The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft e.V. is the largest funding organisation for applied research and technology transfer in Germany. Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft is a non-profit applied research organisation with 56 institutes in Germany, more than 10000 scientists and a turn-over of about 1,2 billion Euro. The main purpose is technology transfer from research into industrial application. (www.fraunhofer.de).

The Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering (Fraunhofer IAO, www.iao.fraunhofer.de) focuses on technology management, information technology and ergonomics. Fraunhofer IAO holds various contacts to industry. Fraunhofer IAO provides demonstration and research centres which are requested by companies and SMEs of all branches. Generally Fraunhofer has a strong interest in the exploitation of services and products developed within the projects. At the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering (IAO) numerous research projects in the general context of human-computer interaction are currently worked on and have been carried out. Providing a human factors lab, a vehicle-interaction lab, an usability lab (stationary and mobile equipment), an ambient intelligence and interaction lab (for testing, prototyping and evaluating interaction in ambient intelligence environments), Fraunhofer IAO integrates expertise for homogenous and precise research and development activities.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Experimental Software Engineering (Fraunhofer IESE, www.iese.fraunhofer.de) in Kaiserslautern is one of the most recognised software engineering institutions world-wide. It is a member of the Fraunhofer Group Information and Communication Technology – the biggest coordinated capacity in the field of applied informatics research in Europe. Fraunhofer IESE concentrates on applied research, development and technology transfer in the areas of innovative software development approaches, quality and process engineering, continuous improvement, organisational learning as well as continuous education and training. Fraunhofer IESE develops new techniques, methods, processes, and tools that base software development on sound engineering principles. Fraunhofer IESE has coordinated many projects in the IST programmes as well as in national programmes and is currently running several projects in the area of Ambient Intelligence and Assisted Living, i.e., the Bilateral German-Hungarian Cooperation on Ambient Intelligence Systems BelAMI (www.belAMI-project.org) or the EU project Emergency Monitoring and Prevention EMERGE (www.emerge-project.eu).

The Fraunhofer-Institute for Integrated Circuits (Fraunhofer IIS, www.iis.fraunhofer.de), has reached worldwide recognition with the development of the audio coding method MP3. The institute conducts contract research for national as well as international industry and public authorities. Key areas of activities are video source coding, multimedia real-time systems, integrated circuits and sensor systems, design automation, imaging systems, medical sensor solutions and communication technology in transport and logistics. The Image Processing and Medical Engineering Department represents the institute's medical application expertise in a number of projects and domains.