Charité and Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute are cooperating on 5G and 6G
22.07.2025 17:15
How can modern communication technologies contribute to making medical care better, more efficient, and safer? Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin and the Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute (HHI) intend to pursue this question even more closely together in the future.
With a declaration of intent signed on July 21st, they are laying the foundation for close cooperation in the areas of research, technology transfer and innovation.
An aging society, increasing healthcare needs, and a growing shortage of skilled workers are posing ever greater challenges for hospitals. Charité and Fraunhofer HHI will now address these challenges through a collaboration focused on the increased digitalization of medicine.
The focus is on the development of wireless communication technologies to optimize medical processes – from digital diagnostics to robot-assisted therapy: For example, the 5G and 6G mobile communication standards enable more efficient resource utilization, support medical personnel through automated processes, and create new pathways to care, such as telemedicine, mobile diagnostics, and AI-supported assistance systems. This helps ensure the quality of care, reduce waiting times, and relieve the burden on healthcare professionals.
Communication technologies improve patient care
„"Digitalization plays a key role in meeting the growing challenges in healthcare," he emphasizes. Prof. Heyo K. Kroemer, CEO of Charité. „When we integrate modern communication technologies into everyday clinical practice, it opens up new possibilities for diagnostics, therapy and care processes, from which our patients directly benefit.“
Fraunhofer HHI, which is significantly involved in 6G research at the national and European level, contributes its extensive expertise in wireless communication technologies and as coordinator of the „6G-RIC Research and Innovation Cluster“ to clinical application:
„The collaboration with Charité enables us to specifically test and further develop state-of-the-art communication technologies such as 5G and 6G in the medical environment. Together, we are creating an innovation ecosystem that not only advances research but also delivers concrete solutions for patient-centered medicine of the future,“ he says. Prof. Slawomir Stanczak, Head of the Wireless Communications and Networks Department at Fraunhofer HHI.
Putting innovations into practice
The cooperation also aims to promote spin-offs in high-tech sectors in order to translate innovations from theory into practice. Active support for young talent is another planned component of the collaboration.
Berlin, as a center for health and science, offers the best conditions for this: In recent years it has established itself as a center for 5G and health research – now it is to become a strong network for the digital medicine of tomorrow.