Innovation and development are the cornerstones of a promising corporate future. In order to create a competitive edge, Fraunhofer offers tailored options for cooperation, so that small and medium-sized companies can work together in the best possible way. This also allows to utilize development skills at short notice and as needed.
The classic cooperation model is the one-off contract. A company perceives a need for research or development. A discussion with Fraunhofer IKTS identifies possible solutions and clarifies the form the partnership could take and the estimated cost.
Some challenges are so complex that they require multiple partners to develop a solution. Clients in this situation have access to the full range of Fraunhofer Institutes. It is possible to incorporate external partners and additional companies.
Pre-competitive research which starts off without any ties to specific development contracts often results in long-term partnerships with companies on a regional and international level.
Fraunhofer researchers often take the step towards independence by founding their own company. Fraunhofer itself only participates in these kinds of start-ups up to a certain extent. Sometimes the customer who commissioned the new development is interested in taking a stake in the spin-off company.
Licenses grant third parties the right to use industrial property rights under defined conditions. They provide an option for making use of an innovation in cases where in-house development is prohibitively expensive, capacities are not sufficient for market introduction, or the innovation does not fit into the company‘s existing range. Fraunhofer IKTS offers flexible licensing models for companywide use, supplementation of the range of offers, or marketing to end customers.