ZEISS picks IIT Madras Research Park as first innovation hub outside Germany

CHENNAI: German optics and optoelectronics major ZEISS on Thursday launched its first international innovation hub outside Germany at the IIT Madras Research Park, seeking to tap the institute’s research, startup and entrepreneurial ecosystem to develop next-generation technologies.

Max Riedel, head, innovation management, corporate research & technology, ZEISS, said the 12 billion euro company’s focus extended “far beyond optics”, with the Chennai hub aimed at identifying emerging trends early, attracting talent and strengthening collaboration between its global research network and IIT Madras.

The hub will bring together faculty, researchers, startups and industry to accelerate research and technology translation. Its focus areas include advanced frugal engineering, harsh-environment optics, robotics and fluid dynamics, alongside interdisciplinary research with industrial applications.

Explaining ZEISS’ approach to frugal engineering, Riedel said it was not about simply making products cheaper or more affordable. Instead, the company was looking at disruptive, resource-efficient ways of solving specialised problems and developing products and services for niche or demanding applications.

“Frugal engineering is not about cheap and affordable. It is about disruptive innovation and becoming comfortable with the product and service needs of special cases,” he said.

The IIT Madras ecosystem, he added, offered the entrepreneurial environment needed to take such ideas beyond conventional corporate research. “IIT Madras Research Park oozes entrepreneurial spirit,” Riedel said.

The hub will also support researcher exchanges, postgraduate research and closer engagement with IIT Madras students and graduates.

Andreas Pecher, president and CEO, ZEISS Group, said its Bengaluru facility already undertakes medical, software and hardware development, while the Chennai hub would have a different focus and be scaled up over time.

“The dynamic ecosystem at IIT Madras Research Park provides an ideal platform to co-develop future-ready solutions and shape the next generation of technologies for India and the world,” he said.

ZEISS invests around 15% of its revenue in R&D, amounting to about $1.8 billion annually. Its key businesses span medical technology, consumer eyewear, industrial research and semiconductor technology.

Natarajan Malupillai, Group CEO, IITM Research Park & Incubation Cell, said the partnership would combine complementary strengths to accelerate frontier research and develop globally competitive technologies.