Fraunhofer ITEM – pioneers for sustainable health

Fraunhofer ITEM aims to protect man from health hazards in our industrialized world and to contribute to the development of novel therapeutic approaches. Focusing on lung and inhalation, Fraunhofer ITEM in Hanover has pooled its expertise in three business areas:

In the business area Drug Development, we develop and test novel medications against respiratory diseases – in particular asthma, hay fever, COPD, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and infections. The scientific expertise covers both preclinical research in pharmacology and toxicology as well as clinical development.

In the business area Chemical Safety and Assessment we determine the risks from potentially harmful substances and support the development of new products to protect human health and the environment. Scientific expertise includes toxicology testing, exposure assessment, analytical methods, regulatory research and risk assessment.

The business area Translational Biomedical Engineering offers many years of experience in the development of medical devices – specifically medical aerosolizers and neuro-implants – including testing and testing scenarios, safety and risk assessment.

All business areas offer regulatory support. Numerous test systems are available, including in-vitro, ex-vivo, in-vivo and in-silico models. Studies can be performed in compliance with GXP regulations.

A Regensburg-based division is dedicated to personalized tumor therapy including development of diagnostic tests to enable early detection of disseminated cancer cells and prediction of the response to therapy of metastatic progenitor cells.

Fraunhofer ITEM is one of more than 70 institutes and research institutions within the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, the world’s leading applied research organization.

About the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft

© Deutsches Museum/Fraunhofer
The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft is a recognized non-profit organization that takes its name from Joseph von Fraunhofer (1787–1826), the illustrious Munich researcher, inventor and entrepreneur.

The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, headquartered in Germany, is a leading organization for applied research. It plays a pivotal role in innovation by focusing on cutting-edge technologies and transferring research results to industry in order to strengthen Germany as a business location and benefit society. Since its founding as a nonprofit in 1949, Fraunhofer has held a unique position in the German research and innovation ecosystem.

With more than 30,000 employees at 74 institutes and independent research units in Germany, Fraunhofer operates with an annual budget of 3.6 billion euros. Contract research, Fraunhofer's mainstay, generates 3.2 billion of this budget. Unlike other public research organizations, institutional funding from federal and state governments accounts for no more than one-third of Fraunhofer's contract research budget. Institutional funding is thus merely the base of Fraunhofer’s main business model and serves as the foundation for groundbreaking pre-competitive research that will become important for industry and society in the years ahead.

What truly sets Fraunhofer apart is its high share of industrial revenue, which ensures close collaboration with the private sector while keeping Fraunhofer's research focused on the market. Fraunhofer raises at least two-thirds of its contract research budget competitively from private-sector contracts and public project funding. In 2025, industrial revenue alone accounted for 966 million euros.

Last updated: April 2026

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