Fraunhofer IDMT – Where AI means Audio Intelligence.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Media Technology IDMT is one of 74 institutes and research facilities of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, the world's leading organization for application-oriented research.

The director of the institute is Professor Joachim Bös.

 

Headquarters Ilmenau

Located on the campus of Technische Universität Ilmenau in the heart of Germany, the Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Media Technology IDMT has been conducting internationally recognized research for more than 20 years. The institute combines expertise in audio technology, psychoacoustics and electroacoustics, multimodal analysis of audio and video data, media forensics, and artificial intelligence.

Under the claim “Where AI means Audio Intelligence”, researchers at Fraunhofer IDMT develop technologies for the secure, efficient and trustworthy analysis, recognition and classification of audio and video data. The institute’s solutions are applied in a wide range of domains, including industrial sound monitoring, media forensics, music analysis and recommendation, broadcasting and media technologies, as well as environmental and biodiversity monitoring.

A key research focus is the development of trustworthy media technologies and trustworthy AI. Fraunhofer IDMT develops methods and tools that enable privacy-preserving and secure data processing while ensuring transparency, robustness and reliability in AI-driven applications. By integrating Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PETs), the institute helps protect sensitive corporate, machine and personal data throughout the entire data lifecycle – from acquisition and analysis to storage and transmission.

Another core area of research is the development of customized solutions for creating authentic and immersive audio experiences. Fraunhofer IDMT develops technologies for the production, reproduction and enhancement of spatial sound for applications in professional audio, entertainment and automotive industries. 

 

Oldenburg Branch for Hearing, Speech and Audio Technology HSA

At the Oldenburg Branch for Hearing, Speech and Audio Technology HSA, located in Oldenburg, researchers are working to transpose scientific findings related to hearing perception and man-machine interaction into technological applications.

In Oldenburg, the Institute’s applied research focuses on the enhancement of sound quality and speech intelligibility, personalized audio reproduction, automatic speech recognition and acoustic event detection based on artificial intelligence. Another focus is on the use of mobile neurotechnologies, which facilitate the recording of brain activity and the use of its resulting data outside the laboratory, too.

Application fields include consumer electronics, transport, the automotive sector, industrial production, security, telecommunications, and healthcare.

 

Interdisciplinary Research and Strong Partnerships

Around 200 employees, doctoral candidates, students and trainees from more than 18 nations currently work at the Ilmenau headquarters and the Oldenburg branch of the Institute for Hearing, Speech and Audio Technology HSA.

The Fraunhofer IDMT maintains close research collaborations with various universities, works in several Fraunhofer-internal research networks and is a member of over 50 regional, national and international associations and committees.