FAQs

Fraunhofer Italia carries out applied research on behalf of companies and institutions of all sizes. Collaboration with us is diverse. We can organise workshops and seminars, or work on a specific project, such as advanced control systems for collaborative robotics, sometimes with the support of the extensive network of Fraunhofer institutes. Our support ranges from concept development and feasibility studies, scientific analysis and knowledge transfer to engineering, prototyping and proof-of-concept.

Our employees are highly qualified, familiar with the practical environment of the industrial enterprise as well as with state-of-the-art technology and science. We work both with the management of companies and institutions and with the operational sector. Together we develop technological and process solutions with a good degree of acceptance in the company, excellent cost-effectiveness and, above all, a high degree of innovation.

An industrial research project is research carried out by Fraunhofer Italia on the direct behalf of a company or institution. Therefore, it can be launched at short notice and is based on the confidentiality of the results and generally on exclusive rights of use. Public funding research projects are characterised by greater uncertainty regarding funding as they depend on the evaluation criteria defined by the funding bodies (EU, Autonomous Province of Bolzano, etc.). Part of the research results may have to be made public and the collaboration of several companies with shared rights of use may be required. For a public funding research project, an appropriate funding vehicle must first be identified, and then a funding application must be submitted for approval. It can then take months before the project actually starts. However, the financial coverage is always a percentage of the total project costs, varying up to 100% depending on the financial means identified.

Applied research on behalf of companies and institutions is the core business of Fraunhofer Italia. The experience of our employees is of fundamental importance for this: they know the company structures, "speak their language" and have a great deal of experience in project management, the development of innovative solutions and their subsequent implementation in the company.

Close cooperation with industry means that they are always up-to-date with the growing requirements in this area. Confidentiality, professional project management, excellent knowledge of technologies and the current state of research as well as continuous methodological development are the cornerstones of our research centre. Our solutions are practical, competitive, innovative and successful.

Collaboration with Fraunhofer Italia depends on the specific needs of the customer. Smaller projects are handled with the same professional expertise as larger projects: the scientific and methodological services are the same. For complex and transversal tasks, we combine the competencies of different Fraunhofer institutions or bodies.

Fraunhofer Italia is a non-profit organisation. The salaries of our employees are based on the national work contracts and our expenses are subject to strict public service regulations. The reporting of our projects at the end of the year is aimed at a balanced budget.

Collaboration with companies is the bread and butter of Fraunhofer researchers. The main objective is always to create results that can be applied in everyday life. The fact that our employees are in contact with many different customers guarantees extensive experience with business concepts and tools and enriches the knowledge of different corporate cultures. All our projects aim at the immediate use of the results in practicality. This is why we can claim that Fraunhofer Italia works for the economy; follows the goal of converting knowledge into money; is practical and knows the current state of research and science.

No, our research centre counts companies of all sizes among its clients. Our research activities are adapted to the local economic fabric, which is why we target small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in particular.

There is a close collaboration between Fraunhofer Italia and the Free University of Bozen/Bolzano based on cooperation agreements and exchange of human resources.  For example, the director of our research centre, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dominik Matt, is also a full professor at the Faculty of Science and Technology at the Free University of Bozen/Bolzano.  Fraunhofer Italia makes the results of basic university research applicable and makes them available to local companies and institutions.  In a complementary manner, our research centre starts with the challenges of companies and then engages in the search for a solution and provides new insights for basic university research. This closes the circle between universities, Fraunhofer Italia and companies, which converts money into knowledge and knowledge into money.

Our institute is a non-profit, limited liability consortium. Assoimprenditori Alto Adige, also non-profit, is a consortium partner. The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft with 99% of the shares is the majority shareholder. The association Assoimprenditori Alto Adige accordingly holds 1%. The entire budget of Fraunhofer Italia is invested in research infrastructures in our region and in human resources. Beneficiaries of our research are companies and institutions in the region. Our research centre does not aim for profit. On the contrary, one third of our budget is financed by the Autonomous Province of Bolzano-South Tyrol - analogous to the basic funding of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft in Germany by the Federal Government and the Länder. Thanks to this basic funding, we carry out preliminary research for our future applied research projects.