Our roadmap approach

Roadmaps are strategic planning tools that provide a structured visualization of the path to future goals and visions. They serve as a navigation aid and enable a clear definition of development milestones on the way to innovations and technological breakthroughs. At the core of a roadmap is the temporal representation of the evolution of needs, technologies, or products and the associated business and research activities.

In the Fraunhofer ICT Group, the roadmap methodology has been specifically adapted to meet the special requirements of research institutions. All roadmaps are designed to strengthen internal coordination and support our non-profit, public-oriented research, thus maximizing the societal benefit of the group's scientific work. They form the foundation for the targeted collaboration of the member institutes. Research and development plans are coordinated with their help, synergies are created, and progress in key areas of information and communication technology is systematically advanced. The roadmaps allow the institutes to proactively shape research and development strategies of industries and companies – far beyond the implementation of individual research projects.

The work with roadmaps in the Fraunhofer ICT Group is based on two basic principles:

Requirements orientation – Roadmaps are designed to align with the current and future needs of research. They should help to use resources purposefully and focus research activities on areas that promise the greatest impact.

Lightweight – The roadmaps are deliberately kept agile and flexible to adapt to new insights and conditions. They avoid over-complexity and facilitate quick adaptation to changing research priorities.

The roadmap models of the Fraunhofer ICT Group thus represent a crucial instrument for managing technical cooperation and prove to be indispensable tools for the strategic planning and coordination of collaboration across the member institutes. They enable quick responses to changes in technology and the research environment and ensure that the group's research and development are always aligned with the requirements of society and the economy.