There are approximately 21 million people with a migrant background living in Germany. Comprehension problems between patients and medical staff due to language barriers pose a particularly significant challenge for all parties involved and increase the risk of treatment errors and ineffective preventive measures. HYKIST assists foreign language-speaking patients upon arrival at the emergency room as well as with over-the-phone translation during doctor-patient meetings through AI-assisted communication. In this way, complex medical issues and specialist terminology in particular can be better translated.

More public safety and security through simulations of urban infrastructure: In January 2022, the newly founded Fraunhofer Center for Security of Socio-Technical Systems SIRIOS in Berlin started operations. In comprehensive research and development projects, it bundles the competencies of four Fraunhofer institutes. The aim is to set up a research, test and training environment for security authorities, rescue services and operators of critical infrastructure over the next four years. There, complex security scenarios can be simulated, experienced virtually and tested in real life. The direct participation of citizens should also be made possible, e.g. by assessing the subjective sense of security.

To ensure that warnings in extremely dangerous situations sound even when the sound is turned off, the warning app KATWARN activates the “critical alarm” function and is now providing a free update for this purpose.

The latest evaluation of a tsunami exercise on the island of Kos by the European Commission shows that KATWARN is crucial for quickly warning those affected. During last year's exercise, KATWARN was the only warning app used, along with other warning channels such as sirens, scoreboards and loudspeakers.