Fraunhofer Institute for Mechanics of Materials IWMForms of collaboration
It is our aim to provide you with long-term solutions with which you can derive the optimum benefit from your materials and components: for dependable, safe and high-performing components and systems, a higher production yield, new material properties and component functions and improved material and energy efficiency.
The services we offer range from detailed solutions through to the optimization of complex production processes and systems. For this we offer a wide spectrum of cooperation methods that we will adapt to your individual requirements.
Cooperation with Fraunhofer IWM begins with a consultation meeting with no obligation, during which we will discuss with you the objectives you wish to achieve together within your financial and time frameworks. We offer the highest level of professionalism in project execution regardless of the project size.
The way in which we work together is based upon your specific needs. Contact us!
Bilateral collaboration and single contracts
This is the classic type of collaboration: the company sees the need for research and development; it wishes, say, to bring a product innovation to market or to improve a process. Meeting with us will help to determine what solutions are available, what cooperation can be offered and what expenditure is to be expected. The collaboration, be it minimal or extensive, has the objective of solving the problem and of bringing the innovation into the company’s operations or to the market. The scope of our cooperation activity is determined based on your needs, from a small single contract all they way to major projects. Costs for the collaboration depend on the personnel and material costs involved; the initial consultation phase is however free of charge. We charge for our work once the work is completed.
Some problems can be so complex that multiple partners must work together on reaching a solution. For such situations the Fraunhofer Institute can offer its entire spectrum of expertise, which covers every subject imaginable. This can also include external partners and other companies. We have experience in conducting large projects efficiently and fairly. And we also know what funding opportunities may be available.
Projects with public funding
Some tasks require pre-competitive research in the applicable sector. Here it is possible to develop the solution in a consortium of research and industry partners with the support of public grant funding. Medium to long-term research projects can arise from this approach.
Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) consortium projects
EU consortium projects
Coordination of industrial project consortia
Consultancy for national and EU funding applications
Strategic partnerships
Fraunhofer IWM acts as an accelerator in development and innovation processes. A strategic partnership guarantees you access to our constantly growing expertise and to our resources available in long-lasting partnerships. This provides you with planning reliability for your current research proposals, long-term growth of expertise in your own organization and preparatory research for your next-generation innovations.
Strategic preparatory research
Our publicly funded basic research is oriented toward the demands of the national and international markets of tomorrow. Here Fraunhofer IWM participates in basic research projects and in special research fields of the German Research Foundation (DFG).
The Institute is also actively involved in the funding programs within the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft overall. This includes market-oriented, strategic preparatory research projects (MaVo[D1] ) that facilitate demanding research into topics of the future. Additionally, our business oriented strategic alliances (WISA) implement new technologies into industry practice.