It is planned to locate the Fraunhofer ZSI on the campus of Saarland University. The new building and its equipment, with a volume of around 35 million euros, is to be funded from federal, state and EU resources for structural fund support (EFRE). In addition, a personnel and project budget of around 29 million euros is expected for the five-year start-up phase of the ZSI, which is to be borne by the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, the state and other third-party donors.

After the five-year start-up phase, up to 80 jobs are to be created and the Fraunhofer ZSI is to operate sustainably in the proven Fraunhofer financing model of the federal and state governments in a 90:10 ratio.

The new Fraunhofer Center establishes an innovative research field with intelligent sensor technology, building on the core competencies of the two Fraunhofer Institutes located in Saarland, the Fraunhofer IZFP and the Fraunhofer IBMT.

The application-oriented research of the center serves to demonstrate the potential of such sensor systems in the material, production and health sectors. In addition, the joint research and demonstration center will address specific issues of industrial digitization and develop solutions for the Saarland economy in the field of complex sensor systems.

Politics and research have high hopes for the planned center for sensor intelligence

Minister President Tobias Hans emphasized the opportunities offered by the Fraunhofer ZSI for the science location: "The Fraunhofer IZFP and IBMT are important components of our research landscape. Their cooperation in the form of a new Fraunhofer Center creates a strong impetus for the implementation of our innovation strategy and for meeting the current challenges of structural change, for example through the introduction of highly innovative, automated processes in the automotive sector. In this way, we secure industrial jobs, enable additional, modern jobs in the Saarland economy and provide new settlement arguments, far beyond the direct high-tech jobs at ZSI."

Prof. Reimund Neugebauer, President of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, adds: "Whether in the pharmaceutical industry, mechanical engineering or materials research, the further development of intelligent sensors is a key prerequisite for further optimizing the performance of numerous technologies and processes, thereby strengthening and expanding our position in international competition."

Neugebauer explains the remit of the planned Fraunhofer ZSI: "From research to product implementation, transfer and exploitation: the Fraunhofer ZSI will cover the entire innovation chain in the development of smart sensors, thus enabling a real innovation push. In addition, the new center will bring together and further develop the core competencies of the excellent regional research landscape. This will secure a leading international role for the region in the field of smart sensor technology with a future-proof and sustainable technological focus."