INC Invention Center

What INC Invention Center does

INC Invention Center is a membership-based technology and innovation management center operating on the RWTH Aachen Campus in Germany, founded in 2014 by four anchor institutions: Fraunhofer IPT, the WZL Laboratory for Machine Tools and Production Engineering at RWTH Aachen, KEX Knowledge Exchange AG (its legal operator), and the TIME Research Area. The center sells four integrated service lines to industrial enterprises: Community (membership-based access to a cross-industrial network of 30+ named enterprise members and to RWTH Aachen's researcher network), Acceleration (methodological support for hybrid development processes with direct access to the campus machine park for rapid prototyping, branded 'Acceleration as a Service'), Knowledge (technology and market trend analysis, Cross-Industry Groups, and consortium projects), and Education (certificate courses such as Chief Technology Manager and Chief Digital Officer, plus seminars on technology strategy, roadmapping, and intelligence). The underlying technology stack is primarily physical and human: creative workspaces branded INCworX (INClab for up to 40 people, INCstage for up to 80 people across 300 sqm, INCspace co-working), a web-based INC-Portal for member networking, and embedded access to RWTH Aachen's prototyping infrastructure. INC has no public API, no documented SDK, no disclosed AI/ML products, and operates with an 11-50 employee base.

The commercial model combines recurring annual membership subscriptions with professional services revenue from acceleration engagements, consortium projects, and paid educational programs. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is reportedly negotiated individually. Distribution is direct-to-enterprise, primarily serving large industrial and manufacturing companies (BASF, Bayer, Daimler, 3M, Thyssenkrupp, ZF, Miele, Freudenberg, Hilti, Rheinmetall, Procter & Gamble, Covestro, and others across automotive, chemicals, aerospace/defense, consumer goods, biotech, and food processing). Physical presence spans three locations: Aachen (headquarters on RWTH Aachen Campus), Munich (established 2019), and Hong Kong at The Hatch facility (established 2019) for Asian-market innovation projects. Marketing and demand generation rely on content, the annual TIM (Technology and Innovation Management) Conference, certificate programs, and member referrals rather than paid digital channels. The center is led by Executive Center Director Toni Drescher with Prof. Dr. Günther Schuh as Chairman of the Supervisory Board; no external venture capital or private equity ownership is disclosed.

Name

INC Invention Center

Legal name

KEX Knowledge Exchange AG

Website

https://invention-center.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

INC Invention Center is a membership-based innovation center on RWTH Aachen Campus providing technology management, acceleration, knowledge transfer, and education services to 30+ industrial enterprises including BASF, Bayer, Daimler, 3M, and Thyssenkrupp across automotive, chemicals, and manufacturing sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Innovation Management Consulting

NAICS

Engineering Services (54133), Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology) (541715)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Technical Universities with Entrepreneurship & Incubation Focus (EDAHAEAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Entrepreneurship, Innovation & Venture Creation Centers (EDAHAHAH), Innovation & Design Thinking Programs (EDAMAHAD), Engineering & Technology Institutes (Comprehensive) (EDAHAEAA)

Keywords

• Innovation management consulting
• Technology strategy services
• Corporate acceleration programs
• Rapid prototyping workshops
• Industrial knowledge transfer

Headquarters

HQ city

Aachen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership providing access to the expert network, community events, networking opportunities, and preferential rates on training programs. Members gain access to diverse perspectives through cross-industrial community exchange and the RWTH Aachen research network.
2. Education and Training Programs: Certificate courses (Chief Technology Manager, Chief Digital Officer), seminars (Technology Strategy & Roadmapping, Technology Intelligence, Introduction to Technology Management), and Practitioner Days generating revenue through participant fees.
3. Acceleration Services: Acceleration as a Service providing methodological support for hybrid development processes, agile development with prototyping access, and creative space utilization for innovation projects.
4. Knowledge Services: Knowledge transfer services between science and industry, including market, technology, and management trend analysis, Cross-Industry Groups, and consortium projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

INC Invention Center provides enterprise members with a four-pillar innovation offering: Community (cross-industry networking and access to RWTH Aachen researchers), Acceleration (methodological support for hybrid development processes and rapid prototyping via the campus machine park), Knowledge (market, technology, and management trend analysis through Cross-Industry Groups and consortium projects), and Education (certificate courses such as Chief Technology Manager and seminars on technology strategy and intelligence). Members access these services through annual memberships, physical creative workspaces (INCworX) in three locations, and an exclusive member portal.

Product overview

INC Invention Center operates as a technology and innovation management consultancy providing a portfolio of services centered around membership-based access to its expert network. The core offerings include the INC-Portal for member collaboration, the INCworX creative spaces (in Aachen, Hong Kong, and Munich) for prototyping and team workshops, and professional education programs including the Chief Technology Manager Certificate Course and various seminars. Acceleration as a Service provides methodological support for hybrid development processes. These offerings are delivered through an established network of experts from RWTH Aachen and Fraunhofer IPT, serving corporate and mid-sized company clients seeking to implement innovation strategies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• INCworX: Creative landscape and co-working space located at RWTH Aachen Campus for innovation projects and rapid prototyping
• INClab
• INCstage
• INCspace
• The Hatch

Products and services

• Membership Program Annual membership providing enterprise members with access to the RWTH Aachen expert network, community events, acceleration services, knowledge transfer programs, and discounted or prioritized access to certificate courses and seminars.
• Chief Technology Manager Certificate Course A multi-day certificate program that trains technology and innovation management practitioners through case studies, hands-on exercises, and speaker sessions drawn from academia and consulting.
• Seminar Technology Strategy & Roadmapping A seminar that teaches participants how to formulate explicit technology strategies, set priorities, allocate resources, and build technology roadmaps using systematic planning processes.
• Seminar Technology Intelligence A seminar covering procedures, tools, and methods for early technology detection and foresight, using interactive case studies to apply technology intelligence techniques.
• Innovation Days Short intensive single- or multi-day events such as the Innovation Day on Digital Process Optimization, providing hands-on training in techniques like process mining for industrial case studies.
• Acceleration as a Service Methodological support for hybrid development processes, including agile development with direct access to the RWTH Aachen Campus machine park for rapid prototyping and creative space utilization for innovation projects.
• INCworX Creative Space Aachen Creative landscape at RWTH Aachen Campus combining INClab (configurable team workspace for up to 40 people), INCstage (300 sqm presentation and exhibition space for up to 80 people), and INCspace (co-working desks) for innovation workshops, prototyping, and team collaboration.
• INC Hong Kong Creative Space Creative space in Hong Kong hosted at The Hatch facility, providing members the ability to work directly on the Asian market and conduct innovation projects in one of Asia's most dynamic innovation hubs.
• INC Munich Creative Space Creative space in Munich that allows members to access the full INC Invention Center offerings including acceleration, knowledge transfer, and education programs within Germany.
• INC-Portal (Member Platform) An exclusive web-based member portal providing networking tools, expert identification capabilities, and collaboration resources for members of the INC innovation network.

Quantifiable outcome

• Project teams staffed with employees from four initiators with practical experience from numerous industrial project assignments
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers27 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Fraunhofer IPT (Institut für Produktionstechnologie)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFraunhofer IPT is one of the four founding initiators of INC Invention Center. They contribute expertise in application and industry-oriented research and development for manufacturing companies. The institute provides immediate transfer of research findings into day-to-day practice for customers across all manufacturing sectors.
• WZL - Laboratory for Machine Tools and Production Engineering (RWTH Aachen)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWZL is one of the four founding initiators. It conducts fundamental research as well as industry-oriented consulting projects, developing innovative solutions for successful company development. The lab covers strategic innovation, production and quality management, and control, machine, manufacturing and measuring technology.
• KEX Knowledge Exchange AGcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKEX AG is one of the four founding initiators and the legal operator of the INC Invention Center. They are a professional service provider of technology and market information with over 20 years of experience in information research, evaluation and interpretation. They provide effective scanning, scouting and monitoring of technologies and markets.
• TIME Research Area (RWTH Aachen)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTIME (Technology, Innovation, Marketing, Entrepreneurship) Research Area is one of the four founding initiators. They provide expertise in conception, development and commercialization of technological innovation, offering a unique mix of knowledge, global networks and practical application experience.
• RWTH Aachen CampuscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe campus provides the physical ecosystem and knowledge infrastructure for the INC Invention Center. It structures and systematizes the technological knowledge islands of Aachen in a consolidated knowledge map. The campus provides access to machine parks for rapid prototyping and connects the center with researchers and scientists.
• The Hatch (Hong Kong)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership facility in Hong Kong enabling INC members to work directly on the Asian market and conduct innovation projects in one of the most dynamic cities in Asia.
• RWTH Innovation FactoryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the innovation ecosystem that INC is working to expand in the sense of an Innovation Factory concept.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• McKinsey & Company (Innovation Practice): McKinsey's Innovation practice and QuantumBlack advise large industrial and consumer corporates on innovation strategy, R&D portfolio, and digital transformation. It addresses the same enterprise innovation officer buyer as INC but at a much larger scale and as part of a generalist consulting engagement model.
• BCG Henderson Institute: The BCG Henderson Institute researches and advises on innovation strategy and emerging technologies for BCG's enterprise clients. It competes with INC for senior-level innovation strategy and technology intelligence mandates at large industrial firms, though embedded in a much broader consulting portfolio.
• Fraunhofer IAO: Fraunhofer IAO is the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering in Stuttgart, conducting applied research and consulting on organizational transformation, innovation management, and technology management. It is a sibling German research institute that competes for the same industrial innovation consulting and training mandates as INC.

Emerging players

• InnovationCast: InnovationCast provides innovation management software focused on idea, campaign, and collaboration workflows for enterprises. It is a niche alternative to INC's consortium and acceleration programs, particularly for the digital tooling layer of corporate innovation management.

Regional players

• Stanford d.school: Stanford's Hasso Plattner Institute of Design (d.school) trains professionals in design thinking and innovation leadership via executive programs. It targets a similar enterprise innovation buyer as INC but operates in a US/West Coast ecosystem rather than European industrial clients.
• HPI School of Design Thinking: The HPI School of Design Thinking in Potsdam offers executive education and innovation programs based on d.school methodology. It is the most direct German competitor for INC's certificate courses and innovation leadership education targeting industrial corporates.

Direct peers

• Spigit: Spigit delivers innovation management software used by large industrial and financial firms to run internal idea and innovation programs. It targets similar enterprise personas (CTOs, heads of innovation) as INC and represents a software-centric substitute for some of INC's acceleration offerings.
• Nine Sigma: Nine Sigma operates an open innovation services platform connecting large enterprises with external solvers and technology providers. It is directly comparable to INC's acceleration and knowledge-transfer services that broker innovation challenges between corporate members and academic/research partners.
• Wazoku (formerly InnoCentive): Wazoku runs an idea and innovation management platform used by global enterprises to crowdsource and manage innovation pipelines. It competes with INC for corporate innovation program budgets and offers an alternative model to INC's membership-based, expert-driven acceleration services.
• Hype Innovation: Hype Innovation provides enterprise innovation management software for idea collection, portfolio management, and innovation culture programs. It addresses the same corporate innovation officer buyer as INC's membership and education offerings, though primarily through software rather than services.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 INC Invention Center