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Microsystems Technology (MST) is used everywhere – by suppliers of car parts, in medical technology and in the information and communication sectors. Manufacturers employ approximately 766,000 people in Germany and had a turnover of more than 82 billion euros in 2009. The upward trend will continue and the number of jobs in this sector accordingly – with growth rates of up to 10 percent per year. Funding for this key technology is thus an important part of the Federal Government's High-Tech Strategy.

Microsystems technology ensures intelligence

Common to all microsystems is the fact that different materials, components and technologies are linked together in a very small area. But modern microsystems are more than just the sum of their parts: The intelligent integration of the individual components to form more and more complex systems enables completely novel functions – leading to intelligent products which can make our lives safer, simpler and more comfortable.

Driver assistance systems which can avoid obstacles independently and make automatic emergency stops in critical situations, air-conditioning systems which register when we leave our homes and adjust themselves accordingly: In the not too distant future, we will be finding more and more intelligent systems in our lives. The technological basis for this development: New, intelligent microsystems in our everyday world – also known as "smart systems".

The microsystems of the future will not only feel, evaluate and act; they will also make decisions with foresight and communicate with their surroundings. They will have an autodiagnosis function and will operate largely autonomously – characteristics which come very close to cognitive abilities. Whereas classical microsystems merely function according to a pre-programmed pattern, "smart systems" will show at least rudimentary signs of being able to "think", "understand" and "learn".