German Navy and Fraunhofer EMI sign cooperation agreement

On 22 June 2025, the Inspector of the Navy, Vice Admiral Jan Christian Kaack, and the Fraunhofer Institute for High-Speed Dynamics, Ernst Mach Institute (EMI), represented by Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Stefan Hiermaier, signed a co-operation agreement.

Risks and threats at sea and underwater represent a rapidly increasing challenge in conjunction with ever faster technology cycles. For this reason, the German Navy is driving forward the development of an innovation ecosystem that includes not only Bundeswehr agencies but also academic institutions and research and technology development organisations. Against this background, the German Naval Command and Fraunhofer EMI intend to engage in close scientific and technical dialogue and, where appropriate, initiate joint research and development activities on issues relevant to the German Navy in the field of "Effectiveness, protection and short-term dynamics in the context of different threat scenarios". The cooperation between the German Navy and the Fraunhofer EMI also serves in particular to exchange information on the use of innovative technologies relevant to the Navy as well as the testing of functional demonstrators and the processing of projects in the above-mentioned subject areas. The co-operation also includes the support of exercises or practical trials. Background information: The Fraunhofer EMI was founded in 1959 and investigates highly dynamic processes including collision and impact phenomena as well as the physics of explosion effects. The institute researches safety concepts in the fields of defence, security & resilience, automotive, aerospace and aviation. Lightweight structures under dynamic loads are just as much a part of the spectrum as the development of new satellite-based platforms for earth observation, customised solutions for measurement technology and sensor technology as well as user-oriented software development.