Activity Reports of the Fraunhofer ITWM

Mathematics as a Production Factor and Innovation Booster

Editorial by Prof. Dr. Anita Schöbel, Director of Fraunhofer ITWM

Dear readers,

»We are living in exciting times« is something we hear very often at the moment. Existing political orders have been shaken. Just like other things that seemed secure and unshakeable to people in Germany. Germany, the country of science and technology, which has produced so many significant developments with its innovative strength, must reinvent itself to some extent. We want to make a contribution to this with our applied research.

Mathematics as a Production Factor and Innovation Booster

At Fraunhofer ITWM, we use mathematics as an essential tool for industry and production. The use of mathematical methods promotes innovation and competitive advantages, which can be decisive for companies in an increasingly globalized market. With our expertise, we help to optimize processes, increase product quality and reduce costs. We want to show how we do this with this report. That is why this year we are focusing on the topic of »Mathematics for Industry and Production«.

We Are Repositioning Ourselves

A brief look into the future: In order to continue working effectively and purposefully, we are currently working on an internal structural reform. After all, we have grown massively in the nearly 30 years of our existence, so we are currently taking a close look at the big picture: Where can we create synergies between existing departments? How can we bring people working on related tasks closer together? The answers to these questions must now be translated into a new structure. We are therefore announcing today that our divisions will appear under new names in the next report and that there will also be many changes to our website in the near future. In this publication, as it looks back on 2024, we are still using the department names that were current at that time. I wish you an informative and enjoyable read! If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to our contact persons for the individual topics!

Kind regards
Prof. Dr. Anita Schöbel
Director of the Fraunhofer ITWM