“The High-Tech Agenda for Germany roadmaps mark the beginning of a mission-driven innovation policy. Now these ambitions must be turned into industrial reality. This is precisely where Fraunhofer’s strength lies: Innovation is our core business,” emphasizes Holger Hanselka, President of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, adding: “Technology transfer from research to practical application is crucial for Germany to translate its excellent research into economic impact.” All too often, innovations fail not because of a lack of ideas, but because they are not successfully commercialized. The High-Tech Agenda for Germany therefore marks a paradigm shift in innovation policy: moving away from a broad-based approach toward strategic prioritization of key technologies where Germany has a strong position and a real chance to be a frontrunner in the global marketplace. What is crucial here is a more mission-oriented innovation policy that systematically integrates technological sovereignty, scalability and industrial value creation. This requires new funding approaches—with clear goals, faster processes and a stronger focus on implementation rather than administration.” Hanselka continues: “High-performance innovation ecosystems in which the various stakeholders collaborate with clearly defined roles are essential to the success of these ambitious plans: from basic research via applied research to SMEs, industry partners and startups.” This seamless collaboration is necessary to rapidly translate scientific findings into marketable solutions and applications. In this process, Fraunhofer serves as a bridge between cutting-edge research and market-ready products—from the development of technological solutions to scaling them for the market. “For us, technology transfer is therefore not just a task; it is how we operate.”
From laboratory breakthrough to market readiness: Fraunhofer as a bridge between cutting-edge research and market-ready products
With the release of the High-Tech Agenda for Germany roadmaps, the focus is now shifting to the deployment and scale-up of these technologies.
Constantin Häfner, Executive Board Member for Research and Transfer at the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, emphasizes: “For us, the High-Tech Agenda is far more than a political program—it requires us to consistently direct our innovation capabilities toward those key technologies that will determine Germany’s technological sovereignty, global competitiveness and the prosperity of our society in the coming decade. This is in our DNA: As the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, we focus on our mission by consistently aligning our research with industrial applications and measurable value creation. Our goal is to provide robust solutions that directly boost our partners' productivity. In the High-Tech Agenda, Fraunhofer focuses not on ‘what if’ scenarios, but on ‘how do we implement this now.’ We are shortening the time it takes for research findings to reach commercial readiness in order to secure our partners' technological edge and build a stronger industrial base for the decade ahead.”
For more information on the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft’s expertise regarding the High-Tech Agenda for Germany, click here: High-Tech Agenda
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