A brief introduction to the 'Green ICT @ FMD' project of the Research Fab Microelectronics Germany (FMD)
The resource consumption of information and communication technologies (ICT) is steadily increasing in the course of the ongoing digitalization of everyday life and work, especially through applications such as IoT, AI and Industry 5.0. In order to reduce the ecological impact associated with the development, production and use of these technologies, data must be collected and analyzed and systems must be optimized. The Research Fab Microelectronics Germany (FMD) has therefore set up the Green ICT@FMD competence center to implement the German government's Green ICT mission. The aim is to use research and development, particularly in the field of microelectronics, to reduce theCO2 footprint of ICT and contribute to achieving climate and energy targets. Resource-saving microelectronics production is also part of the research.
Research factory for microelectronics
The FMD, a cooperation between the Fraunhofer Group for Microelectronics and the Leibniz Institutes FBH and IHP, is the central point of contact for all issues relating to research and development in microelectronics and nanoelectronics in Germany and Europe. Since 2017, FMD has been combining technologies and system solutions from 13 cooperating institutes from the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft and Leibniz Association with more than 4,900 employees into a customer-specific overall offering. The 'Green ICT @ FMD' project, launched in 2022, is an expansion of FMD to include the topic of resource conservation and reduction of theCO2 footprint in the development, production and operation of ICT applications and infrastructures.
Stimulus for ecological sustainability
In the project, the cooperating institutes form a cross-location competence center for resource-conscious information and communication technology under the management of the FMD office. The project has a funding volume of 34 million euros and is intended to provide long-term impetus for ecologically sustainable ICT in both society and the economy through targeted research and development. The project, which is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, started in August 2022 and will run until January 2026.
Technological focus areas
FMD's expertise in the field of green microelectronics is bundled in three technological research fields:
- Sensor edge cloud systems,
- energy-saving communication infrastructures,
- resource-optimized electronics production.
The three Green ICT Hubs serve companies as the first point of contact for consultations, analyses and measurements on energy efficiency and resource consumption as well as forCO2 balancing of existing systems and products. The aim is to design new products in a resource-saving way right from the development phase, but also during their use phase. This is made possible by validation projects. In addition, companies can benefit from findings, data and process optimizations by participating in user groups, network within the industry and help shape the most important ecologically sustainable topics in ICT with experts.
Services offered
Green ICT @FMD supports start-ups, small, medium-sized and large companies with thecarbon footprinting of products and manufacturing processes and the identification of optimization potential with regard to energy, efficiency and the use of resources. The specific services include
- Know-how transfer in the creation of life cycle inventory models, life cycle assessments and calculations of theCO2 footprint of products and processes,
- Advice on ecologically more sustainable components and systems for sensor edge cloud applications and communication infrastructures,
- More environmentally friendly manufacturing processes for microelectronic components through material substitution and energy savings in clean rooms,
- Provision and plausibility checks for life cycle assessment data sets from the above-mentioned areas.
Companies can increase their competitiveness in the area of ecological sustainability and save costs. They benefit from FMD's infrastructure for the production of microelectronic components, including the interdisciplinary know-how and equipment of all participating research institutes. They have access to processes, materials and machines that have already been evaluated and can compare their own market potential. By focusing on aspects of ecological sustainability, requirements of already implemented legislation are met and preparations are made for expected legislation. Start-ups and small and medium-sized enterprises are given the opportunity to test new business models and make their existing models more environmentally friendly. After three successful application rounds, the 'Green ICT Space' is already supporting several start-ups and SMEs in implementing specific Green ICT product ideas. Until January 31, 2025, start-ups and SMEs can apply in a fourth round for acarbon footprint assessment of their ecologically sustainable ICT solution.
www.forschungsfabrik-mikroelektronik.de, https://fmd-insight.de/showroom/, https://greenict.de/
