Max Planck Innovation

Finding applications for scientific discoveries that hold promise for medicine and technology is the goal of Max Planck Innovation. The agency for technology transfer was a global pioneer in helping researchers patent and license inventions and found startups. Its history includes many successes, a financial crime thriller, and a major crisis.

Max Planck Innovation has been the link between science and industry since 1970. The Max Planck Society's technology transfer organization supports researchers in assessing the potential of an invention and applying for patents. In addition, it markets patents, technologies, and know-how to industry and assists founders in setting up companies that translate research results from the Max Planck Society into products and services.

50 years of Max Planck Innovation

Peter Seeberger has founded nine start-ups to date. With these companies, the Director of the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces in Potsdam wants to put the results of his basic research into practice. One goal is to introduce sugar-based vaccines against multi-resistant bacteria.

Katharina Landfester, Director at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research in Mainz, has opened the door to numerous applications. She has developed a technology whereby tiny containers can be specifically manufactured for almost any substance and equipped with various functions. Her team is now working on using nanocapsules as transporters for pharmaceuticals, as medical sensors, or as fungus treatments in wine production.

Since the Berlin-based biotech company Scienion was established in 2001, it has experienced its fair share of highs and lows. We talked to its founder about what drives him to succeed and about the typical stumbling blocks and peculiarities associated with spin-offs from basic research.

Evotec’s history illustrates that biotechnology made in Germany can set standards worldwide. The Max Planck Society is one of the company’s founders and continues to shape it to this day.

Founded in 2008, the Lead Discovery Center (LDC) closes the funding gap between basic research and drug development. In this interview, CEO Bert Klebl describes the close cooperation with scientists and the LDC‘s role-model function.

The technology transfer organization Max Planck Innovation concluded numerous license agreements with industry in 2022. In addition, a number of very promising start-ups based on technologies from the Max Planck Society were launched again this year.

Max Planck Innovation evaluates an average of 130 inventions per year, about half of which lead to a patent application. Since 1979, more than 4,700 inventions have been accompanied and around 2,850 exploitation agreements concluded. Since the early 1990s, 170 spin-off companies have emerged from the Max Planck Society (MPG), the vast majority of which have been actively supported by Max Planck Innovation. Around 8,200 jobs have been created in these spin-offs since then. Since 1979, a total turnover from licenses and the sale of participations of more than 530 million euros has been achieved.

Max Planck Innovation evaluates an average of 125 inventions each year, around half of which lead to a patent application. Since 1979 around 4,580 inventions have been accompanied and around 2,770 exploitation agreements have been concluded. Since the beginning of the 1990s, 159 spin-offs have emerged from the Max Planck Society, the vast majority of which have been actively supported by Max Planck Innovation. Since then, around 6,500 jobs have been created in these spin-offs. Since 1979 a total turnover including the sale of company shares of around 509 million euros has been achieved.

Every year, Max Planck Innovation evaluates an average of 120 inventions, with roughly half of these leading to a patent application. Since 1979, approximately 4,450 inventions have been supported and around 2,680 exploitation contracts have been concluded. Since the early 90s, 156 newly founded companies (spin-offs) have emerged from the Max Planck Society. Max Planck Innovation advised the vast majority of them. Over 6,000 jobs have been created in these spin-offs since then. Since 1979, MI has achieved a total turnover from license revenues and divestments of close to 490 million euros.

Operating under the motto “Connecting Science and Business”, the MPG subsidiary acts as a partner to scientists and business alike. Our interdisciplinary team provides consulting and support for scientists in evaluating inventions, applying for patents, and founding companies. We offer industry a central point of access to the innovations of the Max Planck Institutes. We thus provide the important function of transferring the results of basic research into economically and socially useful products and services.