Data Protection

2.  Processing personal data and purposes of processing

a)    When visiting the website

You may access the website www.fraunhofer.dewithout having to disclose any details of your identity. What the browser on your terminal device does automatically is only to send information to the server of our website (e.g. browser type and version, date and time of access) so as to allow a connection with the website. This also includes the IP address of your requesting terminal device. It is temporarily stored in a so-called log file and automatically deleted after 4 days.

The 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 to be able to track any illegal attacks on the website, if required.

The legal basis for processing the IP address is the first sentence of point (f) of Article 6(1) 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 tracking pixel and analytics services when you visit our website. For more information on this, please refer to clauses 4 of this Data Protection Information.

b)    When registering for events

We offer a variety of events through our website on a regular basis, for which you may register online. When registering for an event, you need to enter the following mandatory data. These include:

• First name and surname
• Address
• Email address

Any other mandatory data are marked as such (e.g. with *). Besides, other data may often be entered voluntarily.

The mandatory data are processed in order to identify the interested persons as participants of the event, to perform the participation contract, and to provide the participants with information pertaining to the event before, during and after the event. The voluntary data allows us to plan and execute the event based on interest and age criteria.

Data processing takes place at the request of the interested participants and is necessary pursuant to the first sentence of point (b) of Article 6 (1) GDPR for the purposes mentioned for the performance of the participation contract and in order to take steps prior to entering into it.

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.

For the registration of our events through our web forms, we work in collaboration with the service provider Mailingwork GmbH, Birkenweg 7, 09569 Oederan (“Mailingwork”). The purpose of the collaboration is to professionally manage online registrations. For this purpose, the entered data is stored on the servers of Mailingwork in Germany.

We have concluded an order processing agreement with Mailingwork. By this agreement, Mailingwork assures that it will process the data on our account in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation and guarantees the protection of rights of the data subjects.

In addition, it may in some cases be necessary within the scope of performance of the contract to transfer your personal data to an external organiser. In connection with an event registration, you will be informed about who the organiser is and whether it is an external organiser. This organiser will process personal data within the scope of the event and especially for the management of participants.

c)  When using the ordering service

We offer an ordering service on our website that allows you to order annual reports or the Fraunhofer magazine free of cost as a single copy or as a subscription. To order these, we collect the following mandatory data

• Title
• First name, surname
• Address
• Country

You may also voluntarily provide additional data (e.g. title, company, department) and provide specifics for your order.

The collection and further processing of this data takes place in order

• to be able to identify you as our contractual partner
• to check the entered data for plausibility
• to process your order.

Data processing takes place at your request and is necessary pursuant to the first sentence of point (b) of Article 6(1) GDPR for the purposes mentioned for the fulfilment of your order and to take steps prior to entering into the contract.

We work in collaboration with a service provider, Wolanski GmbH, Ernst-Robert-Curtius-Str. 6, 53117 Bonn-Buschdorf, Germany, (“Wolanski”), for processing your order. We manually submit your data to it for your goods to be dispatched. After completion of the order, the service provider will automatically delete the data.

We have concluded an order processing agreement with Wolanski. By this agreement, Wolanski assures that it will process the data on our account in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation and guarantees the protection of rights of the data subjects.

The personal data we collect for the order is stored with us for as long as is necessary for the performance of the contract and compliance with mandatory statutory legal obligations applicable to us. If you have ordered a subscription, we will store your data until the termination of the subscription. In case of one-time orders, we will delete your personal data after completion of the delivery.

3. Transfer of personal data to third parties

Except for the aforementioned cases (registration for events, using the ordering service, subscription to a newsletter), we forward your personal data to third parties only if:

• you have given your express consent pursuant to the first sentence of point (a) of Article 6(1) GDPR,
• it is necessary for the performance of a contract with you pursuant to the first sentence of point (b) of Article 6(1) GDPR,
• A statutory obligation exists for transferring pursuant to the first sentence of point (c) of Article 6(1) GDPR.

In the event that personal data is transferred to a third country (outside the EU) or an international organisation, we will provide information accordingly.

4. Web analysis through Leadlab (Wiredminds GmbH)

Our website uses the Leadlab service by Wiredminds GmbHand its tracking pixel technology to analyze user behavior and optimize our site accordingly. In particular, this service allows us to identify which companies have visited our site. In doing so we do not obtain any information that may identify you directly.

The use of Leadlab involves tracking pixels that allow statistical analysis of the use of this website based on your visits. Wiredminds uses a pseudonym to process the information in a usage profile for the purpose of analysis. The data are anonymized to the extent possible.

Without your specific permission, we neither use the data collected to identify you personally nor will we combine the data with personal data pertaining to the pseudonym associated with you.

If IP addresses are collected, they are immediately anonymized after collection by deleting the last number block.

For more information about data protection at Wiredminds, please visit the company’s website.

We process statistical data based on our legitimate interest pursuant to Article 6 (1) lit. f GDPR for the purpose of optimizing our online offering and our web presence. Wiredminds processes the data on our behalf based on a data processing agreement between us and Wiredminds. This agreement ensures that the data processing on our behalf is compliant with the General Data Protection Regulation and guarantees the protection of the data subjects’ rights.

5. Social plug-ins

We use so-called social media buttons (also called social media plug-ins) on our website. These are small buttons by means of which you may publish the contents of our website in your profile on social networks.

If you activate such a button, a connection is established between our website and the social network. In addition to the contents in question, the operator of the social network also obtains additional, partly personal, information. For instance, it includes the fact that you are currently visiting our site.

The social media buttons are integrated using the so-called Shariff solution. This solution developed by Heise and c’t prevents a connection with a social network from being established just because you access a page with a social media button, without actually activating it. This means that information is sent to the social network only when you press the button.

We use the following social media plug-ins:

a) Meta Platforms Ireland Limited: Sharing on Facebook

Information is partly transferred to the parent company Meta Platforms Inc., headquartered in the USA, to other Meta-companies and external partners of Meta, each of which may be located outside the European Union. Meta utilizes standard contractual clauses approved by the European Commission and relies on the European Commission's adequacy decisions about certain countries.
For the purpose and scope of the data collection, further processing and use of the data by Meta as well as your related rights and configuration options for protecting your private, please refer to the Meta's privacy notice.

b) Twitter International Company: Sharing on X

Information is partly transferred to the parent company X Corp., headquartered in the USA, to other X-companies and external partners of X, each of which may be located outside the European Union. X utilizes standard contractual clauses approved by the European Commission and relies on your consent.

For more information on data protection on X, please refer to the X privacy statement.

c) NEW WORK SE (formerly: XING SE): Sharing on XING

In part, information is transmitted to other NEW WORK-companies and external partners of NEW WORK, each of which may be located outside the European Union. NEW WORK utilizes standard contractual clauses approved by the European Commission or other appropriate safeguards as set forth in article 46 GDPR and relies on the European Commission's adequacy decisions about certain countries as well as your consent.

For the purpose and scope of data collection, further processing and use of data by NEW WORK as well as your related rights and configuration options for protecting your privacy, please refer to the XING's privacy statement.

d) LinkedIn Corporation: Sharing on LinkedIn

Information is partly transferred to the parent company LinkedIn Corporation, headquartered in the USA, to other LinkedIn-companies and external partners of LinkedIn, each of which may be located outside the European Union. LinkedIn utilizes standard contractual clauses approved by the European Commission.

For more information on data protection on LinkedIn, please refer to the LinkedIn privacy statement.

6. YouTube

We embed components (videos) of the video hosting service “YouTube” of the company Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland (hereinafter “Google”) in our websites. We use components (videos) of YouTube, LLC, 901 Cherry Ave., 94066 San Bruno, CA, USA (hereinafter “YouTube”), a company of Google Inc., Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View CA 94043, USA, (hereinafter “Google”) on our websites. The implementation is based on Art. 6 (1) lit. f GDPR; our legitimate interest in this case is the smooth integration of the videos and the attractive design of our website.

We use the option of "privacy-enhanced mode” provided by Google.

When you access a page containing an embedded video, a connection to the Google servers is established and the contents are displayed on the Internet page through a notification to your browser.

Pursuant to Google specifications, in the “extended data protection mode” your data - especially which of our Internet pages you have visited as well as device-specific information including the IP address - is sent to the Google servers in the US only when you view the video. By clicking on the video, you give your consent to this transfer.

If you are simultaneously logged on to Google, this information is assigned to your Google member account. You may prevent this by logging out of your member account before visiting our website.

In part, information is transmitted to the parent company Google Inc., headquartered in the USA, to other Google-companies and external partners of Google, each of which may be located outside the European Union. Google utilizes standard contractual clauses approved by the European Commission and relies on the European Commission's adequacy decisions about certain countries.

For more information on data protection in connection with YouTube, please refer to the data protection regulations of Google.

7. Rights of the data subject

You have the right:

• pursuant to Article 7(3) GDPR, to withdraw the consent given to us at any time. This means that in future we may no longer continue to process the data as based on this consent;
• pursuant to Article 15 GDPR, to obtain information about your personal data processed by us. More particularly, you may obtain information about the purpose of processing, the category of the personal data, the categories of recipients, to whom your data has been or is disclosed to, the storage period planned, the existence of a right to request from the controller rectification , erasure, restriction of processing or objection, the existence of a right to lodge a complaint, the source of your data if it has not been collected by us, as well as about the existence of automated decision-making including profiling and, if applicable, significant information about its details;
• pursuant to Article 16 GDPR, to obtain the rectification of inaccurate personal data without undue delay or the completion of your personal data stored with us;
• pursuant to Article 17 GDPR, to obtain the erasure of your personal data stored with us unless processing is necessary to exercise the right to freedom of expression and information, for compliance with a legal obligation , for reasons of public interest, or to establish, exercise or defend legal claims;
• pursuant to Article 18 GDPR, to obtain the restriction of the processing of your personal data if you contest the accuracy of the data, the processing is unlawful but you deny its erasure and we no longer need the data while you still require it for establishing, exercising or defending legal claims or if you have objected to processing pursuant to Article 21 GDPR;
• pursuant to Article 20 GDPR, to receive your personal data that you have provided to us, in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format or to obtain the transmission to another data controller and
• pursuant to Article 77 GDPR, to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority. For this, you may normally contact the supervisory authority of your habitual residence or workplace or our company headquarters.