Fraunhofer: the German model for applied research and technology transfer

The Fraunhofer Gesellschaft e.V. in Germany is Europe´s largest and most successful organization for applied research and technology transfer. Its 48 institutes cover all areas of technology and engineering, ranging from materials and production technology to information and communication technology and solar energy. The Fraunhofer Institute for Experimental Software Engineering (IESE) in Kaiserslautern, Germany, focuses on software engineering methods, software product and process management, and learning organization concepts for software. It applies an experiment- or feedback-based transfer model, which has led to many successful and sustained improvements in the industrial practice of software development. In this paper, the underlying transfer model, key business areas and core competencies of Fraunhofer IESE, as well as examples of industrial transfer projects are illustrated. The presentation concludes with arguments as to why this transfer approach is well-suited for software development and why it is a prerequisite for the professionalization of software development