New Robert Bosch Endowed Professorship strengthens sensor technology research at the University of Freiburg
Freiburg, 20/05/2025
Robert Bosch GmbH and its subsidiary Bosch Sensortec GmbH are funding the establishment of a new professorship for Sensor Systems Engineering at the Department of Microsystems Engineering (IMTEK) at the University of Freiburg.
Robert Bosch GmbH and its subsidiary Bosch Sensortec GmbH are funding the establishment of an endowed professorship for sensor system engineering at the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Freiburg. The funding will run for a period of ten years and will expand the research and teaching profile at the Department of Microsystems Engineering (IMTEK). The funding is supported by the Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft.
On 19 May 2025, the cooperation agreement was signed by Dr. Peter Wolfangel, member of the Mobility Electronics Division Board of Management at Robert Bosch GmbH, Dr. Stefan Finkbeiner und Dr. Oliver Weiss, members of the Board of Management of Sensortec GmbH, and Rector Prof. Dr. Kerstin Krieglstein and Prof. Dr. Frank Balle, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering.
“This funding is a strong vote of confidence in Freiburg as a centre of research. It will help us to further strengthen the Faculty of Engineering’s internationally recognised expertise in the future-oriented field of intelligent sensor systems and to advance the transfer of socially relevant technology solutions. We are very grateful to Robert Bosch GmbH and Bosch Sensortec GmbH for making this possible with the endowed professorship.”
Prof. Dr. Kerstin Krieglstein
Rector, University of Freiburg
“This funding is a strong vote of confidence in Freiburg as a centre of research,” emphasises Rector Krieglstein. “It will help us to further strengthen the Faculty of Engineering’s internationally recognised expertise in the future-oriented field of intelligent sensor systems and to advance the transfer of socially relevant technology solutions. We are very grateful to Robert Bosch GmbH and Bosch Sensortec GmbH for making this possible with the endowed professorship.”
Bosch is one of the world’s largest suppliers of microelectromechanical (MEMS) sensors for vehicles and consumer electronics. “Close cooperation with the scientific community is crucial for us to further strengthen Bosch’s innovative strength and competitiveness. To do this, we need capable partners and people with excellent fundamental knowledge,” says Peter Wolfangel, member of the Mobility Electronics Division Management Board. “That is why we are delighted to further deepen our long-standing and successful cooperation with the University of Freiburg with this endowed professorship.”
Sensor research with great potential for practical application
The IMTEK’s research focuses on biomedical microsystems, intelligent integrated microsystems, intelligent materials and bio-inspired systems, and photonics. “In terms of content, the professorship of sensor system technology ties in perfectly with the profile and expertise of our faculty.
We expect this to generate significant synergies within the institute and, beyond that, valuable contributions to innovative applications and technological progress,” explains Dean Balle.
The professorship will focus on the development of intelligent sensor systems that combine different (multi-)physical sensor sources – for temperature, pressure, motion or chemical substances, for example – in such a way that they work with particular sensitivity, precision and resistance to interference. The main areas of research include the design of electronic circuits that can process both analogue and digital signals, the use of artificial intelligence, and the development of simulation models that test complex sensor systems as virtual models before they are built in reality. These sensor systems have a wide range of potential applications, for example in medical technology, environmental monitoring, and autonomous vehicles.
“As one of the leading providers of microelectronic sensor systems, we are delighted that this professorship will promote new ideas at the interface between hardware and software and enable us to work with the University of Freiburg to shape relevant advances in the field of innovative future technologies,” says Stefan Finkbeiner, CEO of Bosch Sensortec.