Fraunhofer Institute establishes US research facilities

The Fraunhofer Institute (Aachen, Germany) has established Fraunhofer USA (Ann Arbor, MI), designed to build a network of technology resource centers that will focus on cost-effective technologies to increase the competitiveness of manufacturing companies and promote regional growth. The organization already has facilities in Ann Arbor and in Massachusetts and is working to set u¥centers in California, Delaware, Florida, Connecticut, and Wisconsin, each focusing on different technologies and applied research. The Ann Arbor center, devoted to industrial-laser technology for automotive applications, should be operational by next March.