Innovation and Transfer Management

Innovation and Technology Transfer Management of Fraunhofer IEG promotes international research, innovation, and strategic collaboration in the field of sustainable energy. This expertise encompasses geothermal energy, hydrogen, carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS), high-temperature heat pumps, energy efficiency, and integrated smart energy systems.

Together with our scientists, the team develops and coordinates multinational research and innovation projects involving research institutions, universities, industry, government agencies, local communities, and other stakeholders. Our responsibilities include strategic planning, project development, knowledge transfer, and capacity building to accelerate the deployment of sustainable energy technologies.

Through its participation in European and international initiatives, networks, and associations, Fraunhofer IEG strengthens cross-border cooperation and translates scientific and technological advances into scalable solutions. At the intersection of science, industry, and policy, Fraunhofer IEG thus contributes to decarbonization, energy security, industrial competitiveness, and the energy transition.

In the area of Technology Transfer and Innovation Management, we oversee and manage all processes related to invention disclosures and evaluations, IP management, patent applications and validations, spin-offs, and the licensing of intellectual property at Fraunhofer IEG. In this way, we ensure that innovations make their way from the initial idea to successful commercialization.

We combine expertise in energy and climate policy with a deep understanding of governance, regulatory, and implementation processes. In doing so, we analyze how policy objectives, regulatory frameworks, institutional structures, and economic interests interact—at the European, national, regional, and local levels. In this way, we identify the conditions necessary for the successful implementation and scaling of innovative solutions, as well as where obstacles or conflicting goals exist. Our governance expertise is incorporated into studies, strategies, funded projects, and the development of implementation concepts, among other areas. It helps us to contextualize technical and economic approaches within their political and institutional frameworks at an early stage and to develop viable pathways from concept to implementation.

Most operational measures for the exploration, development, and utilization of the subsurface, as well as connections to surface infrastructure, require extensive permitting processes under mining, water, and environmental law. Our legal experts at Fraunhofer IEG have extensive experience in successfully navigating permitting processes, gained through their involvement in numerous projects—some of which involve complex permitting requirements. We offer professional, comprehensive, and flexible consulting and project support, including assistance with permitting procedures for mining permits, seismic surveys, drilling, test operations, and operations, as well as the preparation of draft applications in coordination with the authorities, procedural support, and advice on monitoring compliance with ancillary provisions. In addition, we are responsible for reviewing and verifying operating plans, notifications, and permitting procedures.