When you use this website, we process your personal data as data controllers and save them for the duration required to fulfill the defined purposes and legal obligations. The sections below provide further details about the data this involves, how they will be processed and which rights you have in this regard.

Personal data, as defined by Article 4 (1) General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) include all information related to an identified or identifiable natural person.

1 Scope of Application
2 Name and Contact Information of Controller and Corporate Data Protection Office
3 Personal Data Processing and Purposes of Data Processing
4 Transfer of Data
5 Cookies
6 Rights of the Data Subject
7 Data Security
8 Timeliness and Amendments to this Data Protection Information

1 Scope of Application

This data protection information applies to data processing all project websites of our project IE 2025, as well as to all associated project service offers in the form of web utilities or mobile apps (hereinafter: Website to facilitate readability), in each case whenever reference is made to this data protection information. The controller is:

2 Name and Contact Information of Controller and Corporate Data Protection Office

Fraunhofer Gesellschaft  
zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V. 
Hansastrasse 27 c,  
80686 München, Germany

on behalf of its  

Fraunhofer-Institut für Graphische Datenverarbeitung IGD 
Fraunhoferstr. 5 
64283 Darmstadt

(hereinafter referred to as Fraunhofer-IGD) 

E-Mail:  info@igd.fraunhofer.de
Telefon: 061511550 
Fax: 06151155199 

The corporate data protection officer at Fraunhofer can be reached at the above-mentioned address in Munich, c/o Data Protection Officer or at datenschutz@zv.fraunhofer.de

Please feel free to contact the data protection officer directly at any time with your questions concerning your data protection rights and/or your rights as data subject.

Alternatively, you may want to send an email to our contact partner Florian Kirchbuchner at florian.kirchbuchner@igd.fraunhofer.de.

3 Personal Data Processing and Purpose of Data Processing

When visiting the website

You may access our website without having to disclose any details on your identity. The browser installed on your device merely transmits information automatically to the server of our website (e.g., browser type and version, date and time of access) to enable a connection with the website. This includes the IP address of your requesting device. This information is temporarily stored in a so-called log file and will be deleted after 30 days. 

Your IP address is processed for technical and administrative purposes regarding connection set-up and stability, to guarantee the security and functioning of our website and, if necessary, to be able to track any illegal attacks on the website. 

The legal basis for processing the IP address is Art. 6 (1) lit. f GDPR. Our legitimate interest ensues from said security interest and the necessity of the unobstructed availability of our website. 

We cannot draw any direct conclusions about your identity from processing the IP address and other information in the log file. 

Moreover, we use cookies and analytics services when you visit our website. Further details can be found below in this data protection information. 

When registering for events

We regularly offer a variety of events through our website, for which you can register online.

In order to register online, our website’s visitors have to provide some mandatory data, which generally include:

  • First and last name
  • Address
  • Email address
  • Payment information (only for events that require payment and depending on the method of payment you select)

Any other mandatory data are marked as such (e.g., with *). Often, additional information can be provided voluntarily.

The purpose of processing the mandatory data is to identify you as event participant, to reserve a spot for you as well as to establish and implement a contractual relationship regarding your participation, and to provide you before, during and after the event with information that will optimize your participation, and to help us plan and ensure a smooth event experience. If we collect your payment information for events that require payment, those data are needed to process the registration fee. Voluntary data allow us to plan and conduct the event based on participants’ interest.

We process data at your request, and it is mandatory pursuant to Article 6 (1) lit. b GDPR for the purposes named to fulfill the obligations of the participant agreement and implement precontractual measures.

We store the data we collect in the context of event registrations for 6 months unless you have consented to a longer storage period under Art. 6 (1) lit. a GDPR.

Photos and videos will be taken to document the event in pictures. Since you can possibly be identified in these images, either directly or indirectly, they constitute personal data.

The images are created for Fraunhofer and will be used for news reporting directly associated with the event as well as for internal and external reporting by Fraunhofer.

Furthermore, the images will be published for the purpose of post-event reporting on our media platforms or on our website. This processing is required in particular to document our event and promote future events.

The legal basis for data processing is Art. 6 (1) lit. f GDPR. The purposes mentioned are legitimate interests within the meaning of the aforementioned provision.

The images will be stored for 3 Jahre.

When subscribing to a newsletter or other email list

Once you have given your explicit consent pursuant to Art. 6 (1) lit. a GDPR, we will use your email address to regularly send you selected information about the work in our Institute and/or in other institutions and/or events of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft. The subjects and contents of the selected information are determined by the list you subscribed to..

Once you have subscribed, you will receive a registration notification by email, which you need to confirm to receive the newsletter (so-called double opt-in). Your email response serves as confirmation that you are in fact the person who initiated the subscription.

You may unsubscribe at any time, e.g., via a link at the end of each newsletter. Alternatively, you may also unsubscribe by email or by using the following link: https://www.fraunhofer.de/de/fraunhofer-newsletter-abmeldung.html.

Once we have received your cancellation of the newsletter subscription, we will immediately delete your email address.

When using contact forms

Our website gives visitors the opportunity to post comments on our articles and blog posts. Your comments will appear with your name below the article/post you are commenting on. 

If you want to use the comment function on our website, we ask you to provide the following mandatory data: 

  • Name and 
  • Email address 

Instead of your name, you may use a pseudonym/alias. The process requires that you provide your email address to send your comment. However, we do not publish your email address together with your comment. We use your email address only to inform you of a reaction to your comment. 

In addition, when you post a comment on our website, we store your IP address, which we will delete after 30 Tage. This storage period is required so that we can defend ourselves against liability claims in case of publication of possibly illegal content. 

The processing of data is in response to your comments and is justified in the context of publishing online contributions together with user reactions and on the basis of our legitimate interest in an opinion and information exchange pursuant to Article 6 (1) lit. f GDPR. 

The personal data are processed for as long as the comment is published on the website and are then deleted. 

Location Map (OpenStreetMap)

On our website we embed the maps from OpenStreetMap. OpenStreetMap is a project of the OpenStreetMap Foundation, 132 Maney Hill Road, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands B72 1JU, Great Britain, which collects public domain geodata and provides them in a database for free use.

When you visit the website, initially no connection to OpenStreetMap’s servers is made. Instead of the embedded maps, you are initially shown only a preview image that we retrieve from our web server.

For any subsequent interaction on this website you are connected to the OpenStreetMap Foundation’s servers and data on the OpenStreetMap Foundation are transmitted in order to display embedded maps. Additional information concerning data protection in connection with OpenStreet Map can be found in the Privacy Policy of OpenStreetMap Foundation.

When connection is established to display the maps, the following data are transmitted to OpenStreetMap’s servers:

  • IP address,
  • user’s browser and device,
  • operating system,
  • web page from which you were directed to the OpenStreetMap Foundation site (referring web page) and
  • date and time the website was visited.

If you have a user account with OpenStreetMap and are logged in when you visit our website, the following additional data will be transmitted to OpenStreetMap’s servers:

  • user ID,
  • email address associated with your account and
  • content blocked by the user and associated messages.

Embedding is done on the basis of Art. 6 (1) lit. f GDPR and with the purpose of making our website more user-friendly and interesting. This may be regarded as a legitimate interest within the meaning of the aforementioned provision.

You may prevent any data transfer to OpenStreetMap’s servers by deactivating JavaScript in your browser. In that case, however, you cannot use the map display.

Additional information on data protection in connection with OpenStreetMap may be found here.

4 Transfer of Data

If we transfer personal data collected through websites to processors, we will notify you in this data protection information regarding the respective data processing operation, citing the specific recipient. 

Aside from that, we will transfer your personal data only if 

  • you have given explicit consent pursuant to Art. 6 (1) lit. a GDPR; 
  • this is necessary pursuant to Article 6 (1) lit. b GDPR for the performance of a contract with you (for example, transfer to shipping companies for the purpose of delivering goods ordered by you, or transmitting payment information to payment service providers or credit institutions in order to process a payment transaction); 
  • there is a legal obligation for transfer pursuant to Art. 6 (1) lit. c GDPR. 

The recipients must not use the transferred data for any purposes other than the above-mentioned ones. 

5 Cookies

General

This website uses cookies. Cookies are small files that your browser automatically generates and stores on your device (laptop, tablet, smartphone, etc.) when you visit our site. Cookies do not harm your device nor do they contain viruses, Trojans or other malware.

Cookies store information associated with the specific device used. That does not mean that we can directly identify you.

Cookies that are not absolutely technically necessary for you to use a web service expressly requested by you are only set after you have consented. You can give this consent via the cookie banner that is displayed when you visit the website. This consent then becomes the legal basis for the storage of and access to the content of the cookies (Sec. 15 (3) TMG in conjunction with Art. 5 (3) clause 1 of Directive 2002/58/EC).

Necessary cookies

The processing of personal data in the context of technically necessary cookies is based on our legitimate interest in providing our web services that you have expressly requested (Art. 6 (1) clause 1 lit. f GDPR, if applicable in conjunction with Art. 95 GDPR, Art. 5 (3) of Directive 2002/58/EC).

For example, we use so-called session cookies to allow session controls or to store data entries in forms or shopping carts during the session. Session cookies are deleted no later than when you close your browser. 

Right of withdrawal

You may revoke your consent to the storage of and access to the content of the cookies at any time with effect for the future pursuant to Art. 7 (3) GDPR or object to the use in whole or in part of cookies that are not technically necessary.

If you revoke your consent or object to the use, we will set a cookie (an opt-out cookie) that documents your decision and allows us to implement it. The opt-out cookie works only in this browser and only for our website. It is stored on your device. If you delete the cookies in this browser, you will have to set the opt-out cookie again.

Most browsers automatically accept cookies. However, you can configure your browser to not store any cookies on your computer or to display a notice before new cookies are set. Completely disabling cookies may mean that you cannot make full use of all functions of our website.

Your revocation has no effect on the lawfulness of the processing activities we perform on the basis of our legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) clause 1 lit. f) GDPR).
 

6 Rights of the Data Subject

You have the right:

  • pursuant to Art. 7(3) GDPR, to withdraw your consent at any time. This means that we may not continue the data processing based on this consent in the future;
  • pursuant to Art. 15 GDPR, to obtain access to your personal data processed by us. In particular, you may request information about the purposes of the processing, the categories of personal data concerned, the categories of recipients to whom the personal data have been or will be disclosed, and the envisaged period for which the data will be stored. Moreover, you have the right to request rectification, erasure, or restriction of processing, to object to processing, the right to lodge a complaint, and to obtain information about the source of your data if they were not collected by us as well as about the existence of automated decision-making, including profiling, and, if applicable, meaningful information about the details involved;
  • pursuant to Art. 16 GDPR, to obtain without undue delay the rectification of inaccurate data or the completion of your personal data stored by us;
  • pursuant to Art. 17 GDPR, to obtain the erasure of personal data stored by us unless processing is necessary to exercise the right of freedom of expression and information, to comply with a legal obligation, for reasons of public interest, or to establish, exercise or defend legal claims;
  • pursuant to Art. 18 GDPR, to obtain restriction of processing of your personal data if you contest the accuracy of the data, the processing is unlawful but you oppose the erasure of the personal data, or if we no longer need the personal data while you still require it for establishing, exercising or defending legal claims, or if you have filed an objection to the processing pursuant to Art. 21 GDPR;
  • pursuant to Art. 20 GDPR, to receive your personal data that you have provided to us, in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format or to demand the transfer of those data to another controller and
  • pursuant to Art. 77 GDPR, the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority. Generally, you may contact the supervisory authority of your usual residence, place of work or the registered offices of our organization.

Information on your right to object pursuant to Art. 21 GDP

You have the right to object, on grounds relating to your particular situation, at any time to processing of your personal data pursuant to Art. 6 (1) lit. e GDPR (data processing carried out in the public interest) and Art. 6 (1) lit. f GDPR (data processing for purposes of legitimate interests). This also applies to any profiling as defined in Art. 4 (4) GDPR that is based on said provision in Art. 6. 

If you file an objection, we will no longer process your personal data unless we can demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds for processing that override your interests, rights and freedoms, or unless the processing serves the establishment, exercise or defense of legal claims.

If your objection is directed against the processing of data for the purpose of direct advertising, we will stop the processing immediately. In this case, citing a special situation is not necessary. This includes profiling to the extent that it is related to such direct advertising.

If you would like to assert your right to object, simply send an email to datenschutzkoordination@zv.fraunhofer.de.

7 Data Security

All your personal data are transmitted in encrypted format, using the widely used and secure TLS (Transport Layer Security) standard. TLS is a secure and proven standard that is also used, for instance, in online banking. You will recognize a secure TLS connection by the additional s after http (i.e., https://…) in the address bar of your browser or by the lock icon in the bottom part of your browser window. 

In all other regards, we use suitable technical and organizational security measures to protect your data against accidental or intentional manipulations, partial or complete loss, destruction, or the unauthorized access of third parties. We continuously improve our security measures in accordance with the state of the art. 

8 Timeliness and Amendments to this Data Protection Information

The further development of our website and the products and services offered or changed due to statutory or regulatory requirements, respectively, may make it necessary to amend this data protection information. You may access and print out the latest data protection information at any time from our website.