Fraunhofer IMWS

The Fraunhofer Institute for Microstructure of Materials and Systems IMWS is a methodologically oriented Fraunhofer Institute in the material sciences and materials engineering disciplines. The Fraunhofer IMWS is a contact for industry and public clients for all issues concerning materials and systems – with the objective of increasing material efficiency and profitability and to use resources carefully.

The work of the Fraunhofer IMWS is aimed at identifying defects and weakpoints in materials, components and systems on the micro- and nanoscale, to clarify their cause and to offer clients solutions based on the outcomes. The institute's industrial clients come, among other things, from the microelectronics and microsystem engineering, photovoltaics, plastics engineering sectors, the chemical industry, energy engineering, automotive engineering and the aircraft industry. This work is accompanied by the further development of methods to shed light on microstructures. Together with analysis equipment manufacturers, precise-fitting equipment configurations can be developed, so that in future industrial clients can identify and avoid the source of defects themselves.

As an institute of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, the Fraunhofer IMWS promotes and conducts internationally networked, application-orientated research for the direct benefit of industry and to the advantage of society. It makes important contributions to material efficiency, careful use of resources and profitability and thus faces the central challenge of the 21st century; the sustainability of all areas of life and in particular, efficient handling of limited raw materials. At the same time it thus contributes to the competitiveness of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany and Europe.

The Fraunhofer IMWS sets itself the highest scientific and technical standards. It prepares cost-efficient and quality-assured, high-quality innovative solutions for its clients. In its core areas of expertise, microstructure diagnostics and microstructure design, the Fraunhofer IMWS is the leader within the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft and is recognized internationally. The Fraunhofer IMWS offers its employees personal development opportunities and supports them in their scientific and entrepreneurial qualification.