Innovative technologies and solutions for a connected world
How will people get around in five, ten or twenty years from now? How will innovative transport systems, smart technologies and new mobility concepts make daily life easier for people worldwide? And what influence will individual mobility needs have on society as a whole?
Roads, railways, flight paths and shipping routes are the lifelines of a globally connected society. Forms of transportation such as cars, trains and airplanes are indispensable in today’s world. They simplify daily life for people and give them the freedom to transport themselves and their goods quickly from place to place. However, climate change and increasingly overcrowded cities pose a tremendous challenge: the need to rethink and optimize existing mobility concepts.
As a global technology leader, ZEISS is a pioneer that actively helps to shape future mobility. The company develops innovative and sustainable solutions with a clear vision of the needs of tomorrow and therefore plays its part in the mobility revolution.
Mobility statistics
27.7 million
electric cars were in circulation worldwide in 2022. Around 10 million more than the previous year.1
~ 40%
eco-friendlier: electric vehicles registered in 2020 compared to cars with a gasoline engine.2
7x
increase in demand expected for lithium-ion batteries from 2022 to 2030.3
68%
of the global population is expected to live in cities by 2050, according to projections.4
34
megacities, each with more than 10 million residents, existed in 2023.5
15%
fewer accidents could occur by 2030 through the increasing adoption of advanced driver-assistance systems in Europe.6
Autonomous driving
Autonomous driving fascinates people and will play a crucial role in shaping future mobility. Vehicles today already feature a wide range of autonomous capabilities. In autonomous driving, a distinction is made between levels zero to five: no driving automation, driver assistance, partial driving automation, conditional driving automation, high driving automation and full driving automation.7
At the highest level – full driving automation – comprehensive assistance systems replace the person behind the steering wheel. Ultimately, this will completely redefine the role of the vehicle in road traffic.
Autonomous concepts will also fundamentally change the time spent in the car: the vehicle will become a stress-free and pleasant zone, where the occupants can work or relax. Autonomous driving also plays a crucial role in road safety. Advanced driver-assistance systems can be used to reduce the number of road traffic collisions in the future.
E-mobility
Climate change is one of the biggest challenges of our time and is causing a major transition in the mobility sector. Numerous countries are planning to only allow environmentally friendly new vehicles to be registered by 2035. Electromobility is already shaping the streetscape in many parts of the world today and will significantly counteract climate change.
To ensure this succeeds, battery, engine and vehicle manufacturers are constantly optimizing their products. ZEISS plays an important role in shaping the transition toward more e-mobility. ZEISS eMobility Solutions is helping to improve the quality, efficiency, reliability and safety in electromobility.
I see our work as the key to the future of mobility. We shape the mobility of tomorrow today through innovation so that we can facilitate sustainable, efficient and safe transportation.
ZEISS Expert Talks
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Comprehensive quality control solutions
ZEISS’ contribution to progress in electromobility
One of the ways ZEISS demonstrates its innovative strength is through its development and implementation of market-shaping mobility innovations. To ensure the quality of electric vehicles, increased precision requirements need to be met. ZEISS eMobility Solutions provides exceptional and comprehensive measuring and testing solutions for all e-mobility components, from batteries and power electronics to electric motors and transmissions.
The high-tech products used in digitalization require ever smaller and more powerful microchips. Optical systems from ZEISS make it possible for the global chip industry to manufacture these microchips. In the world’s leading lithography systems from our strategic partner ASML, illumination systems and projection optics from the ZEISS SMT segment enable the transfer of nanometer-sized structures onto the silicon wafer – a unique key technology for the further miniaturization and performance optimization of microchips. Without microchips there would be no technological transition – the mobility revolution included. The fact is: more than 80 percent of all microchips manufactured around the globe today are produced with ZEISS optics – and this statistic is on the rise. ZEISS SMT’s EUV lithography was awarded the Deutscher Zukunftspreis by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in 2020. From 2025, ZEISS SMT will enable the semiconductor sector to create the next generation of microchips through the further development of High-NA-EUV lithography.
ZEISS is using micro-optical technology to change the user experience in various mobility sectors. This enables safety and comfort functions in a wide range of vehicles as well as in aviation and space travel. Multifunctional smart glass and its innovative possibilities in detection, projection, illumination and filtration increase safety for vehicle users and all other road users.
The aim of CO2-free, clean energy production poses new challenges for scientists and researchers developing materials and technologies. Batteries and fuel cells are changing the face of transportation and are expected, in combination with clean and renewable energy sources, to revolutionize energy production, storage, distribution and consumption. In order to fully exploit this potential, science and research is required in many areas. The inner microstructure and the way it changes throughout the course of its use determine battery performance. Light, electron and X-ray microscopy provide insights into the batteries’ inner workings and enable advanced battery research. This enables a better understanding of the manufacturing process and the complex details of the components.
Together we at ZEISS are collaborating across all segments to develop innovative and sustainable technologies using metrology and sensor technology. This is how we enable our customers to manufacture new battery solutions with increased performance and an improved lifetime. I am in awe of our team’s inventiveness and tireless spirit when it comes to achieving pioneering feats in areas such as electromobility and making a global contribution to the mobility transition.
In focus: future mobility
More and more people are moving to overcrowded urban areas. At the same time, the available space within cities for transport routes and parking remains limited. Digital solutions enable the optimum use of limited resources. Sustainability is becoming increasingly important in this regard.
Future mobility will be determined by autonomous driving, innovative drive and sensor systems as well as intelligent and sustainable traffic management concepts. To give an example – the shared mobility trend is particularly popular in urban areas. This concept involves the communal use of transport that is available at short notice, on demand and is not owned by the person using it. The fleet is publicly available and can usually be used for a fee. The result: better utilization, fewer vehicles, less space required for parking.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming an integral part of daily life. Even at ZEISS, AI and machine learning are already used in numerous products and solutions – including data analysis in microscopy, visual field tests in medical technology and quality assurance in additive manufacturing. AI also plays an important role in future mobility: with autonomous driving, voice recognition and smart glass, which increase road safety through the information provided.