Fraunhofer Society has found minimal impact from lockdowns and the pandemic on the number of spinouts its institutes were able to generate last year.
Fraunhofer Society, the Germany-based research organisation, revealed it established 26 spinouts in the 2020 calendar year.
Fraunhofer said in a statement that its tech transfer office, Fraunhofer Venture, was able to switch to remote work during the first lockdown and the pandemic, therefore, had minimal impact on its ability to support entrepreneurs.
Founded in 1949, Fraunhofer operates a network of research institutes focused on different fields of applied science. Its main presence is in Germany, where it counts 75 institutes, but it has set up legally independent affiliates in North and South America, Europe, South Africa and Asia.
The organisation has now established more than 500 spinouts in the past two decades, and its 2020 additions to the portfolio span sectors including life sciences, microelectronics, information and communications technology, advanced materials and artificial intelligence.
Fraunhofer operates its own fund, Fraunhofer Technologie-Transfer Fonds, and its companies are…
Thierry Heles
Thierry Heles is the editor of Global University Venturing, host of the Beyond the Breakthrough interview podcast and responsible for the monthly GUV Gazette (sign up here for free).
