Steinbeis Transfer Management

What Steinbeis Transfer Management does

Steinbeis Transfer Management is the operational technology transfer organization of the Steinbeis-Stiftung für Wirtschaftsförderung, a German foundation re-established in 1971 (with roots to 1868/69) and headquartered in Stuttgart. It operates as a decentralized network of approximately 1,000 independent transfer companies (Steinbeis-Unternehmen) employing 4,500-4,800 experts who collectively serve more than 10,000 customers annually. The core mission is intermediating between academic research and industrial application, providing SMEs and established enterprises access to scientific knowledge and emerging technologies across digitalization, AI, automation, materials science, analytics, and sustainability.

The service portfolio is organized around three integrated pillars: Research & Development (application-oriented R&D assignments and product/process optimization), Consulting & Expertises (short-term to comprehensive business consulting via flexible expert teams), and Training & Continuing Education (compact seminars, in-house workshops, and modular study programs at the affiliated Steinbeis Hochschule). Supporting infrastructure includes an Expert Search online portal, the free Kurzberatung program for Baden-Württemberg SMEs under €100M revenue, and physical Steinbeis-Haus facilities in Stuttgart, Berlin (Adlershof, completed 2023), and Karlsruhe. Subsidiaries span dedicated consulting (Steinbeis Beratungszentren GmbH), market-oriented R&D (Steinbeis Forschungs- und Innovationszentren GmbH), digital transformation research (Ferdinand-Steinbeis-Institut, 2015), cooperative research (Ferdinand-Steinbeis-Gesellschaft, 2019), and specialist publishing (Steinbeis-Edition, 2003).

The business model is predominantly professional services delivered through the transfer-company network, supplemented by tuition at Steinbeis Hochschule (private university offering bachelor and master programs), publishing revenue from Steinbeis-Edition and TRANSFER Magazine, and office/seminar rental income from the Steinbeis-Haus facilities. Customer segments are horizontal: Baden-Württemberg SMEs, established German enterprises seeking innovation, and academic entrepreneurs building companies under Steinbeis company-building support. Named reference customers include Carl Zeiss Industrielle Messtechnik, Charles River, dm-drogerie markt, Mahle International, and Voith Turbo. The foundation is governed by a 23+23-member Kuratorium drawing from business, science, politics, and administration, including representatives from TRUMPF, SAP, KIT, and Fraunhofer ISI.

Name

Steinbeis Transfer Management

Legal name

Steinbeis-Stiftung für Wirtschaftsförderung (StW)

Website

https://steinbeis.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Steinbeis Transfer Management is a German foundation operating a decentralized network of ~1,000 transfer companies and 4,500-4,800 experts, delivering research, consulting, and training services that bridge academic research and industrial application for SMEs and established enterprises.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Stuttgart

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Technology Transfer Services: Consulting, research & development, and expert services provided through the network of Steinbeis transfer companies to businesses seeking innovation and knowledge transfer.
2. Training and Education: Praxisnahe Weiterbildungsformate including seminars, workshops, in-house trainings, and modular study programs at the Steinbeis Hochschule.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Steinbeis Transfer Management operates a foundation-backed network that delivers applied research and development, business and technology consulting, vocational training and continuing education, and company-building services to industrial and SME clients. Revenue is generated by matching client requirements with experts from a network of roughly 1,000 transfer companies and approximately 4,500–4,800 specialists who execute projects on a contract basis.

Product overview

Steinbeis Transfer Management operates as a technology transfer organization with a platform-based architecture. The core offering centers on Company Building services through Steinbeis GmbH & Co. KG für Technologietransfer, which manages a network of approximately 1,000 transfer companies. These companies provide three integrated service pillars: Research & Development, Consulting & Expertises, and Training & Continuing Education. The organization also operates Steinbeis Hochschule (private university) for academic programs, Steinbeis-Edition for specialist publications, and the TRANSFER Magazine for network communication. Physical infrastructure includes Steinbeis-Haus facilities in Berlin-Adlershof, Stuttgart-Hohenheim, and Karlsruhe. An Expert Search portal enables access to the network's expertise, while a Short Consultation service provides free initial advisory support for SMEs in Baden-Württemberg.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Steinbeis-Haus: Physical locations and facilities operated by Steinbeis for technology transfer activities, including Stuttgart-Hohenheim, Berlin-Adlershof, and Karlsruhe locations
• Steinbeis Hochschule
• Steinbeis-Edition
• Transferpreis der Steinbeis-Stiftung – Löhn-Preis
• Ferdinand-Steinbeis-Institut (FSTI)
• Ferdinand-Steinbeis-Gesellschaft für transferorientierte Forschung (FSG)
• Steinbeis-Unternehmen
• Company Building
• Steinbeis-Kompetenzen

Products and services

• Applied Research and Development Services
• Business and Technology Consulting
• Training and Continuing Education Programs
• Company Building and Incubation Support

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 2,500 companies founded since 1983, with ~1,000 currently active
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• TRUMPF GmbH + Co. KGminorOthersTRUMPF representatives participate in the Steinbeis Supervisory Committee (Kuratorium) as part of the business representation.
• SAP SEminorOthersSAP is represented in the Steinbeis Supervisory Committee through their Vice President Christine Regitz.
• Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT)coreTechnology or IntegrationKIT is represented in the Supervisory Committee through Prof. Dr. Thomas Hirth (Vice President) and Prof. Dr. Michael J. Hoffmann from the Institute for Applied Materials.
• Fraunhofer-Institut für System- und Innovationsforschung (ISI)coreTechnology or IntegrationFraunhofer ISI is represented in the Supervisory Committee through Director Prof. Dr. Marion A. Weissenberger-Eibl.
• Steinbeis-HochschulecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrivate university established in 1998, offering bachelor, master, and continuing education programs in cooperation with Steinbeis transfer companies.
• TOPAS Industriemathematik Innovation gGmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWinner of the 2026 Transferpreis for autonomous firefighting robotics project involving hardware and software platform development with AI-based object recognition.
• Alpha Robotics Germany GmbH & Co. KGcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWinner of the 2026 Transferpreis, providing hardware platform and practical experience from real fire service scenarios for autonomous robotics project.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves14 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Battelle Memorial Institute: US-based nonprofit applied science and technology organization managing national laboratories and conducting contract research for industry and government. Comparable to Steinbeis in foundation/nonprofit structure and applied R&D-to-industry transfer model, though materially larger in scale.
• CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation): Australia's national science agency conducting applied research with technology transfer, industry partnerships, and spin-out creation. Comparable to Steinbeis in operating model and revenue mix (public + industry contracts).
• Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft: Germany's largest applied research organization, operating 76 institutes with applied R&D and technology transfer from universities to industry. Directly comparable to Steinbeis as a German technology transfer intermediary serving the Mittelstand, though Fraunhofer is institute-based and publicly funded.
• Oxford University Innovation: Technology transfer and consulting arm of the University of Oxford, supporting spin-outs, licensing, and consulting. Comparable to Steinbeis in academic-to-industry transfer and company building, though operating from a single institution.
• Stanford Office of Technology Licensing (OTL): University technology transfer office licensing Stanford research to industry and supporting start-ups. Comparable to Steinbeis in the technology transfer function specifically, though operating at a single university rather than a network model.
• TNO (Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research): Dutch applied research organization translating scientific knowledge into industry-ready innovations. Comparable to Steinbeis in mission and operating model (applied research, industry contracts, spin-off support), though TNO is government-funded and institute-based rather than foundation-based.
• VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland: Finland's applied research organization conducting technology transfer between research and industry. Comparable to Steinbeis in mission and customer base (industrial SMEs and corporates), with similar focus on digitalization, AI, and sustainability themes.

Broad incumbents

• Leibniz Association: German research organization operating 97 institutes across natural, engineering, environmental, and social sciences. Comparable to Steinbeis as a German applied research peer with industry transfer mandates, though broader in scope and institute-based.
• Helmholtz Association: Germany's largest scientific organization operating 18 research centers in energy, health, and information. Comparable to Steinbeis as a German R&D ecosystem player, though focused on large-scale fundamental research with broader scope.
• Max Planck Society: Germany's leading basic research organization operating 86 Max Planck Institutes. Comparable to Steinbeis in the German research-to-industry ecosystem, with overlap in spin-off generation through Max Planck Innovation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/steinbeisglobal
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/steinbeis-transfer-management-s.r.l.

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Steinbeis Transfer Management