The running costs of equipment and components have always been expensive and have recently even begun to escalate with spikes in the cost of raw materials. Cost-efficient solutions for maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) are now more sought-after than ever.

As part of the Fraunhofer innovation cluster MRO, Fraunhofer IPK and IZM jointly hosted the first-ever international conference addressing this issue on March 24^th and 25^th 2011. Hot topics at the conference, which was attended by over 200 scientists and professionals, included the latest developments in condition monitoring systems for electronic and mechatronic components, self-sufficient power supplies for such systems and new approaches for integrating them into harsh industrial or high-temperature environments.