Equal Opportunities & Diversity

Diversity, equal opportunity and inclusion — we are driving change.

Diversity management at Fraunhofer is our contribution to fair and equal participation. That’s because at Fraunhofer, we firmly believe there should be equal opportunities for everyone — regardless of ethnic origin, sex or gender, religion, ideology, disability, age or sexual identity.

Our view is that collaboration is most successful when everyone has a seat at the table. After all, this is the only way that innovative ideas and projects can take root and grow. That’s why we are especially careful to cultivate diversity in our workforce. To that end, not only have we signed the Charta der Vielfalt (Diversity Charter), but we also gear our management approach and our entire HR policy toward these values.

But what does that mean, exactly? And what does it mean in terms of day-to-day work at Fraunhofer?

We have pledged to establish a research and working culture where every person feels seen, respected and acknowledged. To us, appreciation means acknowledging our employees in all their diversity, providing inclusive overall conditions and cultivating and supporting their individual talents.

In our day-to-day work, we maintain a tolerant and appreciative attitude toward each other, marked by respect, empathy and social acceptance. This stance carries through all our strategic topics, including career and competency management, management training and health management.

The synergies this creates not only support our scientific excellence and innovative strength but are essential elements of both. This is how great projects are created — and how change at the societal level gets started.

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Diversity

Diversity describes the variety and differences between people. This includes characteristics such as ethnicity, social origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, age and religion. It also encompasses many other personal traits.

Equal opportunities

Equal opportunities means ensuring that all persons receive the same opportunities in life, regardless of their origin or social status. This relates to ensuring a level playing field for all and that no one experiences discrimination based on their origin.

Equity

Equity goes beyond this to reflect the fact that people face different barriers and that privilege takes different forms. The idea of pursuing equity is to balance out these inequalities and provide individual support to create fair opportunities for all.

Inclusion

Inclusion is about breaking down barriers, eliminating discrimination and exclusion and offering individual support. The goal is to create an environment in which every person can contribute their talent and skills and feels actively included.

Fraunhofer is fully devoted to diversity, equity and inclusion. We take a holistic approach to embrace all aspects of diversity:

Gender

We create fair career opportunities and support members of all genders with programs including the Science Campus, the TALENTA career program and networks such as the rainbow network.

Inclusion of people with disabilities

Our accessibility policy and project to analyze and eliminate barriers are helping to drive our transformation into an inclusive organization. Training courses and workshops within the scope of the Inclusion Support Program strengthen inclusive structures at our institutes.

Family and lifestyle

We support diverse lifestyles with flexible work models, the Fraunhofer Family Logo and extensive services such as emergency childcare and life coaching.

Internationality and interculturalism

Deliberate exploration of unconscious bias, training courses and language classes support intercultural collaboration and strengthen Fraunhofer’s international alignment.

Equal opportunities in the workplace

The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft is a passionate advocate for equality of all genders, since the trailblazing ideas that move us forward can only arise if all our employees can live up to their full potential. That’s why at Fraunhofer, equity is more than just a principle; it’s the key to a diverse, inclusive working world where each and every employee can explore and cultivate their individual talents to the fullest. With programs like the Fraunhofer Family Logo and TALENTA, we deliberately promote fair career and development opportunities and make diversity our competitive advantage.

Equal opportunities support program

The equal opportunities support program, launched in 2021, helps our institutes actively promote equal opportunity. Through workshops, best practices and peer group networks, we work together to craft strategies that empower true change — from HR development to a fairer corporate culture.

Opportunities for women scientists at Fraunhofer

What accessibility and inclusion mean at Fraunhofer

Creating an inclusive organization requires that barriers be identified and eliminated and new ones prevented from forming. To achieve that, we analyze where things are not yet accessible within our organization and identify actions to remedy the situation.

We have adopted an accessibility policy toward these aims. Two projects were launched in 2024 to put the policy into practice and realize concrete steps and measures for greater accessibility and inclusion.

More about inclusion and accessibility at Fraunhofer

The same conditions for everyone — including financially!

The European Commission introduced a gender equality plan as a funding criterion for research institutions in the EU in 2022. Fraunhofer supports this move and forges ahead with equal opportunity as a key organizational objective. The gender equality plan supplements our voluntary pledge to monitor and review gender distributions and establish clear goals to promote equal professional opportunities.

Click here for our gender equality plan

We like to experiment — but not with your wellbeing

Fraunhofer focuses on work-life balance and our employees’ health. Flexible working models and extensive health options ensure that everyone feels comfortable and can perform to the best of their ability.

TALENTA: the career program for female scientists and managers

The Fraunhofer TALENTA career program provides targeted support for female scientists and managers in their professional development. It offers support on three levels:

TALENTA start: for a successful career start
TALENTA speed up: for the next step in leadership and specialized responsibility
TALENTA excellence: for balance between scientific excellence and leadership roles

Learn more about TALENTA here