„THE RANGE OF POSSIBLE APPLICATION SCENARIOS CAN BE VERY LARGE”

Stefan Richter, Corporate Research & Technology, Systems & Engineering employee at Carl Zeiss AG, on the cooperation between ZEISS and KIT.

How did the cooperation between ZEISS and KIT in the area of optical security systems come about?

Richter: "ZEISS has been in regular contact with Professor Martin Wegener from the Institute of Applied Physics for many years with regard to research in photonics and microtechnology. We also hold a stake in Nanoscribe, which provides the hardware required for this research, namely 3D printers for the nano and micrometer scale. In the search for new product ideas, we as Corporate Research and Technology department are very interested in seeking exchanges with experts, including from the academic field, at an early stage. We approached Professor Wegener with the initial idea of a three-dimensional security feature, and he worked with scientist Frederik Mayer to develop the concept fundamentally. Within a short time, a very convincing demonstration of the security features had already been implemented.

What is your current role as a cooperation partner?

Richter: "Since we always look for a reference to link new ideas to future applications and products, we are interested in competences from the academic environment with regard to new technologies. In the case of 3D printing of microstructures, Professor Wegener's working group is the first point of contact for us because of its many years of expertise. We try to support the work at KIT as a discussion partner through our expertise in the field of microscopy and metrology as well as the provision of components from our product portfolio, such as microscope lenses. Beyond that, one of our tasks is to work out options for a joint commercial exploitation of the results. The strategic cooperation between KIT and ZEISS provides an ideal basis for this collaboration.

Where is the journey still headed?

Richter: "Currently, it is difficult to predict how the results of Frederik Mayer's doctorate can be commercially exploited. In principle, of course, the range of possible application scenarios for this technology can be very large. It ranges from authenticity seals for high-value products to the protection of documents such as passports or ID cards. On the other hand, the market introduction of such products is not a foregone conclusion. We need to create the right conditions, by providing handy and cost-effective reading devices and writing systems for high throughputs. It is also important to find pilot customers who are convinced by the technology. Our task now is to examine how a possible business model might look like, who potential customers would be and whether corresponding products would meet with demand."