2021 annual report online

In the second pandemic year, despite the challenges associated with it, we were again able to manage the Institute’s business operations together with our staff in such a way that our anniversary year became a successful business year. However, 2021 was also overshadowed for us by the sudden death of our esteemed colleague and head of department Dr.-Ing. Christoph Schäffel, who had helped shape IMMS since 1995. We will all miss his excellent technical expertise and also the personal conversations.  

We have positioned ourselves for the future with the numerous newly acquired projects (12), with which we can consistently pursue our strategic orientation. This shows that the research topics we are pushing continue to be highly relevant for society and business. With the project starts of KODIAK, SensInt and FluoResYst in the research field ofIntegrated Sensor Systems, we are researching the challenges of individual, decentralised health monitoring for all with electronic rapid tests. With the results, we aim to improve and expand one of our lead applications “Sensor systems for in-vitro diagnostics”. We have also started project work on trustworthy electronics using AI-based chip design methods with VE-VIDES and VE-ARIS and are contributing to the BMBF initiative on Germany’s technological sovereignty.

In the research field Smart Distributed Measurement and Test Systems, we have started projects such as ViroGraph, QuantumHub, thurAI, edgeCam, Trib.US and EcoHarvester in 2021. There, we are working on a novel technology platform for detecting SARS-CoV-2, CMOS-based single photon detectors for quantum technologies from Thüringen and sensor technology for SmartCity, among other things. For our lead applications “Adaptive edge AI systems for industrial applications” and “IoT systems for cooperative environmental monitoring”, we have achieved results that enable machine learning on resource-constrained microcontrollers for edge AI and IoT applications and address the challenges in agriculture in times of climate change with sensor systems for optimised irrigation.

In the research field of Magnetic 6D direct drives with nanometre precision, we have set the course for precision manufacturing of the future. Our work on picometre positioning was recognised with the Best Paper Award at the IEEE International Conference on Mechatronics 2021.

These and other solutions are made possible by commitment and funding. We thank the German Land of Thüringen for its institutional funding, which makes our transfer work and cooperation with Thuringian SMEs possible in the first place. We thank our committees for supporting and advising us in all matters. We thank all our research partners for their manifold impulses, which we transfer into application-oriented solutions. We would also like to thank our business partners and sponsors as well as all the people who encourage us in our work.

We thank our employees for their commitment, their creative ideas and their skills, without which all the innovative solutions would never become reality. You can find examples of innovative solutions in this report. We wish you much pleasure reading it.

Univ.-Prof. Dr.-Ing.  Ralf Sommer, Scientific Managing Director, and Dipl.-Kfm. Martin Eberhardt, Financial Managing Director