On 27.11.2024, Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier awarded the Deutscher Zukunftspreis (German Future Prize) to Dr. rer. nat. Norwin von Malm, Stefan Grötsch and Dr.-Ing Hermann Oppermann. The Deutscher Zukunftspreis is the Federal President's prize for technology and innovation, endowed with € 250,000.

The spokesman of the research team, Norwin von Malm, received his doctorate in 2003 in the group of Prof. em. Heinz von Seggern and is now Senior Director New Technologies at ams OSRAM International GmbH. Stefan Grötsch is Director of Hardware and Software Automotive System Solution Development at the same company. Hermann Oppermann is Group Leader Fine Pitch Assembly and Interconnects at Fraunhofer IZM Berlin.

With their “digital light” in the form of tiny, individually operable LED pixels, the award winners have succeeded in developing a technology that enables new, resource-saving applications such as new types of car headlights that offer greater driving safety thanks to intelligent adaptive light distribution on the road surface.

The core of the innovation consists of an LED light matrix combined with a pixel-perfect electronic circuit. Together with an optical system, the result is a spotlight that works in a similar way to a video projector, requires minimal installation space and works very efficiently. The fine light sensor technology also opens up potential applications in the field of augmented reality (AR) and in human-machine interaction. With AR glasses that reflect digital information into the field of vision alongside the real environment, the light matrix becomes a virtual monitor, as it is compact and energy-efficient and can also project information with high brightness so that it also works in daylight.

The Federal President honors outstanding research and development projects with the Deutscher Zukunftspreis. The jury's decision is based on the degree of scientific and technical innovation as well as the potential to turn this achievement into sustainable jobs. The prize was awarded for the 28th time.