Fraunhofer Institute for Cognitive Systems IKS

As a pioneer for safe, intelligent cognitive systems for production automation, Fraunhofer IKS focuses on the following topics:

• Automation systems
• Industrial sensors

Fraunhofer IKS facilitates prediction & decision support by developing trustworthy AI models using clinical data. 

Will the cars of the future drive autonomously? This vision of the future will only become reality if autonomous driving is safe. Fraunhofer IKS is therefore working on adaptive software architectures for vehicles.

Quantum computers could enable new applications. Fraunhofer IKS is researching safe software applications for quantum computing so that calculations can be relied upon.

In the field of defense, Fraunhofer IKS is researching how to better protect people through the use of trustworthy and transparent intelligent systems.

With the Fraunhofer IKS Playground, the institute offers access to experimental prototypes and innovative concepts from cutting-edge research.

We reduce technological risks and increase trust in your innovation—ensuring reliable systems and a standards-compliant market launch without delays.

Fraunhofer IKS regularly offers exciting and varied workshops on topics in our key areas Automation, Health, Mobility and Quantum Computing.

Digitalbonus.Bayern is a funding program for the digitization of small enterprises. Fraunhofer IKS supports you in the areas of AI, robotics, and digital twins.

On February 5, 2026, the next Safe Intelligence Day will take place at Fraunhofer IKS. The focus of the showcases, presentations, and discussions will be generative AI in automation. Three aspects play an essential role: generative AI in the safety engineering process, as a basis for troubleshooting assistance in production, and applied to code generation in manufacturing.

A master's thesis created at Fraunhofer IKS and the Technical University of Munich has been honored with the Quantum Future Award from the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space. 

Quantum machine learning (QML) offers a promising pathway for early adoption in industrial settings. For QML solutions to be effectively implemented in production, dedicated access to quantum hardware is essential. The quantum hardware ecosystem is rapidly evolving, with most of the infrastructure hosted by cloud providers. However, this reliance on cloud services presents challenges, including latency, security concerns, and high costs which can impede real-time applications. Is there a way to circumvent these limitations?

Artificial Intelligence fascinated the medicine graduate during his studies. This fascination remained even after he graduated: today, Dr. Johannes Karg conducts research at the Fraunhofer IKS on a wide range of applications for AI in medicine.

With the Fraunhofer IKS Playground, the institute offers access to experimental prototypes and innovative concepts from cutting-edge research.

Do you want to make your AI systems compliant with the EU regulations? Then join our training on the EU AI Act and high-risk AI systems.

In the white paper “Ensuring Trustworthiness of AI-Enhanced Embedded Systems”, Infineon Technologies and Fraunhofer IKS present how to apply a unified safety lifecycle on an AI-Based Motor Control Unit (AI-MC) illustrative use case.

Fraunhofer IKS is a member of the Fraunhofer Big Data and Artificial Intelligence Alliance. It combines the broad range of industry expertise and years of experience of more than 30 Fraunhofer institutes and supports companies by implementing Big Data and AI strategies.

You can find all upcoming Fraunhofer IKS envents on our event overview.

Get a compact summary of what is currently happening at Fraunhofer IKS. Click here to register:

Fraunhofer IKS is getting a new institute building on the Fraunhofer campus in Garching near Munich. Dind all information about our new building here:

You can find all the Institute's news on our News page. Read on directly.

Have you always wanted to leave your footprints behind and make the world a little safer? Then apply to the Fraunhofer Institute for Cognitive Systems IKS in Munich!