Do you want to work together with us to shape the energy transition?
Fraunhofer IEE offers various forms of collaboration and different project formats, which we can adapt individually to the needs of our customers. Our goal is the transfer of knowledge from research and development to industry.
The framework of joint collaboration can take different forms and is established by the type of assignment or its form.
Typical collaboration models with Fraunhofer IEE include the following:
Individual assignments
Within the framework of an individual contract, Fraunhofer IEE works on a specific research and development requirement for you.
Collaborative projects
In a collaborative project, Fraunhofer IEE works together with other Fraunhofer Institutes or external partners. This model is suitable if an interdisciplinary approach to your problem is required.
Consortia and partnerships
Within the framework of consortia or partnerships, Fraunhofer IEE leads a network with technology providers and developers. As a member, you get the opportunity to build partnerships and thus work together on future-relevant solutions and innovations.
Innovation Lab
The Innovation Lab is a long-term collaboration that can last 3 to 5 years. It consists of several projects, some of which take place at the same time. The aim is to ensure the future viability of your value creation.
Spin-off companies
Spin-offs can arise from projects or products. Fraunhofer IEE employees then start their own business with new developments. Participations, joint ventures or joint start-ups with other companies are also possible.
Licensing models
Within the framework of a license, the owner of an industrial property right can grant third parties the right of use. This allows you, for example, to use our new developments in your products. The type of use and general conditions are contractually regulated.
Do you want to develop an innovation strategy and are you looking for innovative approaches? Are you aiming for optimizations or innovations in the context of energy management and energy system technology?
Researchers from Fraunhofer IEE assess the status quo of your company in an initial meeting (virtually or on your or our premises) and examine questions and concerns. In a workshop with you, your employees and our experts, elements of a sustainable strategy or solution are explored and an initial innovation roadmap is developed. You will receive detailed workshop documentation with concrete solution proposals for your specific case.
Your company benefits from the broad positioning and rich experience of Fraunhofer IEE and its partners in the fields of energy management and energy system technology. Our expertise is based on numerous innovation, research and development projects in the energy sector. At the same time, we constantly focus our work on the upcoming challenges of the energy industry. This gives us the skills needed to assess the innovative content, future viability and practical implementation of strategies and solutions.
Work with us to proactively address issues such as the digitalization of the energy industry or the energy transition.
You would like to identify current trends within the context of the energy industry and energy system technology at an early stage and need a collection as well as an initial assessment of your options? Are you looking for concrete proposals for innovative processes and solutions to master your challenges and exploit opportunities?
For technology or trend scouting, Fraunhofer IEE researchers conduct a study tailored to your company. After an initial exchange about your needs and goals, we agree on the research areas for the study. Through practice-relevant research, expert interviews and technology monitoring, potential new concepts, processes and solutions are identified. In order to do so, we collect the information, compare it with your requirements, identify possible innovative solutions for specific use cases and assess their potential. The results will then be made available to you in a report.
This is typically followed by a concept and process development. Depending on the situation, a further potential analysis or detailed study can also be conducted.
Gain insights into the future of the energy industry with Fraunhofer IEE Kassel - you will benefit from the skilled perspective of our experts on innovation content, future viability, and practical implementation of solutions. We are familiar with the challenges of the energy sector - whether digitalization of the energy industry, the increasing decentralized energy supply or current trends in the energy transition such as the integration of hydrogen. You receive our expertise in a customized report for your use case, which you may use as a basis for making strategic decisions. Working with Fraunhofer IEE gives your company more certainty and lower costs in the implementation process as well as a faster ROI.
Do you want to actively meet the challenges of the energy industry? Do you already have an idea of how you would like to use technologies such as AI, processes such as automation, forecasts, and simulations, or new materials for your company and your products? Are you looking for dedicated professionals now and in the future to help you assess the feasibility of your solutions?
The Quick Check serves as a proof of concept or feasibility analysis - a short form of the feasibility study. In this compact project format, we answer to what extent your company's challenges can be solved with the targeted technology or new processes. You can test your application idea together with the experts from Fraunhofer IEE in further detailed projects.
The Fraunhofer IEE Quick Check supports you in minimizing the risk of implementing new solutions in the context of the energy industry and energy system technology for your company. We provide you with certainty when deciding on upcoming investments. Benefit from our many years of experience and knowledge in the development and testing of technologies and processes. Our in-depth understanding of the framework conditions of the energy industry, such as the energy transition and increasing digitalization, enables us to competently assess the feasibility of solutions.
Are you determined to improve processes or introduce new procedures and technologies? Would you like to assess the potential of your innovations in advance?
As part of potential analysis, Fraunhofer IEE researchers look at the production environment in your company, identify possible technologies and analyze their potential in terms of applicability and cost-benefit. The analysis is designed broadly - aspects such as the integrability and future viability of new technologies and processes are also highlighted. The subject of such a potential analysis in the energy sector would be, for example, an increase in productivity through automation or digitialisation of processes and data.
You receive an analysis with statements on possible technologies, applicability and the targeted technical potential specifically for your company. The analysis includes, for instance, a list of measures, an assessment of the benefits, possible quick wins, complexity, risk, and an estimate of investment and operating costs. With this potential analysis as a foundation, you will be able to make important decisions for implementation, which will allow you to confidently face the future challenges of the energy industry, for example, the energy transition.
Do you want to develop, use and introduce new technologies or redesign processes in your company? Do you need support in developing a promising concept for implementation?
Our experts in the fields of energy management and energy system technology are happy to support you. We will work with you to develop a concept for the introduction of new technologies or identify innovative processes in which we compile both the technological potential and the economic aspects. Depending on the application, it may be critical to verify a concept with a feasibility study and to build on this with process development. Here, too, we support you with our experience and expertise.
Your company will be able to make decisions based on the solid concept and our evaluations. Thus, you are ideally prepared for the implementation of new technologies and processes.
Has your technical concept or process been developed in advance and must now be examined for its feasibility? Do locations and operating concepts of plants or networks need to be reviewed?
In a feasibility study, our experts examine all aspects of your intended project, such as the technology, its integration into processes, costs, and future viability. Feasibility studies are an integral part of automating processes and procedures and optimizing projects, facilities, and infrastructures. However, they can cost a lot of time and effort - which is why we offer to support you in preparing this comprehensive analysis. Due to our experience in practice and research on topics such as energy, plant and system engineering, and digitalization, we are ideally equipped to analyze and evaluate your projects.
As a result of the study, you will receive a report on the feasibility of the process and the boundary conditions. We list necessary measures and challenges and provide recommendations for successful implementation. This allows you to minimize the risk of technical development and confidently decide on upcoming investments.
The concept for your new technologies and processes is established and the feasibility is confirmed. Do you need support to procure the necessary innovative components (services, hardware, and software - up to complete systems) on the market?
Our experts compile the specifications for you, which describe and specify in detail the technically correct function neutrally and independently of potential suppliers. Particular focus is placed on components with a degree of novelty, high efficiency, and effectiveness, and additionally on integration into a functioning overall system.
You receive a specification sheet, which - supplemented by company-specific standards and requirements - ensures that your company can obtain reliable and comparable offers on the market. Fraunhofer IEE also supports you in evaluating these offers to identify the optimal choice for your case. With our support in the processes surrounding the specifications, you can, for example, reduce the risk at technological interfaces. We offer support for a wide range of projects, as we are broadly positioned in the fields of energy management and energy system technology.
Are you looking for the first practical implementation of preliminary developments or innovative approaches in the form of technical prototypes, a proof-of-concept, or demonstrators on a test, laboratory, or field scale?
Together with your company, Fraunhofer IEE experts define the start, goal, and requirements for the prototype or demonstrator. We offer to design and build the prototype or demonstrator together with you, and examine the fulfillment of your requirements and the need for further development. This can be done either in Fraunhofer IEE laboratories and test fields or on your premises.
You will receive the functional prototype or demonstrator as well as an evaluation report on the designated tests. You will have the opportunity to use the existing infrastructure of Fraunhofer IEE, such as measuring equipment or laboratories. In addition, you will benefit from our experience from other research and transfer projects in the fields of energy management and energy system technology, which automatically contributes to your project process and thus minimizes your development risk.
Are you looking for unbiased and professional support in the practical implementation of innovation projects in your value creation processes?
Our experts accompany the introduction of innovations (installation of new systems, commissioning of complex automation solutions, or similar) at your site and provide support during installation or commissioning. Together with you, we ensure that the purchased services meet your requirements in terms of both innovative content and function.
Together with us, you achieve a faster and smoother implementation of innovations. This succeeds because we contribute our experience and tools to realize systems with a high degree of innovation and regard to the given structures.
Do you need a partner who takes responsibility for the implementation of sensitive technology projects with a high degree of innovation and leads them to success together with you?
We implement technology-relevant trades or the core of your new technology for you. Whether wind energy, biogas, photovoltaic or power-to-gas plants in the context of hydrogen - we have a thorough knowledge of the technologies. We also offer to take on coordination and project management for other directly related trades. Additionally, we take on the responsibility for the commissioning and training of your employees.
With Fraunhofer IEE at your side, your investment will be transferred to operation with precision, your employees will be enthusiastic about the innovations, and all stakeholders will be involved in the associated changes. We understand the complexity of your new technology very well, as our research activities make us experts in dealing with complex issues and systems.
Are you looking for up-to-date knowledge and expertise from the fields of energy system technology and energy economics? Do you have a specific current need for thematic training measures for your employees in the context of energy?
Our goal is to pass on our acquired knowledge and findings from research to practice so that we can collectively shape the energy systems and energy industry of tomorrow and advance the energy transition.
We publish our findings in studies and on our website. But that's not all - to share our knowledge with you in an even more direct way, we also offer practical events that you and your employees can attend. This gives you an insight into the current state of research and allows you to talk directly to our experts.
You can get a first impression via our website, which already lists a wide range of events. In addition to the already existing offer, we are happy to offer you demand- and customer-oriented national and international day and week seminars for your company.
For special content-related issues, we develop individual training programs, workshops, seminars or conferences, for our customers to ensure knowledge transfer and targeted exchange.
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Benefit from up-to-date first-hand knowledge and make new contacts. In addition to our experts from Fraunhofer IEE, you can also talk to researchers from universities, universities of applied sciences, other research institutes or cooperation partners from industry.
For Fraunhofer IEE, the secure and efficient handling of critical data and secure information systems is important. That is why we have had an information security management system (ISMS) certified for various business areas. The focus is on efficient risk management and continuous improvement of information security, for example by being prepared for possible cyber attacks and IT emergencies. The functionality of our ISMS is regularly checked in external audits by independent third parties.
Our DIN EN ISO/IEC 27001:2017 certification expired on 9.5.2024. We are preparing for recertification in accordance with the updated DIN EN ISO/IEC 27001:2022 standard at the beginning of 2025.
Fraunhofer Institute for Energy Economics and Energy System Technology