) in the future. The researcher from the Fraunhofer Institute for Communication, Information Processing and Ergonomics FKIE was unanimously elected Vice President at the General Assembly in February. This marks the first time that two women have headed the EASTRO Executive Board. The association represents research and technology organizations (RTOs) in the European space sector and coordinates their activities in order to strategically contribute research expertise to the further development of a competitive European space market.

The response was greater than in any previous year: The 7th Conference on the State of the R&T Future, hosted annually by the Federal Ministry of Defense, set a new attendance record with approximately 130 participants. For two days, experts from the Federal Ministry of Defense (BMVg), the research community, the Bundeswehr, and the Federation of German Security and Defense Industries (BDSV) met in Cologne to discuss future technologies and to assess their relevance for the Bundeswehr. In light of an increasingly challenging global security and defense landscape, the focus was particularly on the topics of artificial intelligence as well as space as an operational domain. As in previous years, the content, organizational preparation, and execution of the event were handled by the Research Group for Defense Technology Foresight (WZA) at the Fraunhofer Institute for Communication, Information Processing, and Ergonomics FKIE.

Artificial intelligence is set to provide optimum learning support for soldiers and increase teaching quality. Fraunhofer researchers have conducted a study to determine which AI functions would be useful in this context and how this technology could be integrated into the existing system. The Bundeswehr plans to create a virtual learning environment for all its employees. Until now, soldiers have used conventional learning management systems such as Moodle to expand their competence in subjects such as mathematics, English or social skills and prepare efficiently for examinations. Fraunhofer researchers have taken part in a joint research project to determine how AI could be integrated into this system and which applications would be helpful. Daniela Altun, project manager and research scientist at the Fraunhofer FKIE, and her team followed a typical course in order to find out whether AI could be used to create added value and what form this would take. Researchers at the Fraunhofer IOSB and the Fraunhofer FOKUS also took part in the joint research project.