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The Excellence Cluster Hearing4All Connect is part of the third funding phase of the German Excellence Strategy and builds on more than 14 years of successful research at the Institute for Integrated Circuits (IMS). The IMS focuses on the development of innovative technologies for next-generation hearing systems, combining microelectronics, signal processing, and artificial intelligence to improve hearing assistance in everyday life.
Hearing4All Connect brings together a strong interdisciplinary research network including the University of Oldenburg, Hannover Medical School (MHH), the Lower Saxony Center for Biomedical Engineering, Implant Research and Development (NIFE), and IMS as Part of the Leibniz University. Within this research alliance, scientists, clinicians, and engineers closely collaborate to translate fundamental research results into practical hearing solutions.
Key outcomes of previous funding phases from the IMS include the ultra-low-power application-specific instruction-set processor KAVUAKA for hearing aids, enabling efficient real-time audio signal processing, and the KUPEGA accelerator, which provides highly energy-efficient hardware support for artificial intelligence and neural network inference in hearing systems. These developments demonstrate the cluster’s continuous progress from specialized DSP architectures toward dedicated AI accelerators for future hearing devices.
Hearing4All Connect therefore serves as a platform for knowledge exchange, joint research activities, and technology transfer between its partner institutions. By fostering close collaboration across disciplines and locations, the cluster significantly strengthens research and innovation in the field of hearing technology and contributes to the development of intelligent, resource-efficient hearing systems.
Activities
The cluster brings together its members three times each year for the Winter Plenary, the Summer School, and the annual Symposium. At these events, research results are presented, and interdisciplinary collaboration is fostered through the exchange of researchers from the different partner institutions and departments.
Education
Research in hearing aids and digital design is translated into teaching activities such as lectures and student projects, including courses on ADH, ADSV, ASIP, and chip design.
Research
Research results from Hearing4All are published in prestigious international conferences and journals.
