HF Systems Engineering GmbH & Co. KG (HFSE) is a dynamic start-up that was founded in 2014 within the HÜBNER Group. Its focus lies in the development of broadband transmitter-receiver systems, whose frequencies reach up to 600 GHz. The company’s purpose is to bring high-tech solutions into the industry and medical and science fields. In these instances, for example, non-destructive testing, surface quality evaluation, as well as tracking of small moving objects and guidance of unmanned vehicles are required.

Our expertise covers the development of components to full system design and integration into millimeter-Wave and Terahertz. We offer custom solutions and small series production with emphasis on radar imaging technologies and wireless communication. HFSE has established an excellent reputation with its ultra-broadband, high-sensitive receivers, as well as complete transmit-receive systems with subsequent data processing. HFSE has been part of several reputable national and international R&D consortia, working towards future technologies. These include the TWEETHER and ULTRAWAVE projects in the EU research and innovation funding program – Horizon 2020.

The HÃœBNER Group is a globally operating company based in Kassel (Germany) that employs about 3300 people in 15 different countries.

 HÜBNER Group headquarters

Interview with Dr. Trung Le, technical team leader at HF Systems Engineering GmbH & Co. KG.

• What is it like to work in a high-tech company such as HFSE?

As a high-tech start-up we have to build up almost everything from scratch. A complete system is a combination of electromagnetism, device physics, circuits and system design theory, as well as software, automation and mechanics. There are many things to be done with limited resources and man-power. Hence, each team member has the opportunity to be involved in a variety of different tasks, continues to learn and expand his/her knowledge in various fields, and has the opportunity to carry more and more responsibility. When I joined HFSE in 2015 as a development engineer, my main task was designing passive components such as filters, mode converters, and antennas. A few months later, I integrated the W-band chipset (Up/Down converters, LNA, PA) and built the System-in-package for the TWEETHER project. Later on, system designing, project coordination and management all came to be my responsibility. This empowering work environment makes everyone of us more versatile, more productive and more innovative.

• What are the main challenges that you face in your company?

As a supplier of customized high-tech products, all of our projects are technically one-of-a-kind with ambitious goals and a broad range of applications (for example: real time heart rate detection, high dynamic-range and high-resolution sensor based on 230-to-320-GHz FMCW radar for material science, transceivers with broadband, high-frequency, high-gain, high-power and high-linearity for wireless communication in ULTRAWAVE). And the way leading to solutions is not to be found in any college book. However, as a young team of highly skilled engineers and technicians, who are eager to learn and are willing to rise up to the challenge, we are ready to conquer the impossible.

• What do you think is the most interesting fact about the ULTRAWAVE project?

ULTRAWAVE is a consortium of leading European research institutions and companies. We are from different countries, operate in different fields, and all have different expertise. We complement each other and support each other in order to accomplish one common goal: to push the frontiers of knowledge and to raise the European competitiveness in the field of mm-Wave and Terahertz.