You’d think that after inventing the modern day MP3 player you’d be tempted to rest on your laurels and sit back to reap the rewards. You’d be wrong though, because Fraunhofer, the German institute credited with being the inventors of the MP3 player (and presumably on Steve Job’s Christmas card list for life) are looking to plough ahead and make new discoveries, this time in the Gulf.

Dr Dieter Fuchs, the GM of Dr Dieter Fuchs in the Middle East, stated:

In the GCC region, we are interested in short and medium term research and development in cooperation with local companies.

The German institute, based in Munich, takes on approximately 15,000 research contracts each year with global companies, but is best know for its work developing and inventing the modern day MP3 player, an invention which changed the face of music industry, both in terms of listening to music and in the way music is purchased by the consumer.

Now Fraunhofer has partnered with companies in the Middle East, including Dubai Techno Park, in a bid to locate and develop new projects that will hopefully shape the world in much the same way as the MP3 player already has.