Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition

What Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition does

The Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition is a non-profit academic research institute headquartered in Munich, Germany, operating as an independent unit of the Max Planck Society. It conducts fundamental legal and economic research on intellectual property, competition and antitrust law, and innovation and entrepreneurship, and is led by Directors Dietmar Harhoff, Reto M. Hilty, and Josef Drexl. Its core outputs include peer-reviewed publications, a Discussion Paper Series, and policy contributions, most notably 51 position statements submitted to the European Commission across multiple consultations, including a recent statement on the Technology Transfer Block Exemption Regulation.

The institute serves four primary audiences: academic researchers and doctoral candidates, policymakers and regulators (especially at the EU level), legal practitioners, and industry stakeholders engaged in IP and competition matters. Its deliverables include the Munich Summer Institute, the Munich Conference on IP, Competition and Innovation (co-organized with the European University Institute), the MIPLC LL.M. program in intellectual property and competition law, and the Net Zero Lab, a research initiative launched in 2020 extending the institute's work into climate and sustainability innovation. Research is disseminated through SSRN, Springer Compact, the German Law Journal, and Open Access channels.

The institute operates as a publicly funded research organization rather than a commercial enterprise. Its institutional funding flows from the Max Planck Society, which is jointly financed by the German federal and state governments, and is supplemented by competitive grants from bodies such as the DFG and the European Commission. Outputs are provided free of charge to end users, with revenue mechanics tied to multi-year institutional appropriations and grant cycles rather than per-customer pricing.

Name

Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition

Legal name

Max-Planck-Institut für Innovation und Wettbewerb

Website

https://ip.mpg.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition is a Munich-based non-profit research institute under the Max Planck Society conducting legal and economic research on intellectual property, competition law, and innovation for policymakers, academics, legal professionals, and industry through publications, policy statements, and conferences.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal and Economic Research

NAICS

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (541), Book Publishers (513130)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Law & Legal Studies Scholarly Publishing (EDAGAFAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Legal & Regulatory Publishing (Case Law, Statutes, Treatises) (MPAJACAA), IP & Patent Information Publishing (Patent/Litigation Analytics, Prior Art) (MPAJACAK), Standards-Essential Patents (SEP) & FRAND Advisory (BPAHAMAL)

Keywords

• Intellectual property research
• Competition law research
• Innovation economics
• Academic policy advisory
• Legal scholarship publishing

Headquarters

HQ city

Munich

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Institutional Research Funding: As part of the Max Planck Society, the institute receives government funding from German federal and state governments for conducting fundamental research in the public interest.
2. Research Grants: The institute receives research grants from various funding bodies including the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) and European Commission for specific research projects.
3. Publication Revenues: The institute publishes research papers through SSRN, open access publications, and operates an e-journal generating scholarly impact and visibility.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition conducts fundamental legal and economic research in intellectual property law (patents, trademarks, copyright), competition/antitrust law, and innovation and entrepreneurship research. It disseminates findings through peer-reviewed publication series on SSRN, open access monographs, policy position statements to regulators, and hosted academic events such as the Munich Summer Institute.

Product overview

The Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition is a research institute (part of the Max Planck Society) that produces academic research and educational programs rather than commercial products. Its offerings consist of: (1) the Research Paper Series published via SSRN, containing peer-reviewed research on IP rights, competition/antitrust law, and innovation; (2) the Discussion Paper Series for supplementary shorter or non-English research; (3) the annual Munich Summer Institute (MSI) for interdisciplinary academic exchange; and (4) regular Innovation & Entrepreneurship seminars. The institute's research spans two departments: Intellectual Property and Competition Law, and Innovation and Entrepreneurship Research.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Munich Summer Institute (MSI): Annual interdisciplinary summer conference bringing together researchers from economics, management, law and related disciplines
• Net Zero Lab
• SIPLA - Smart IP for Latin America

Products and services

• Max Planck Institute for Innovation & Competition Research Paper Series Open-access e-journal hosted on SSRN publishing research papers authored by institute staff covering intellectual property rights, competition/antitrust law, and innovation economics. Targeted at academic researchers, policymakers, and legal professionals globally.
• Discussion Paper Series
• Munich Summer Institute (MSI) Annual interdisciplinary three-day conference bringing together researchers worldwide for academic exchange at the intersection of economics, management, law, and related disciplines. Celebrating its 10th edition in 2026.
• Innovation & Entrepreneurship Seminar Series Regular seminar series featuring presentations by researchers on topics related to innovation and entrepreneurship, hosted in hybrid format (in-person and Zoom).

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and regional.

• Munich Intellectual Property Law Center (MIPLC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMIPLC is a joint educational initiative operated by the institute in collaboration with other Munich institutions (LMU Munich, HU Berlin, TU Munich, University of Augsburg) offering a Master of Laws (LL.M.) program in Intellectual Property and Competition Law.
• Net Zero LabcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNet Zero Lab is a research initiative affiliated with the institute focused on climate change mitigation, innovation policy, and environmental sustainability, contributing to Science journal publications on forest ecosystems and climate adaptation.
• SIPLA (Smart IP for Latin America)regionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerSIPLA is a regional initiative focused on intellectual property research and education for Latin American stakeholders, providing a platform for collaboration with researchers and institutions in the region.
• Max Planck LawcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMax Planck Law is a network of Max Planck Institutes within the Max Planck Society that conduct legal research, facilitating interdisciplinary collaboration across different areas of law including the institute's contributions.
• Centre for a Digital Society, European University Institute (EUI)regionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint organizer of the Munich Conference on IP, Competition and Innovation, collaborating on research at the intersection of digital society, competition policy, and innovation.
• Copenhagen Business School (CBS) Strategy & Innovation GroupregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint seminar series (MaxSI Workshop) with CBS's Strategy & Innovation Group, providing platform for academic exchange between researchers from both institutions.
• German Law JournalregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer of The Law of Digital Value Chains: Transnational Junior Faculty Forum, a joint academic event bringing together junior faculty in law.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Stanford Law School — IP and Antitrust Programs: Top-tier US law school with strong IP and antitrust research streams, producing position-relevant scholarship and policy engagement. Comparable in research depth and policy influence on IP/competition topics, but operates as part of a broader professional school portfolio.
• WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization): International intergovernmental organization that produces authoritative IP research, statistics, and policy frameworks globally. Comparable in producing IP policy-relevant research and engaging policymakers, though operates at intergovernmental scale rather than as a research institute.
• OECD Competition Division: International policy body producing rigorous competition law and economics research, policy recommendations, and country reviews. Comparable as a producer of competition-policy scholarship informing regulators, with similar policy-advisory function though at supranational scale.

Direct peers

• European University Institute — Centre for a Digital Society: Active partner of the subject institute (joint organizer of the Munich Conference on IP, Competition and Innovation) conducting research on digital regulation, competition, and innovation law. Comparable in producing interdisciplinary scholarship on digital-era IP and competition policy with European policy focus.
• Max Planck Institute for Tax Law and Public Finance: Sister Max Planck Institute co-located in Munich that shares library resources with the subject institute and conducts adjacent legal and economic research. Most directly comparable as a peer Max Planck legal research institute with similar funding model and output structure.
• Berkeley Center for Law and Technology (BCLT): Leading university-based IP, competition, and technology law research center producing scholarly publications, policy comments, and hosting conferences. Comparable to the subject institute in producing high-impact IP/competition law scholarship with policy influence, though affiliated with a public university rather than a research-only institute.
• George Mason University — Antonin Scalia Law School (Law & Economics): US university-based center producing interdisciplinary law-and-economics scholarship with strong focus on IP, antitrust, and innovation policy. Comparable as a producer of influential IP/antitrust academic research engaging with US and international policy debates.
• University of Cambridge — Centre for Intellectual Property Policy and Management (CIPPM): University-based IP policy research center producing academic publications, policy advice, and graduate training in IP law and innovation. Highly comparable as a dedicated IP policy research center with academic publications and policy engagement, serving similar scholar and policymaker audiences.

Regional players

• Fraunhofer Society Research Institutes: German applied research organization with 70+ institutes conducting industry-relevant research across multiple domains, including IP-adjacent technology transfer work. Comparable as a publicly funded German research organization producing publications and policy-relevant work, though oriented toward applied/industrial research rather than fundamental legal scholarship.

Emerging players

• Munich Intellectual Property Law Center (MIPLC): Joint educational initiative operated by the subject institute with LMU, HU Berlin, TU Munich, and Augsburg offering an LL.M. in IP and Competition Law. Comparable as a focused IP law education and research platform with overlapping faculty and curriculum.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mpi_inno_comp
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/max-planck-institute-for-innovation-and-competition

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition