Fraunhofer Institute for Microstructure of Materials and Systems IMWS
The Fraunhofer IMWS promotes the practical training of students, graduates’ career entry and application-orientated research through the work it does with universities.
Academic Partners
Our networking with universities
Safe and reliable microelectronics for cars, efficient materials for renewable energy, innovative solutions in medical engineering – research work on the microstructure level makes a decisive contribution to all these future technologies. This requires talented and committed people, who tackle the tasks brought to us by industry and science.
We therefore work closely with universities and universities of applied sciences and commit ourselves with a great deal of dedication to the qualification of young scientists. With a broad expertise base, we develop topics relevant to industry and society. The theoretical principles taught in universities and universities of applied sciences are combined with practical implementation at the Fraunhofer IMWS. By pooling the expertise, students receive sound and practical education and training under the best possible conditions.
Our partner universities
HTWK Leipzig
The Fraunhofer IMWS has been working with Leipzig University of Applied Sciences (HTWK Leipzig) since 2009. The areas covered include structural mechanics, FEM simulations, energy engineering, material and plastics engineering, biomechanics and microsystem and medical engineering. The work involves research cooperations and the practical training of students. Two scientists of the Fraunhofer IMWS, Prof. Dr. Jens Schneider and Prof. Dr. Stephan Schönfelder, hold professorships in the mechanical and energy engineering faculty of HTWK Leipzig.
Schmalkalden University of Applied Sciences
The aim of the cooperation with Schmalkalden University of Applied Sciences is to continuously promote and develop the practical training of students, graduates’ career entry and application-orientated research. The main areas of the cooperation are renewable raw materials, uses of biomass energy and materials, product development, medical engineering and biopolymers. The Fraunhofer IMWS offers students the opportunity to work on research projects within the scope of project work and dissertations. This work is carried out jointly by IMWS scientists and the professors of Schmalkalden University of Applied Sciences.
Südwestfalen University of Applied sciences
In December 2013, new Fraunhofer Applications Center for Inorganic Phosphors started its work on the campus of the Südwestfalen University of Applied Sciences in Soest. Under the direction of Prof. Dr. Stefan Schweizer, the application centre in Soest works in close cooperation with the university on the reliability, life and functionality of luminaires and lighting. The Fraunhofer Application Center is based in the Electrical Power Engineering Faculty of Südwestfalen University of Applied Sciences. With more than 13,000 students on over 50 Bachelor and Master degree courses in eight faculties, this is one of the larger universities of its type in North Rhine-Westphalia.
TU Dresden
The framework cooperation agreement between Fraunhofer IMWS and the Technische Universität Dresden was signed in 1993. The cooperation is mainly with the university’s Center of Microtechnical Manufacturing and includes, for example, training students in the areas of reliability, quality assurance and material evaluation of micro and nanotechnology products and photovoltaics. The main areas of the work are semiconductor technologies for microelectronics, interconnection technology and system integration of microelectronic components, microsystem engineering, wafer materials of photovoltaics and module integration of solar cells.
Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg
An intensive cooperation exists with the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg with the aim of achieving optimal use of the joint research potential of the university and the Fraunhofer Institute. The Director of the Fraunhofer IMWS Institute, Prof. Ralf B. Wehrspohn, heads the University’s Chair of Microstructure-Based Material Design. In addition, in 2009 a cooperation agreement with the Medical Faculty was signed which, among other things, includes collaboration in tissue reactions at interfaces, tissue engineering, the development of biosensors and the characterization and surface modification of tooth surfaces and dental implants.
Merseburg University of Applied Sciences
In 2011, the Merseburg University of Applied Sciences and the Fraunhofer IMWS agreed to collaborate in the field of physical engineering and microsystem engineering with the specialist subjects: microstructuring and microstructure diagnostics. The Fraunhofer IMWS offers the students the opportunity to work on research projects within the scope of project work and dissertations. In addition, since 2012 the University has had a professorship of Polymer Processing in the Engineering and Natural Sciences Faculty, which is funded by the Fraunhofer IMWS and helps to secure long-term, practically trained experts in one of the most important industries in Saxony-Anhalt.
Burg Giebichenstein University of Art and Design Halle
The Fraunhofer IMWS has worked with the Burg Giebichenstein University of Art and Design Halle since 2008, in order to allow material knowledge to be incorporated into the design of products and to implement design requirements with new materials. The cooperation promotes the practical training of students as well as the career entry of graduates, for example, through joint projects, joint teaching events, cooperation in further education in science and joint science events, symposiums and congresses. The main topics covered by these are: material use of renewable raw materials and photovoltaic applications. Burg Giebichenstein and the Fraunhofer IMWS also organize a joint design competition on the use of material innovations.
Anhalt University of Applied Sciences
In 2008, Anhalt University of Applied Sciences was the first university of applied sciences with which the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft signed a cooperation agreement. Its cooperation with the Fraunhofer IMWS mainly covers photovoltaics and solar engineering. Prof. Dr. Andreas Heilmann teaches at the Anhalt University of Applied Sciences in the Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Industrial Engineering, Microtechnology and Nanotechnology Faculty.
Max-Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics
The close tie between the Fraunhofer IMWS and the Max Planck Institute for Microstructure Physics, which led to the signing of a framework cooperation agreement in 2008, is not only due to them being neighbours on the Weinberg Campus in Halle. They also have something in common historically: Both establishments emerged from the Institute of Solid State Physics and Electron Microscopy of the GDR’s Academy of Sciences. Today they work together in numerous projects on microstructure elucidation and material investigation.