Institute for Laser Technologies in Medicine and Measurement at the University of Ulm

What Institute for Laser Technologies in Medicine and Measurement at the University of Ulm does

The Institute for Laser Technologies in Medicine and Measurement at the University of Ulm (ILM) is a non-profit civil law foundation (Stiftung bürgerlichen Rechts) founded in 1985, specializing in applied research and development in optics and photonics. The institute operates from Ulm, Baden-Württemberg, with 22 employees organized across three departments — Medical Devices, Quantitative Imaging and Sensor Technology, and Metrology — and is led by managing director Alexander Hack. ILM is embedded in the Innovation Alliance Baden-Württemberg (innBW) and primarily funded by the state of Baden-Württemberg, supplemented by recurring competitive grants from BMBF, BMWi, ZIM, KMUinnovativ, and ERDF programs.

ILM's technical capabilities center on light propagation physics, optical metrology, biomedical optics, and microoptics manufacturing. Proprietary assets include a laser lithography system with 200 nm resolution for microoptics production, GPU-accelerated Monte Carlo simulation software for light and heat propagation in arbitrarily shaped objects, model-based imaging systems that derive information from physics models without calibration, and custom-built angularly and spectrally resolved light scattering microscopes (450–950 nm). The institute offers optical phantoms for measurement calibration and specialized material optics measuring systems (integrating sphere, goniometer, fringe projection, coherent backward scattering). Application areas span medical and dental technology, production metrology, process analytics and agricultural/environmental sensing, and sensors for autonomous systems.

ILM's business model combines public research funding, fee-for-service industry R&D partnerships, and laser safety training/consulting under OStrV and TROS regulations. Services span the full lifecycle from concept to prototype to market-ready optical systems, with technology transfer to small and medium enterprises (KMU) as an explicit priority. Pricing is quote-based and project-negotiated, with no public tier structure. The institute operates without a traditional sales motion — engagements are direct R&D partnerships and contract research collaborations rather than commercial product distribution. Knowledge dissemination occurs through 454+ peer-reviewed publications, a public website in German and English, a German newsletter, an annual ZOE Open House event, and most recently via an Editor's Pick publication in Optics Letters (SPIE) in 2026 and €498,116 in ERDF funding for the ASTANA II digital holographic microscopy sepsis diagnostics prototype.

Name

Institute for Laser Technologies in Medicine and Measurement at the University of Ulm

Legal name

Institut für Lasertechnologien in der Medizin und Meßtechnik an der Universität Ulm

Website

https://ilm-ulm.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Institute for Laser Technologies in Medicine and Measurement (ILM) at the University of Ulm is a non-profit German research foundation founded in 1985 that develops applied optics and photonics solutions — including microoptics, biomedical imaging, and optical metrology — for SMEs, medical device companies, industrial manufacturers, and academic partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Ulm

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Public Research Funding: ILM receives primary funding from the state of Baden-Württemberg through the Innovation Alliance Baden-Württemberg (innBW). The institute regularly applies for and implements publicly funded research projects from BMBF, BMWi, ZIM, and KMUinnovativ programs. Additional funding from ERDF (European Regional Development Fund) for prototype development.
2. Industry R&D Services and Partnerships: Fee-for-service research partnerships with companies, including transparent contract projects and collaborative R&D. Services include custom optical measurement, microoptics fabrication, optical phantom production, and consulting.
3. Laser Safety Training and Consulting: Training courses and consulting services related to optical radiation protection according to OStrV and TROS regulations, including safety assessments for sensors and laser systems.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The ILM offers applied research and development in optics and photonics, providing R&D partnerships, custom optical measurement and fabrication services, microoptics manufacturing via laser lithography (200 nm resolution), optical phantom production, and laser safety training and consulting. It transfers technology to small and medium enterprises (KMU) and operates across medical, dental, and industrial applications.

Product overview

ILM Ulm is a non-profit research institute (Stiftung bürgerlichen Rechts) established in 1985, operating as part of the Innovation Alliance Baden-Württemberg (innBW). The institute offers a portfolio of research, development, and manufacturing services rather than a unified software product. Core offerings include R&D partnership services (collaborative projects with industry), measurement and fabrication services (laser lithography, microoptics, optical phantoms), and laser safety training. The institute is structured into three departments: Medical Devices (optical systems for medical applications), Quantitative Imaging and Sensing (model-based optical imaging), and Metrology (industrial optical measurement). Specialized capabilities include simulation software for light/heat propagation, various optical measuring systems (integrating sphere, goniometer, scattering microscope), and custom microoptics manufacturing with 200 nm resolution.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• R&D Partnership Services Collaborative research and development partnerships with industry partners, including transparent contract projects and publicly funded projects. Services span 3D measurement technology, roughness measurement, nondestructive edge zone analysis, hyperspectral imaging, quantitative spectral analysis, and scattered light-based particle analysis for industrial and medical customers.
• Measurement and Fabrication Services Custom optical measurement and fabrication services including laser lithography for microoptics with 200 nm resolution, proprietary simulation software for light and heat propagation, and tailored measurement and testing solutions.
• Microoptics Production Custom manufacturing of microoptics and components using laser lithography with 200 nm resolution, from individual conception to tailored production meeting specific customer requirements.
• Optical Phantoms Production Production of optical phantoms for calibration and testing of optical measurement systems, supplied to industry and research customers.
• Laser Safety Training and Consulting Training courses per OStrV and TROS, plus consulting on eye safety of sensors, laser system safety, transmission and durability of laser safety glasses and windows, and personal protective equipment selection. Includes dedicated laser safety officer courses and laser protection consulting.

Quantifiable outcome

• ASTANA II prototype enables single-cell bacterial quantification for faster antimicrobial susceptibility testing, potentially shortening sepsis diagnostics time
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Innovation Alliance Baden-Württemberg (innBW)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1985ILM is part of the Innovation Alliance Baden-Württemberg (innBW), a network of applied research institutes primarily funded by the state of Baden-Württemberg. This affiliation provides core institutional funding and positions ILM as a key player in the regional innovation ecosystem.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• TRUMPF SE + Co. KG: German industrial laser and photonics leader with significant in-house R&D and EUV/optics programs. Comparable in laser-technology focus but operates as a large commercial laser-systems manufacturer; relevant as a potential customer or competitor in laser safety and laser-application consulting.
• ams OSRAM AG: European-headquartered optoelectronic semiconductor and lighting incumbent with products in sensing, illumination, and visualization. Comparable in optoelectronics and optical sensing domain but operates at vastly larger scale as an integrated component manufacturer rather than research-services provider.
• Jenoptik AG: German photonics and optics company serving industrial metrology, laser processing, and medical-imaging markets. Comparable in target customer segments (industrial measurement, medical devices) but operates as a commercial OEM rather than a contract research provider, making it a potential partner for tech-transfer handoffs.
• Carl Zeiss AG: Global industrial optics leader operating across medical, semiconductor, and metrology end-markets. Comparable in customer overlap (medical device and industrial metrology buyers) but operates as a commercial industrial incumbent rather than a research-services provider, and represents a potential licensee or acquirer of ILM-derived IP.

Direct peers

• Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering (IOF): German applied research institute with overlapping optics and photonics R&D, microoptics fabrication, and industry technology-transfer services. Most structurally comparable peer given shared innBW/Fraunhofer-style applied research mandate and customer base of industrial SMEs.
• CSEM (Swiss Centre for Electronics and Microtechnology): Swiss applied research center offering contract R&D in photonics, micro-optics, and biomedical optics to industry customers. Comparable in operating model (publicly co-funded, industry contract-driven) and in technical overlap on microoptics fabrication and optical measurement.
• AMOLF (Institute for Atomic and Molecular Physics): Dutch public research institute studying light-matter interaction, nanophotonics, and optical sensing. Comparable as an applied/fundamental photonics research lab, though operating outside Germany with a stronger fundamental-research tilt and no commercial manufacturing services.
• Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light: German research institute focused on photonics and light-matter interaction, with research output in optical measurement, imaging, and novel photonic techniques. Comparable research mission and publication footprint, though operating under Max Planck Society's fundamental-research orientation rather than innBW applied model.
• Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems (IPMS): German applied research institute developing photonic microsystems, sensors, and optical components for industrial partners. Directly comparable in service portfolio (contract R&D, microoptics, sensor development) and in operating model as a public-funded institute serving industry customers.
• Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology (IPHT): German non-university photonics research institute conducting applied research in optical sensing, biophotonics, and photonic technologies. Comparable as a publicly funded research entity with similar research-to-industry technology-transfer mission and overlapping biomedical optics and sensor focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/institut-f%C3%BCr-lasertechnologien-in-der-medizin-und-me%C3%9Ftechnik-an-der-universit%C3%A4t-ulm

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Institute for Laser Technologies in Medicine and Measurement at the University of Ulm