The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, headquartered in Germany, is a leading organization for applied research. Since its founding as a nonprofit in 1949, Fraunhofer has held a unique position in the German research and innovation ecosystem. The research organization with more than 30,000 employees currently operates 74 institutes and independent research units throughout Germany. Fraunhofer plays a major role in innovation by focusing on cutting-edge technologies and transferring research results to industry to strengthen Germany as a business location and benefit society.
Its primary customer base comprises large and medium-sized companies, which utilize Fraunhofer’s expertise to boost their competitiveness with new technologies. For years, Fraunhofer has been one of the most active patent applicants in Germany and Europe. Its international patent portfolio is the basis for technology transfer through research projects, spin-offs and licensing. Moreover, Fraunhofer addresses societal goals in key technology sectors through interdisciplinary and international partnerships in specific markets. Examples include solutions for microelectronics, artificial intelligence and quantum computing, healthcare, the circular economy, new materials, energy, critical infrastructure security, and defense.
Fraunhofer is a sought-after and established partner in publicly funded projects with industry partner involvement. It is also instrumental in strengthening Germany as a hub for innovation and business, ensuring its future viability. Its activities create jobs in Germany, boost the impact of investment on industry, give companies a competitive edge and foster public acceptance of advanced technologies. International partnerships with excellent research organizations and companies around the world directly connect the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft with the most influential research communities and economic areas.
Fraunhofer’s total annual budget amounts to 3.6 billion euros. Contract research, Fraunhofer's mainstay, generates 3.2 billion of this budget. Unlike other public research organizations, institutional funding from federal and state governments accounts for no more than one-third of its contract research budget, thus providing merely the base. Fraunhofer generates at least two-thirds of this budget from competitive contracts with the private and public sectors. Unlike organizations that are largely institutionally funded, the resulting strong incentive to develop business fosters entrepreneurial spirit, ensuring that Fraunhofer continuously develops solutions for current and future economic and societal needs. In 2025, industrial revenue accounted for 966 million euros.
Since highly motivated employees are the most important factor behind Fraunhofer’s success, the research organization provides opportunities for independent, creative and goal-driven work. Fraunhofer facilitates career development in the research community and in industry with targeted programs for professional and personal development.
The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft is a recognized nonprofit named after the scholar Joseph von Fraunhofer (1787–1826), who lived and worked in Munich. Joseph von Fraunhofer's inquisitiveness and business acumen enabled him to rise from a glass grinder to a scientific pioneer who, as an inventor and entrepreneur, turned ideas into marketable products and commercialized them. His innovativeness and market focus, as well as the belief that research and practical application go hand in hand, pervade the work of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, which remains committed to his legacy.
Fraunhofer Institute for Cognitive Systems IKS
