The president underlined the important role of the two Fraunhofer research branches and thanked the researchers for their outstanding work: “We are extremely proud of what Fraunhofer FKIE and Fraunhofer FHR do to ensure the security of Germany and its allies.”

Tour through the Technology Forum

With the FKIE technology forum event happening at the same time as his visit, Professor Hanselka was also able to see evidence of the close ties between the Fraunhofer Institute for Communication, Information Processing and Ergonomics FKIE and Germany’s armed forces. At the invitation of Fraunhofer FKIE, around 300 representatives from the ranks of the armed forces, the German Federal Ministry of Defence (BMVg), emergency and rescue forces, and the defence industry attended the event, whose theme was “People and technology — AI for decision-making and combat superiority.”

Close ties between Germany's armed forces and Fraunhofer FKIE

In addition to staging an extensive exhibition with selected exhibits drawn from current research projects, FKIE researchers and high-ranking external speakers from the armed forces gave inspiring talks from an expert perspective. A highlight of the programme was the panel discussion on issues concerned with digital transformation for the armed forces, featuring four Deputy Inspectors.

“State-of-the-art technology has a significant role to play in Germany’s armed forces,” said President Hanselka. “Discussions with armed forces representatives have also highlighted the importance of talking directly to the people involved.” He added that the impressive presence that these representatives brought to the event illustrated the high esteem in which the German armed forces hold Fraunhofer FKIE’s research, and the close ties they enjoy with the institute, built on a sense of trust. During a tour of the exhibition, the president gained an impressive personal insight into the wide range of research subjects covered by Fraunhofer FKIE and their relevance to defence and security in not only the Federal Republic of Germany, but also NATO. “I am really impressed by the institute’s dedication and its excellent research,” said Hanselka. A key example he highlighted was the institute’s strategic, systematic approach to developing technology, from base funding to application in industry projects — as the exhibits clearly illustrated.

Tour of the large radar system

The security of Germany and of Europe was the focus of the afternoon, when President Hanselka visited the Fraunhofer Institute for High Frequency Physics and Radar Techniques FHR. Radar and high-frequency tools are indispensable key technologies in an age when technological advancements are all-important.

The first item on the visit’s agenda was the second GESTRA receiver, which Fraunhofer FHR is currently developing at its Wachtberg site. This innovative piece of technology is set to bring a significant boost to Germany’s space surveillance capabilities. The president also viewed the TIRA large-scale radar system; operated by Fraunhofer FHR on site, it is responsible for precision analysis and reconnaissance of objects in space. Professor Hanselka was visibly amazed by the size of the space observation system and its many potential applications.

Radar technology is an important tool in the context of more than just space, however: it is also used extensively by the German armed forces, for example, in the air and on the ground. The drone-supported high-resolution radar images that can be generated in any kind of daylight or weather conditions illustrate the exceptional capabilities of the Fraunhofer FHR systems and the valuable contribution they make to security.

The importance of radar technology in industrial production

Radar technology is also becoming an increasingly important feature of industrial production environments. For this reason, Fraunhofer FHR’s second location in Villip develops new systems and builds prototypes and small-scale series that have already been used successfully in numerous steel industry projects.

Summing up his two-day visit, President Hanselka once again emphasised the importance of the research findings being produced in Wachtberg and the significance these have for national and alliance security.