The Fraunhofer ISC is a materials research institute whose mission is to develop innovative non-metallic materials for tomorrow's products. In so doing, the institute deliberately focuses on the economic and social challenges that will characterize our future: energy, the enviroment and ad health.

Starting with the manufacture of materials, continuing through processing, and culminating with the finished product, the institute aims to make more efficient use of energy and resources throughout the value chain. The approach we have chosen is that of constantly improving our manufacturing processes and developing new, multifunctional materials. The benefits of nanotechnology are harnessed in a responsible manner in order to extend the properties and functions of materials.

The Fraunhofer ISC possesses outstanding competence with respect to the ORMOCER® family of materials, inorganic-organic hybrid polymers that were invented and further refined at the institute. These are used in numerous commercial products, e.g. as functional coatings for spectacle lenses, as dental materials, or for applications in micro-optics and microelectronics.

All of the materials from the Fraunhofer ISC open up new product worlds: Ceramic reinforcement fibers for high-temperature applications, biodegradable fiber mats for medical purposes, new adaptive materials in liquid and solid form for “smart” components, and special glasses and ceramics for technical applications.