In January 2018, the first four Fraunhofer clusters of excellence were launched: Programmable Materials, Advanced Photon Sources, Cognitive Internet Technologies, and Immune-Mediated Diseases. These clusters are aimed at promoting cutting-edge research at Fraunhofer.
Up to four core institutes and a variable number of partner institutes collaborate in a cluster of excellence, thereby further expanding the Fraunhofer network.
The clusters of excellence have no defined location, rather do the core institutes of each cluster form a virtual institute, giving them a high degree of flexibility.