Fraunhofer Institute for Production Systems and Design Technology
Fraunhofer Institute for Production Systems and Design Technology

Here‘s how you can work with us

Whether globally active corporation or regional SME: Fraunhofer IPK is your research and development partner on the road to digital transformation.

Our mandate – and how it is funded

Research for practical application – that is the mission of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft. Applied research aims to provide companies with direct, practical support in optimizing current methods and processes, preparing for future tasks, and securing technological advantages.

As an institute of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, we are a central link between research and practice: We transfer basic innovations from fundamental research into industrial application. Additionally, we support companies with their individual application-oriented challenges.

Our funding is made up by one third each from the following sources: 

  • Base funding
  • Publicly funded research
  • Contract research revenue

Public base funding is used to promote preparatory research. It accounts for around 30 percent of a Fraunhofer institute's budget and is provided by the German federal government and the states. The remaining 70 percent comes from public funding programs, which are obtained from ministries or the EU, for example, as well as from direct contracts with industry. These funds finance joint research and industrial contract research.

Learn more about pre-competitive research, contract research and joint research.

Who benefits from our services – and why

The Fraunhofer institutes' services are aimed at all companies in the DACH region – from small businesses to large corporations. We also help companies that operate internationally to tap into new markets worldwide.

We support companies that don't run their own development departments as well as in-house research and development teams. This gives you access to the latest solutions from cutting-edge research.

Companies without their own development units benefit particularly from our support in the practical implementation of their innovative ideas. This enables them to secure technological leadership in their area of expertise with predictable investment. Our offer to develop patents together with us or to market technologies developed and patented by us as a partner is also particularly interesting for SMEs.

Here you can learn more about our research services.

Marketing innovations together

There are two ways in which innovative solutions from Fraunhofer institutes reach the market:

  • You market our development.
  • We develop a solution together.

You market our development

Pre-competitive research gives us the opportunity to make technologies and methodological approaches ready for application. Partner companies are given the opportunity to bring the resulting solutions to market.

We develop a solution together

Do you have an idea for a product that you would like to bring to market, but lack the specialists or capacity for development? Then develop the solution with our support!

Here‘s how you can work with us

Any number of challenges your company is facing can be the starting point for a cooperation with Fraunhofer IPK: You would like more efficient processes. Your company lacks the necessary know-how or production resources to process new materials. Or maybe legal requirements demand new approaches.

Against the backdrop of such tasks, we systematically and scientifically develop holistic solutions that take into account the constraints and conditions within industry. Two forms of cooperation with industrial clients are possible here: contract research in bilateral projects and joint applications for public funding.

Contract research

  • It is possible to start immediately.
  • Projects can be partly (co-)funded through grants.
  • Individual company ­requirements can be addressed in a targeted approach.
  • Results do not have to be published.

Public funding

  • Funding allows a broad scope for researching potential solutions.
  • Numerous partners can participate in the project on an equitable basis.
  • A corresponding funding scheme must be available (e.g. at BMWE, BMFTR, BMV, CIM, EU).
  • Fundings of 30 to 90 % are possible.
  • Results must be published.