Pre-competitive research, contract research and joint research

The pre-competitive research carried out by the Fraunhofer institutes is a strategic investment by the German federal and state governments in the future viability of Germany as a business and industrial location. Within this framework, we develop methods that will only become relevant for industrial or commercial application in five or ten years' time. With this approach, we make an important contribution to the development and advancement of future-oriented technologies and markets.

Pre-competitive research frequently yields solutions that interested companies can bring to market under a licensing model. Current solutions from Fraunhofer IPK that are suitable for this model can be found in the »Expertise & Technologies« section of our website. 

We also refer to contract research as bilateral research because in this research model we usually work directly with a commissioning company. In contract research, we develop targeted solutions for specific current challenges faced by our clients, optimize their manufacturing or operating processes, or help them implement innovative concepts in their individual processes.

In a series of case studies, we present successful development projects with industrial clients.

In joint research, several partners from research, industry, and services apply jointly for public funding in order to develop promising solutions for tomorrow within the framework of consortium projects or to tackle current challenges with more extensive human, technical, and financial resources.

At Fraunhofer IPK, we have extensive experience in finding the right research partners for you, as well as putting together and coordinating research consortia. We identify suitable funding opportunities for collaborative research projects and manage the application process.  We support you in the strategic planning, application and implementation of funded projects and are at your disposal as a contact point for project plans, project ideas and cooperation requests for national and international cooperation.