References

ZDF relies on the FAMIUM Streaming Media Test Suite from Fraunhofer FOKUS to comprehensively test and optimize DASH and HLS live and VoD streams across smart TVs, set-top boxes, mobile devices, and desktop platforms. The solution enables efficient validation and error analysis, ensuring high quality and interoperability on all relevant devices. Detailed playback metrics help identify optimization potential and continuously improve the streaming experience for viewers. Validation was carried out in the Fraunhofer FOKUS TV Lab, which offers a wide range of TV devices and platforms for comprehensive testing.

The CTA WAVE (Web Application Video Ecosystem) project, hosted by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), is an industry initiative focused on advancing standards and interoperability for web-based media streaming across devices and platforms. 

Since 2017, Fraunhofer FOKUS has been developing and maintaining the Streaming Media Test Suites in close collaboration with the CTA WAVE project. These test environments enable comprehensive validation of web-based media playback and device capabilities on smart TVs, set-top boxes, mobile devices, and browsers. The WAVE Streaming Media Test Suite for Devices and the Test Suite for the Web Media API Snapshot specification help manufacturers and content providers ensure interoperability and high streaming quality in line with current industry standards such as HTML5, MSE/EME, DASH, HLS, and CMAF.

The test suites are regularly used at international industry events such as HbbTV Plugfests and other testing events, and are continuously extended to cover new technologies and requirements. The “Plugfest of DTVP & DTG and the HbbTV Testing Event” is held annually in autumn at Fraunhofer FOKUS.

The Goethe-Institut promotes German language and culture worldwide and operates a large digital learning environment for millions of learners. Its existing Moodle-based infrastructure faces limitations due to numerous global course instances, individual customizations, and external integrations. High maintenance effort, limited scalability, and difficult data evaluation challenge ongoing development.

Fraunhofer is creating a modern, modular learning infrastructure to address these issues during active operation. At its core, the Common Learning Middleware (CLM) serves as a flexible integration layer, delivering content and learning data from various sources to the course player based on defined user roles. Additional components include a robust system for course management and provisioning as well as a module for systematic learning analytics. Aggregated learning data is prepared in a meaningful way for both learners and instructors.

An interdisciplinary pilot phase tests the new platform under real-world conditions. Insights gained directly inform further development – ensuring a scalable, future-ready, and user‑centered learning environment.

The Bundeswehr operates over 130 training institutions and requires a central digital learning platform that meets diverse demands for roles, permissions, content, and networks. The goal is a scalable, secure, and flexible learning ecosystem for formal and informal education.

Fraunhofer FOKUS deploys the Fraunhofer Common Learning Middleware (CLM) in the Bundeswehr’s Virtual Learning Environment (VLBw). CLM connects learning content, tools, and AI services via standardized interfaces and orchestrates data flows between various service providers. It enables automated enrollment, single sign-on, and finely tuned role and rights management – even across network boundaries.

Each training environment receives its own CLM instance, integrated into a federated system. This creates a future-ready infrastructure that supports hybrid learning formats and the digital sovereignty of educators.

Many schools and school authorities face the challenge of securely and GDPR-compliantly synchronizing identities and school context data such as roles, group memberships, subjects, or educational pathways across different systems. Originally developed for the needs of Lower Saxony, FWU now oversees the cross-state advancement and deployment of the open Schulconnex interface specification. Fraunhofer plays a key role in the technical specification and implementation.

Schulconnex enables automated, standardized synchronization of identities and context data between school management systems and digital education services. The API for source systems synchronizes data between management systems, while the API for services allows educational media to securely access school context data in the user context. Schulconnex is specifically tailored to the German school system and meets European data protection requirements.
The solution is already used across federal states, simplifies school IT integration, reduces administrative effort, and provides a reliable foundation for digital teaching. The specification is openly available and continuously developed – with Fraunhofer as a technical driver.

Red Tech, a division of Red Bull, faces the challenge of measuring linear TV reach internationally with real-time precision to compare it with OTT and digital distribution. Fraunhofer FOKUS provides the solution: an HbbTV-based tracking framework that seamlessly integrates into existing HbbTV apps. The platform enables broadcasters to analyze reach in real time, understand audience behavior, and optimize programming and advertising strategies. Additionally, the HbbTV Research Toolkit offers comprehensive features to visualize and evaluate live and historical audience data. The solution has been in use at ServusTV since 2016, was shortlisted for the HbbTV Award in the category “Best Technology Innovation”, and is the official AGTT (Arbeitsgemeinschaft TELETEST) measurement solution for TV audiences in Austria since 2024.

Many companies face the challenge of reliably verifying product authenticity, especially across global supply chains and online marketplaces. Counterfeits threaten brand value, cause financial loss, and undermine customer trust.

Fraunhofer’s SmartID provides an innovative solution that uses the natural surface texture of a product as a unique security feature. The technology captures microscopic structures, converts them into a digital fingerprint, and links them to a QR code. Users authenticate products easily via smartphone – offline, intuitive, and without complex IT infrastructure.

SmartID can be integrated directly into existing production processes, such as packaging print lines. Manufacturers benefit from a scalable, easy‑to‑implement system that creates authentic product identities, protects brands, and enhances transparency across the entire value chain. At the same time, SmartID supports seamless compliance with emerging regulations like the Digital Product Passport.

The German Armed Forces face the challenge of making their training digital and future-proof – especially under strict data protection and IT security requirements. Fraunhofer developed a modular AI demonstrator that equips learning management systems (LMS) with intelligent features such as personalized learning paths, competence analysis (KoApp), learning analytics, and the LLM-based chatbot rAIbert. The demonstrator was successfully tested in the Bundeswehr’s secure IT environment and evaluated in several training courses. It enables a safe, adaptive, and user-friendly learning environment that supports both learners and instructors, increasing efficiency and motivation in the training process. The integration of standards such as xAPI and LTI ensures seamless embedding into existing systems and provides the foundation for a scalable, future-oriented digital learning landscape.

Videoload is a Video-on-Demand service of the Telekom Deutschland GmbH that enables users to watch movies and TV-shows on desktop devices, smartphones, smart-TVs and set-top-boxes. Fraunhofer FOKUS has developed the HTML5 video player that handles the playback on desktop and mobile devices. Our solution supports different adaptive streaming formats (MPEG-DASH and HLS) and utilizes native browser extensions (MSE and EME) to enable playback in all browsers without the need for third party plugins like Flash or Silverlight. The player is designed in a responsive manner in order to adapt to different screen resolutions and provide an optimal user experience on different platforms.

Fraunhofer FOKUS developed a SmartTV App for German broadcaster Deutsche Welle. The app was based on consisting design supplies and implemented for LG and Samsung TVs. For implementation and quality assurance the FAME TV Lab provided different testing devices.

The development started in September 2015 and focused on platforms produced from 2013 on. These platforms include SmartTV SDK, Samsung Tizen, LG NetCast (Smart TV Alliance), LG WebOS 1 and LG WebOS 2. The app is available in German, English and Spanish.

The Business Unit Future Applications and Media (FAME) supported Deutsche Telekom AG in developing the first Android based multimedia tablet of the tolino eReader family. The tolino software seamlessly integrates the content consumption streams Read, Listen, and View into one application in which several bookshops and a music shop are integrated directly with tolino. For customization recommendations are integrated and home- as well as lock-screen Widgets to control tolino functionalities are provided.

Fraunhofer FOKUS was involved from the beginning with the first prototype implementation until finally the tolino multimedia device sales started in late 2013.

The goal of the multithek was to enable more coverage with television and internet programmes on one platform. It was designed to provide reception of content via DVB-T and the Internet and included a TV portal with numerous apps (media libraries, news, sports, shopping, music, weather, etc.) and additional TV programmes via IP streams, listed in the EPG. The technology is HbbTV and DVB-T/-S/-C compliant.

The Social TV App was developed by the rbb innovation projects in cooperation with the Institut für Rundfunk Technik (IRT) and Fraunhofer-Institute FOKUS for the anniversary of the fall of the Wall: From the 7th November 2014 there was a live blog with the focus on the media event “Without Borders – 25h Fall of the Wall” (Grenzenlos – 25h Mauerfall) which wasn't only accessible via the rbb information portal but could also be aired directly on the TV. With the application for Smart TVs, viewers were able to not only watch TV but to follow the live blog by looking at individual entries or pictures. The application was realised with the “HbbTV-Toolkit”.

In cooperation with Fraunhofer FOKUS, ImmobilienScout24 developed and launched the world’s first Smart TV Application for real estates. The application enables a multimedia flat-hunting for Internet Television viewers from their TV armchair. The main focus lies on the aspect of “infotainment”. The highlight of the Smart TV application are the 360° panoramas in which the user is able to explore the real estates in an interactive way.