Fraunhofer IOF receives DPG Technology Transfer Award

Jena / November 20, 2024

The Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering IOF, together with the Digital Innovation Hub Photonics and Quantum Optics GmbH, was awarded the Technology Transfer Prize of the German Physical Society for the successful transfer of scientific expertise into commercial applications.

From laboratory to practice: The transfer of scientific findings to industry and society is a central mission of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft. Fraunhofer IOF is also committed to this goal and is actively involved in transferring the latest results from science and research into practical applications. Spin-offs are an important transfer path here.

Now the Fraunhofer IOF in Jena, together with the Digital Innovation Hub Photonics (DIHP) and Quantum Optics Jena GmbH - a spin-off of Fraunhofer IOF - has been awarded the prestigious Technology Transfer Prize of the German Physical Society (DPG). Each year, the prize honors a particularly successful transfer of technologies from research to industry.

Together, the prizewinners have further developed sources for generating entangled photons and successfully commercialized optical systems for quantum key distribution (QKD) based on them. In addition to optical components, the development of specialized software also played a central role in the QKD systems. The technology can be used in tap-proof fiber optic networks, for example, and offers a decisive security advantage for critical infrastructure or banks in particular.

The award ceremony will take place in May 2025 as part of the "Knowledge and Technology Transfer in Dialogue" (WTT) forum in Bremen.