Fraunhofer Institute for Cognitive Systems IKS
Fraunhofer Institute for Cognitive Systems IKS
Innenansicht des Fraunhofer IKS in Garching
© Fraunhofer IKS

© Fraunhofer IKS

New Fraunhofer IKS Building in Garching

We've moved!

Fraunhofer IKS Gebäude Außenansicht
© Fraunhofer IKS

After nearly four years of construction, the time finally came on May 4, 2026: the Fraunhofer Institute for Cognitive Systems IKS moved into its new building on the Garching campus. The institute is now located in direct proximity to the Technical University of Munich and the Fraunhofer Institutes AISEC and IGCV.

The move marks a significant milestone for the institute. We look forward to our new location, the new opportunities, and everything that lies ahead.

Our new address:

Fraunhofer Institute for Cognitive Systems IKS
Lichtenbergstraße 13
85748 Garching bei München

A look back at the journey to the new location

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The opening ceremony for the new building

October 13, 2026

On 13 October 2026, we celebrated the official opening of our institute’s new building together with our guests from the worlds of politics, research and business.

During guided tours, our guests learned about Fraunhofer IKS’s current projects, which include the reliable deployment of AI agents, safe person and object detection, tracking symptoms using large language models (LLMs) for women’s health, and developing a European quantum infrastructure.

The opening ceremony featured speeches by Federal Minister of Research Dorothee Bär, Bavarian Minister of Economic Affairs Hubert Aiwanger, President of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft Prof. Dr.-Ing. Holger Hanselka, and Vice President of the Technical University of Munich Prof. Dr. Gerhard Kramer. Monika Landgraf served as moderator.

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Highlights from the opening ceremony of our new building

The opening ceremony in pictures

Art in the public space: “Ultraflora” by Troika

Our art in the public space was installed in the pond on the east side of our new building in early June 2026:

“Ultraflora” is the name of the approximately 4.20-meter-tall sculpture, which depicts a dahlia in a three-dimensional stainless steel print. The concept and design are by the globally renowned artist collective Troika in London. The artwork was created by MX 3D in Amsterdam.

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Aufbau des Kunstwerks »Ultraflora« im Juni 2026

What makes it special: It depicts not only the stem and flower of a dahlia; rather, Troika has left the support structure for 3D printing as an integral part of the sculpture—as a tangible link between concept and execution, between the ideal and the material.

The work thus combines mathematically calculated, nature-inspired support structures with the form of dahlias, creating a symbol of our work: invisible, load-bearing structures that provide safety and trust only when hidden from view.

Troika was founded in 2003 and has already exhibited its work at institutions such as MoMA, the Centre Pompidou, and the Victoria & Albert Museum.

Photo of the artwork “Ultraflora” by Troika
© Fraunhofer IKS
The artwork “Ultraflora” by Troika depicts a dahlia. What makes it special is that the support structures—which are normally removed—are a part of the sculpture.
Photo of the artwork “Ultraflora” in front of the Fraunhofer IKS institute building
© Fraunhofer IKS
The artwork is located in the pond on the east side of the Fraunhofer IKS institute building.
Photo of the installation of the artwork “Ultraflora” in front of the Fraunhofer IKS institute building
© Fraunhofer IKS
The artwork was installed in early June 2026.

The foundation stone laying

October 13, 2024

On Wednesday, March 13, 2024, the Fraunhofer Institute for Cognitive Systems IKS celebrated an important milestone on the path to its new institute building with the laying of the foundation stone.

Congratulations were extended on behalf of the Bavarian State Government by the Head of the Bavarian State Chancellery, State Minister Dr. Florian Herrmann, and Bavarian Minister of Economic Affairs and Deputy Minister-President Hubert Aiwanger.

 

© Bernd Müller
From left to right: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Mario Trapp, Dr. Florian Herrmann, Hubert Aiwanger, Dr. Hans-Otto Feldhütter
© Bernd Müller
From left to right: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Mario Trapp, Dr. Florian Herrmann
© Bernd Müller
Fraunhofer IKS employees with the foundation stone

The construction begins

© Fraunhofer IKS

July 2023

The construction site takes shape

Our new building in Garching is gradually taking form. By July 2023, the future footprint of the building is already clearly visible.

© Fraunhofer IKS

April 2023

Construction begins

After two years of planning, the moment has arrived: the building permit for the new facility in Garching has been granted, and April 17 marked the official construction start. The first steps included erecting the construction fence and setting up site management containers. Excavators and trucks are already on site to begin digging the foundation pit.

The construction site in time-lapse

This time-lapse video of our construction site captures how a new building gradually took shape between August 2023 and March 2024. See for yourself!

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Zeitraffer der Baustelle des Fraunhofer IKS Neubaus von Baubeginn August 2023 bis März 2024

It all started with plans...

Before construction came the planning. Here you can see how the building was conceived in the renderings.:

The groundbreaking ceremony for the new Fraunhofer IKS building

October 5, 2022

On October 5, 2022, the ceremonial groundbreaking took place on the construction site in Garching near Munich, attended by Bavarian Minister-President Dr. Markus Söder, Hubert Aiwanger, Bavarian State Minister for Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy, and further guests from politics and academia. It marks the official start of construction and the beginning of an international center for Safe Intelligence research.

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Groundbreaking ceremony for the new Fraunhofer IKS building on October 5, 2022

The groundbreaking ceremony in pictures

The opening ceremony of the new Fraunhofer IKS

December 3, 2019

For the opening ceremony of the Fraunhofer Institute for Cognitive Systems IKS, 170 representatives from politics, academia, and business gathered high above the rooftops of Munich’s Werksviertel district. Guests included, among others:

  • Dr. Markus Söder, minister-president of Bavaria
  • Hubert Aiwanger, Bavarian Minister of State for Economic Affairs, Regional Development, and Energy, and Deputy Minister-President
  • Prof. Dr. Reimund Neugebauer, President of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft
  • Prof. Dr. Thomas Hofmann, President of the Technical University of Munich

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Highlights from the opening ceremony of the newly founded Fraunhofer IKS

The opening ceremony in pictures

The new building of the Fraunhofer Institute for Cognitive Systems IKS is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research and the Bavarian State Ministry of Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy.

Logo des Bundesministeriums für Bildung und Forschung