Despite the numerous challenges in a persistently difficult market environment, the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft achieved slight growth in 2021. The financial volume increased by 3 percent to around 2.9 billion euros; the core area of contract research accounted for a large part of this at 2.5 billion euros. Economic income returned to pre-crisis levels. The researchers of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft registered 604 inventions, and 30 spin-off companies emerged from the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft. The basis for this success is formed by over 30,000 employees at 76 Fraunhofer Institutes and facilities.
The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, based in Germany, is the world's leading organization for application-oriented research. With its focus on future-oriented key technologies and the utilization of results in business and industry, it plays a central role in the innovation process. It is a trailblazer and driving force for innovative developments and scientific excellence. With inspiring ideas and sustainable scientific and technological solutions, the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft promotes science and industry and helps to shape our society and our future.
Founded in 1949, the organization currently operates 76 institutes and research facilities in Germany. More than 30,000 employees, most of whom are trained in the natural sciences or engineering, work on the annual research volume of 2.9 billion euros. Contract research accounts for 2.5 billion euros of this. Fraunhofer generates around two thirds of this with contracts from industry and publicly funded research projects. Around one third is contributed by the federal and state governments as basic funding, enabling the institutes to develop solutions today that will become crucial for the economy and society in a few years' time.
Among research institutions in Germany, Fraunhofer remains the leader in terms of the number of inventions, newly registered patents and the total number of industrial property rights. In 2021, the employees of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft registered 604 inventions. A total of 521 priority patent applications were filed with the patent offices.
Impact and innovation through originality
Prof. Reimund Neugebauer, President of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, said at the presentation of the annual report: "Despite numerous challenges, we as the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft can look back on a successful 2021. Understanding and seizing challenges as opportunities is at the core of our self-image, which is lived by our employees with great commitment, original ideas and excellent performance," said Prof. Reimund Neugebauer, President of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, at the presentation of the annual report. "At the heart of everything we do is our mission to translate innovations into applications and thus be the engine for a prosperous future. We face up to this task and responsibility anew every day and make our contribution to securing the competitiveness of the German and European economy and supporting it in its transformation towards sustainable value creation."
Anti-corona program and health research at the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft
In line with its social mission to strengthen the innovative capacity of SMEs, the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft had already launched an interdisciplinary initiative at the beginning of the pandemic with its Anti-Corona Program. The spectrum of over 160 projects in which Fraunhofer was involved ranged from finding new active ingredients, developing diagnostic procedures, investigating the long-term consequences of COVID-19 and data models on the spread of infection to decontamination measures and restoring a "new normal" in business and society.
Innovative, cost-intelligent procedures in healthcare are made possible in particular by developments that arise through convergence at the interfaces of scientific disciplines. The translation of new, cost-efficient ideas into application can only succeed with innovative cooperation formats. The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft pursues the "4D concept", which brings together the four central areas of Drugs, Diagnostics, Data and Devices. With its broad, unique research portfolio, it combines all four areas under one roof and thus occupies the interfaces between the 4Ds. This gives Fraunhofer an excellent starting position in healthcare research, also in the long term.
Strategic Research Fields
The Fraunhofer Strategic Research Fields (SRSF) Bioeconomy, Intelligent Medicine, Artificial Intelligence, Next Generation Computing, Quantum Technologies, Resource Efficiency and Climate Technologies as well as Hydrogen Technologies define the system-relevant and portfolio-defining research priorities of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft. These form an important basis for a continuous innovation push into the markets. Collaborations across institutes and alliances enable the development of suitable business models and comprehensive system solutions for Fraunhofer customers. In 2021, the Executive Board has decided to implement the "FSF Momentum" program line in order to further develop the structural anchoring of the FSF within the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft and its campaign capability.
Research for sustainability
As the world's leading organization for application-oriented research, Fraunhofer contributes to the future viability of society with sustainable solutions. These include developments in the field of intelligent medicine, sustainable solutions in the bioeconomy and the use of artificial intelligence to secure our energy supply.
The biggest, long-term and global challenges include climate protection and thus the defossilization of the economy as well as the conversion of energy systems to renewable energies. Fraunhofer researchers are making a significant contribution here, for example with numerous initiatives relating to hydrogen technologies. To further increase the contribution of Fraunhofer research in this area, the Fraunhofer Group for Energy Technologies and Climate Protection was founded in 2021. As a science-based advisor, it supports politics and industry in the transformation of the energy system and the achievement of climate neutrality.
The Fraunhofer Group for Resource Technologies and Bioeconomy, founded in 2021, also aims to make a decisive contribution to achieving national, European and international sustainability goals. It implements concepts on resource efficiency, bioeconomy, circular economy and sovereignty of value creation cycles - for responsible management of natural resources and their use.
Science policy framework
In the 19th legislative period, the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft was once again represented by its President Prof. Reimund Neugebauer in the high-caliber, key scientific advisory bodies Innovation Dialogue and High-Tech Forum.
The Innovation Dialogue has served the German government as an independent, confidential advisory body for more than ten years. At the final meeting of the 19th legislative period, the panel discussed the creation, strengthening and further development of excellent ideas from research and development into sustainable and internationally competitive industrial ecosystems.
In the 19th legislative period, the High-Tech Forum was the German government's central advisory body for the implementation of the High-Tech Strategy 2025 (HTS 2025). The committee of 21 experts from science, industry and society analyzed important topics for the future viability of Germany as a location for research and innovation and advised on the strategic design and conceptual development of HTS 2025. It explicitly urges the promotion and demand of more participation as well as more courage and implementation strength in the service of sustainability goals.
Shareholdings and spin-offs
As of the balance sheet date, the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft had investments in 84 companies from a wide range of sectors. In 2021, the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft invested a total of 2.5 million euros in the equity of these investments. Three companies were added in which the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft holds an interest in the share capital. The book value of all investments increased from 9.1 to 10.4 million euros.
Spin-offs represent an important transfer path for Fraunhofer. In most cases, the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft supports the founders in their preparations via the Fraunhofer Venture department. In 2021, Fraunhofer Venture supported 52 new spin-off projects; 30 spin-offs emerged from the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft. Fraunhofer has set itself the goal of further increasing both the number of spin-offs and the proportion of total economic output generated by spin-offs. With the AHEAD technology transfer support program, Fraunhofer is bundling its catalog of measures to support internal start-ups. The comprehensive support program has an annual volume of 10 million euros and is aimed specifically at employees who are looking for support in technology transfer via spin-offs for current projects.
