Ecologic Institute

What Ecologic Institute does

Ecologic Institute is a private, independent, non-profit environmental research organization (Ecologic Institut gemeinnützige GmbH) founded in 1995 and headquartered in Berlin at Pfalzburger Strasse 43/44. It conducts inter- and transdisciplinary environmental research covering climate, energy, adaptation, biodiversity, water, marine, agriculture, land use, environmental law, governance, economics, finance, trade, and Arctic topics, with the stated objective of preparing sociopolitical aspects of sustainability research and contributing new knowledge to environmental policy formation. Its core outputs are research and policy analysis services, project coordination of European consortia, and a set of digital platforms including the ZirTeNet networking portal for circular textiles research, the muell-im-meer.de marine litter information platform, and the Plastic Pirates multi-language citizen science website built on Drupal CMS.

Ecologic's business model is grant- and commission-funded: it generates revenue through publicly funded research projects (over 75 European research projects completed to date), German Federal Ministry funding (BMFTR, BMBF), and commissions from agencies such as the German Environment Agency (UBA) and the Berlin Senate Department for the Environment. The institute is a member of the Ecornet network of eight leading non-university sustainability research institutes in Germany and a partner of Biodiversity Bridge. Distribution is via direct engagement with EU institutions, federal ministries, and international bodies rather than commercial sales; there is no consumer pricing or commercial product line. The institute employs more than 100 individuals in international and interdisciplinary project teams and is led by Director Christoph Heinrich, with programme-level directors covering Climate (Matthias Duwe) and the newly established Resources Programme (Doris Knoblauch, from June 2026).

Name

Ecologic Institute

Legal name

Ecologic Institut gemeinnützige GmbH

Website

https://ecologic.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Ecologic Institute is a Berlin-based non-profit environmental research organization founded in 1995 that conducts transdisciplinary research and policy advisory work for EU institutions, German federal ministries, and international bodies, employing more than 100 staff across interdisciplinary project teams.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Research and Policy Advisory

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (54162)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAHALAF

Policy, Regulatory & Public Affairs Research

Business & Public Services/Professional Services (Legal, Accounting, Consulting)/Research, Analytics & Expert Services

SECONDARYBPADALAO

Environmental Education, Capacity Building & Community Engagement

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/Climate, Environment & Sustainable Development Programs

SECONDARYBPADALAE

Nature, Biodiversity & Ecosystem Conservation

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/Climate, Environment & Sustainable Development Programs

Keywords

• Environmental policy research
• Sustainability consulting services
• Climate research advisory
• Environmental governance analysis
• Circular economy research

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Research Project Funding: Ecologic Institute generates revenue through publicly funded research projects, including European research projects, German Federal Ministry funding (BMFTR, BMBF), and commissions from government agencies such as the German Environment Agency (UBA). The institute has participated in successful work in more than 75 European research projects.
2. Institutional Partnerships and Memberships: Revenue is generated through membership and active participation in networks such as the Ecological Research Network (Ecornet) and partnerships with international bodies.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Ecologic Institute conducts inter- and transdisciplinary environmental research and provides policy advisory services for European and international bodies. It sells research, project coordination, policy analysis, and commissioned studies across climate, biodiversity, circular economy, water, marine, energy, and environmental governance topics, and operates digital platforms supporting citizen science and research networks.

Product overview

Ecologic Institute is a private, independent environmental research organization founded in 1995 that conducts inter- and transdisciplinary environmental research and policy analysis. Rather than a single unified product, the institute offers a portfolio of research services, policy advisory work, and digital products including project coordination for European research initiatives. The portfolio includes web-based platforms such as the ZirTeNet networking platform for circular textiles research, the Internet Platform Marine Litter (www.muell-im-meer.de) for the German Roundtable on Marine Litter, and the Plastic Pirates citizen science website. Additional offerings include event organization services, website development, and coordination of international research consortia across topics spanning climate, energy, biodiversity, water, circular economy, and environmental governance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Environmental Research Services Inter- and transdisciplinary environmental research services covering climate, energy, adaptation, biodiversity, water, marine, agriculture, land use, environmental law, governance, economics, finance, trade, and Arctic topics for European and international bodies.
• Policy Analysis and Advisory Preparation of sociopolitical aspects of sustainability research and contribution of new knowledge to environmental policy-making for European and international bodies, including support for EU diplomacy in G7/G20 and policy on climate, resource efficiency, circular economy, and sustainable finance.
• Project Coordination Services Coordination of European research projects including consortium formation, concept development, project management, and scientific coordination for EU and federal ministry-funded initiatives.
• ZirTeNet Networking and Knowledge Transfer Platform Networking and knowledge transfer platform for the BMFTR funding programme "Resource-efficient circular economy – circular textiles," connecting 16 research and innovation projects and providing project information, events, and news.
• Internet Platform Marine Litter (muell-im-meer.de)

Quantifiable outcome

• Successful completion of 75+ European research projects
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Ecornet (Ecological Research Network)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEcologic Institute is a partner in Ecornet, the network of eight leading non-university, non-profit German research institutes focusing on environmental and sustainability research. The institute actively participates as a member of this network.
• Biodiversity BridgeflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerEcologic Institute is a partner of Biodiversity Bridge, a non-profit association of biodiversity experts developing science-based solutions, narratives, and business cases for biodiversity. Became official partner in 2025.
• Projektträger Jülich, Forschungszentrum Jülich (PtJ)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProject management partner for BMFTR-funded projects including ZirTeNet, responsible for programme coordination and administration.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI): Independent international environmental research institute working at the intersection of science and policy across Europe and the Global South — comparable scale, mission, and mix of EU/multilateral funding.
• Institute for Ecological Economy Research (IÖW): Ecornet member institute specializing in ecological economics, sustainability policy, and corporate environmental strategy — overlapping topics (resource conservation, circular economy, corporate sustainability) with comparable non-profit research model.
• Öko-Institut: Fellow Ecornet member and one of Germany's leading non-university environmental research institutes, working on similar applied research, policy analysis, and sustainability topics. Most direct comparable to Ecologic in mandate, scale, and funding model.
• Institute for Social-Ecological Research (ISOE): Fellow Ecornet member focused on transdisciplinary social-ecological research in Germany — directly comparable in funding model (public research), transdisciplinary methodology, and Ecornet positioning.
• Adelphi: Berlin-based independent think tank and policy consultancy working on climate, environment, and sustainable development — direct overlap with Ecologic's European policy research mandate and similar German/European funder mix.
• Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP): Brussels-based independent environmental policy research institute providing evidence-based analysis and advisory services to EU institutions — a near-twin of Ecologic's European policy-research offering, with comparable funder base and project delivery model.

Broad incumbents

• PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency: Dutch national environmental research and policy-assessment agency producing strategic environmental outlooks and policy analysis for government — broader public mandate but highly comparable methodology and EU-level policy influence.
• World Resources Institute (WRI): Large global environmental think tank producing research and policy guidance on climate, water, food, and cities — comparable mission of evidence-based environmental policy support, though at significantly larger scale and broader geographic reach.
• International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA): International research organization applying systems analysis to environmental, energy, and sustainability questions for governments and funders — comparable in independent research mandate and policy advisory role, with broader international membership.

Regional players

• German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP): Berlin-based policy research institute advising German government and Bundestag on international affairs including climate foreign policy — overlapping with Ecologic on G7/G20 climate diplomacy work but with a broader foreign-policy mandate.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/EcologicBerlin
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/EcologicInstitute
• Facebookfacebook.com/Ecologic.Institute
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ecologic-institute-berlin-germany

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ecologic Institute