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The following text has been machine translated from the German with no human editing.
Digital technologies are already transforming the way we live, work, travel and access healthcare. In future, smart sensor systems, adaptive assistance solutions and connected infrastructure will help make everyday life safer, more efficient and more resilient, whether in healthcare, mobility or critical infrastructure. At the same time, this opens up new opportunities for innovation, economic development and high value-added jobs.
This is precisely where the new 'SaarNex' research cluster comes in, through which the Saarland is making targeted investments in new technologies of the future and in the transfer of research into practical applications. This project, led jointly by htw saar, the University of the Saarland and the Fraunhofer Institute for Non-Destructive Testing (IZFP), was presented today at the htw saar technical centre. The project partners have allocated a total of around 29.5 million euros to SaarNex until 2032.
SaarNex brings together expertise in artificial intelligence, sensor technology, neurotechnology, decentralization, communication and data management to develop new applications for health, care, mobility and critical infrastructure. The focus is on smart sensor systems, autonomous assistance solutions and energy-efficient AI technologies for a resilient and digitally interconnected society.
At the same time, this research cluster aims to help open up new horizons for the future of the Saarland. In collaboration with businesses, the partners wish to accelerate the translation of technological advances into practical applications and thereby generate a new dynamic of innovation, additional added value and highly skilled jobs.
The Minister for Science, Jakob von Weizsäcker, explains: ‘The transformation fund is intended to help the Saarland develop new economic strength through innovation, research and technological development. This is exactly what SaarNex represents. The project combines scientific excellence with practical applications for the economy and society – from smart healthcare to resilient infrastructure. It is essential that research leads more quickly to new products, new business models and high-quality jobs. SaarNex demonstrates how the Saarland is actively shaping the technological transition and deriving new prospects for the future from it.’
The htw saar coordinates the network. Participants include professors from the university's four faculties as well as researchers from Saarland University.
Professor Dieter Leonhard, President of htw saar, emphasizes: 'SaarNex perfectly illustrates the strength of applied research in the Saarland. In collaboration with our partners from the worlds of science and research, we are creating a network that combines research excellence with social and economic benefits. For htw saar, this project represents an important step towards further developing our expertise in future-oriented fields and technologies, thereby strengthening the Saarland as a hub for innovation."
The research network focuses in particular on two future-oriented fields with strong growth potential: healthcare and critical infrastructure. Topics such as smart sensor networks, human–machine interaction, autonomous systems, data-driven assistance solutions and neuromorphic AI are at the heart of this work. The project builds on the Saarland's existing strengths in AI, sensor technology, computer science and applied research, and strengthens their links with industry and practical applications.
Professor Horst Wieker, project director and head of the transport telematics research group, explains: 'With SaarNex, we are developing intelligent sensor and AI systems that collect, understand and utilize information from our environment in real time. In doing so, we are laying the foundations for safe mobility, resilient infrastructure and new digital services. Close collaboration between the relevant disciplines is crucial here: it is the only way to transform innovations arising from 'technological ' ' into concrete solutions to meet the challenges of tomorrow.'
Prof. Dr. Dr. Daniel Strauss, Head of the 'Systems Neuroscience & Neurotechnology' unit: 'We want to develop technologies that put people at the centre. The combination of neurotechnology, smart sensors and artificial intelligence opens up entirely new possibilities for healthcare, nursing and assistive systems. SaarNex offers the opportunity to translate scientific discoveries more quickly into applications that can improve the quality of life for many people.'
Particular emphasis is placed on transferring scientific knowledge into concrete commercial applications. The approach of technically harnessing the principles of biological information processing is of particular importance: for example, the human brain achieves energy efficiency not by processing all signals, but through selective attentional processes that amplify relevant information and actively suppress distractions. In collaboration with companies, SaarNex translates these neurologically inspired mechanisms into energy-efficient applications for smart infrastructure monitoring, autonomous assistance systems, digital healthcare, sensor technology and AI-assisted data processing. Several partners have announced their intention to launch new research and development activities or to expand their existing areas of activity in a targeted manner.
Participating companies see particular potential in areas such as smart infrastructure monitoring, autonomous assistance systems, digital healthcare, sensor technology and AI-assisted data processing. Several partners have already announced their intention to launch new research and development activities or to expand existing areas of activity.
Professor Mana Mojadadr, founder and director of Trust it, explains: 'The success of SaarNex will be measured by how quickly research is put into practice. That is why we want to involve companies – particularly small and medium-sized enterprises – at a very early stage and work together to develop innovations that create added value, strengthen competitiveness and advance the Saarland as a technology hub in the long term.'
Professor Bernd Valeske, Director of Fraunhofer IZFP, adds: 'With the "SaarNex" research network, we are creating a research hub bringing together the most eminent professors from htw saar, UkS and Fraunhofer IZFP. We are addressing the challenges and transformation needs of a Saarland society and economy undergoing rapid change. A total of 17 research groups have come together to pool their expertise in technological fields relating to 'monitoring and assistance in socially relevant areas of application using decentralised cognitive sensor systems and autonomous agents'. As part of the research applications, the team develops solutions to meet people's everyday needs using the technologies of tomorrow. This research network aims to enable young researchers from the centres of excellence currently being established to make a seamless transition from htw saar to a permanent research environment within Fraunhofer.'
SaarNex aims for a long-term impact: in addition to new technological solutions, the network is set to give rise to further research groups, technology transfer structures and innovation partnerships. The Saarland is thus set to become, step by step, a leading centre for smart, human-centred technologies of the future.
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