Forschungsinstitut für Telekommunikation und Kooperation

What Forschungsinstitut für Telekommunikation und Kooperation does

FTK (Forschungsinstitut für Telekommunikation und Kooperation e.V.) is a Dortmund-headquartered research institute founded in 1991 that operates as an objective consulting institution combining research and practical digitalization services. It is registered as a German non-profit association (e.V.) with 11-50 employees and a branch office in Pfungstadt. Its core technology stack spans AI, gamification, collaboration tools, web development, IT security, semantic data fusion, information retrieval, recommender systems, VR/AR, and CAD systems integration. The institute has developed proprietary components including AI CAD-Cleaning (automated CAD processing), Semantic Data Fusion (sensor data integration for healthcare and environmental monitoring), and STABAC access control (developed within the OurPuppet project).

The business model rests on three revenue streams: competitive research grants from EU Framework Programmes (Horizon Europe, Horizon 2020, FP7, MSCA RISE) and German federal ministries (BMBF, BMWK, EFRE-NRW); professional consulting and advisory services for digital transformation; and workshop facilitation covering AI, digital responsibility, LEGO SERIOUS PLAY methodology, and digital trust management. Many SME-facing workshops are delivered free of charge through the BMWK-funded Mittelstand-Digital Zentrum Zukunftskultur program. Distribution is via direct consulting engagements, the Mittelstand-Digital network (consortium locations in Potsdam, Eberswalde, Dortmund, Dieburg), and regional chamber and industry-network partnerships such as Handwerkskammer Münster and NIRO.

Customer segments are organized horizontally: small and medium enterprises across all German industries form the primary segment, supported by public institutions and authorities, healthcare research partners, and environmental/cultural organizations. FTK has coordinated or co-led multiple EU and federal consortia — including SMILE, STOP, SenseCare, RAGE, Rubydemenz, OurPuppet, MetaPlat, SMART VORTEX, and EDISON — spanning youth mental health, dementia care, obesity, affective computing, applied gaming, digital preservation, and data science workforce development. Revenue, headcount trends, and financial ownership are not publicly disclosed; the institute operates without external investors, parent company, or subsidiaries.

Name

Forschungsinstitut für Telekommunikation und Kooperation

Legal name

FTK e.V. – Forschungsinstitut für Telekommunikation und Kooperation e.V.

Website

https://ftk.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

FTK (Forschungsinstitut für Telekommunikation und Kooperation e.V.) is a Dortmund-based German non-profit research institute founded in 1991 that delivers digitalization consulting, AI and digital-trust workshops, and EU/federal research-project services to SMEs, public institutions, and healthcare partners across Germany.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Dortmund

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Research Project Funding: FTK generates revenue through publicly funded research projects from EU Framework Programs (Horizon Europe, Horizon 2020), German Federal Ministries (BMBF, BMWK), and regional government bodies. These are competitive grants for specific R&D initiatives.
2. Consulting and Advisory Services: Professional consulting services for digitalization strategies, AI implementation, and digital transformation for companies and public institutions.
3. Workshop Facilitation: Conducting workshops on AI, digital responsibility, LEGO SERIOUS PLAY methodology, and digital trust management for companies and organizations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

FTK is a registered research institute providing consulting, workshops, and applied research services focused on digitalization for SMEs, public institutions, and enterprises. Core service lines include KI-Workshops (responsible AI training), website/SEO consulting, LEGO SERIOUS PLAY strategy workshops, trust-in-digital-networks workshops, strategy consulting, and research project management.

Product overview

FTK (Forschungsinstitut für Telekommunikation und Kooperation) is a research institute founded in 1991 offering consulting services, workshops, and research projects rather than a unified software product. The portfolio includes KI-Workshops (AI training), Webseiten Beratung (web consulting), LEGO SERIOUS PLAY workshops, and the Workshop Vertrauen in digitale(n) Netzwerke(n), complemented by strategic consulting and project management services. FTK also manages numerous EU and German federally funded research projects including AI CAD-Cleaning, GenDAI, SMILE, SenseCare, RecomRatio, Immerse2Learn, RAGE, SMART VORTEX, and Rubydemenz, focusing on AI, healthcare technology, digital preservation, and applied gaming. The institute partners in the Mittelstand-Digital Zentrum Zukunftskultur consortium supporting SME digitalization.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• KI-Workshops (AI Workshops) Interactive workshops for SMEs, institutions, and enterprises on the responsible and successful deployment of artificial intelligence in business contexts, covering AI tools, applications, and governance.
• Webseiten Beratung (Website & Marketing Consulting) Professional website development, optimization, and maintenance services to increase visibility of products and services, including SEO and AI optimization for large language models.
• LEGO SERIOUS PLAY Workshops Strategic development and teambuilding workshops using the LEGO SERIOUS PLAY methodology for playful, creative, and engaging strategy development.
• Workshop Vertrauen in digitale(n) Netzwerke(n) Two-day workshop equipping participants with the steps to ensure trust and the foundations for their own trust management framework, covering digital assistance systems, change management, Industry 4.0, IoT, IT security, AI, and platform economics.
• Strategie und Beratung (Strategy & Consulting) Customized digital strategies for companies, institutions, and public entities covering AI, online marketing, knowledge transfer, and digital responsibility.
• Projektmanagement Professional management of complex digital projects from idea to successful implementation, with close dialogue with partners.
• Forschung und Entwicklung (Research and Development) Applied research and development of innovative digitalization projects for enterprises, institutions, and public entities with focus on AI, gamification, collaboration, web development, and IT security.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability8 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Mittelstand-Digital Zentrum Zukunftskultur / Transferstelle CybersicherheitcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 7 May 2026FTK conducts ABAC webinar as part of the Mittelstand-Digital Zentrum Zukunftskultur network partnership, focusing on access control and cybersecurity topics for SMEs.
• NIRO – Netzwerk Industrie RuhrOst e. V.minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 5 February 2026Regional industry network partner for conducting AI and SEO workshops for network members.
• Handwerkskammer MünsterminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 4 November 2025Regional chamber partner for conducting workshops on AI and SEO topics for small businesses in the Münster region.
• SMILE Project ConsortiumminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2023EU Horizon Europe project with 14 partners from 7 European countries plus UK. FTK responsible for coordination, project management, Authorization Infrastructure, and Knowledge Management-Ecosystem Portal.
• Mittelstand-Digital Zentrum Zukunftskultur ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2022Nationwide consortium with locations in Potsdam, Eberswalde, Dortmund, and Dieburg. Partners include BSP Business & Law School, Hochschule für Nachhaltige Entwicklung Eberswalde (HNEE), and Hochschule Darmstadt (h_da). Funded by BMWK. FTK provides AI and digitalization expertise.
• Rubydemenz Project ConsortiumminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2020BMBF-funded research project on human-robot interaction for dementia care with 9 partners including Anasoft Technology AG, DRK Bochum, TU Dortmund.
• STOP Project ConsortiumminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2019Interdisciplinary project on obesity with partners including Cork Institute of Technology, Ulster University, University Napoli. FTK serves as lead partner responsible for Big Data applications and semantic data fusion.
• Mittelstand 4.0 Competence Centre Communication ConsortiumminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2018FTK participated as partner alongside BSP Business & Law School and Hochschule Darmstadt. Supported SMEs with digitalization focusing on management, culture, communication, and learning.
• OurPuppet Project ConsortiumminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2016BMBF-funded project with 8 partners including Anasoft Technology AG, DRK Bochum, Matthies Spielprodukte, TU Berlin. FTK led research on data protection concepts including STABAC access control.
• SenseCare Project ConsortiumminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Project on affective computing for healthcare with partners including CIT Ireland, Ulster University, GLOBIT GmbH, Inmark Europa. FTK developed semantic data fusion software for sensor data integration.
• MetaPlat Project ConsortiumminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2015EU MSCA RISE project on metagenomics platform for agriculture with partners including University Ulster, University Edinburgh, NSilico Lifescience, SRUC Scotland.
• eBusiness-Lotse Ruhr Regional PartnersminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2015Regional partners including IHK Essen, IHK Duisburg, IHK Hagen, and Dortmund Economic Development Agency for eBusiness support in the Ruhr region.
• Mittelstand 4.0-Agentur Prozesse ConsortiumminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2015FTK served as consortium leader of this BMWi-funded agency supporting SMEs with digitalization of processes. Partners included IHK Chemnitz, TU Chemnitz, and tti Magdeburg.
• University of AmsterdamminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2015Academic partner in the EDISON project focused on building the data science profession. FTK developed a community portal as project legacy.
• University of SouthamptonminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2015Academic partner in the EDISON project for data science profession development.
• University of StavangerminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2015Academic partner in the EDISON project for data science profession development.
• RAGE Project ConsortiumminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2015EU Horizon 2020 project with 20 partners from game industry, education sector, and research centers across 10 European countries. FTK designed the RAGE Ecosystem and led implementation of virtual information infrastructure.
• Kulturrucksack NRW ProgramminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 April 2013FTK commissioned to manage the Kulturrucksack.NRW website including further development, design templates, and editorial support for the state-wide cultural program.
• Natur- und Umweltschutzakademie NRW (NUA)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2012FTK has been administering all websites of the Environment and Nature Academy NRW since 2012, including TYPO3 CMS maintenance and technical consulting.
• SMART VORTEX Project ConsortiumminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2010EU FP7 project with 13+ partners. FTK served as scientific supervisor and coordinator. Focused on data stream management and cross-organizational collaboration technologies.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Fraunhofer IAIS: Fraunhofer Institute for Intelligent Analysis and Information Systems conducts applied AI research and partners with industry on data-driven projects, mirroring FTK's grant-funded applied research model focused on AI, NLP, and digital transformation for German enterprises.
• DFKI (German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence): Germany's leading applied AI research center, running federally and EU-funded R&D projects with industry partners across healthcare, robotics, and digitalization - structurally analogous to FTK's consortium-lead research institute model.
• Fraunhofer FIT: Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Information Technology focuses on human-centered digital transformation and applied IT research, closely overlapping FTK's research areas in digital trust, collaboration tools, and IT security.
• VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik GmbH: German applied research and technology consulting organization that manages federally funded R&D projects and advises on innovation policy, sharing FTK's profile as a project management and consulting intermediary for public-funded digital initiatives.
• Institut für Innovation und Technik (iit): Berlin-based research and consulting institute conducting innovation and technology policy analysis on behalf of federal ministries, closely matching FTK's role as a federally contracted R&D and strategy consulting partner.
• Bitkom Research: Research and consulting arm of Germany's digital industry association, producing studies and advising enterprises on digitalization strategy - comparable to FTK's consulting and knowledge-transfer activities for the German economy.

Broad incumbents

• msg systems AG: Large German IT consulting and software firm serving enterprise and Mittelstand clients across digitalization, offering a much broader service portfolio that overlaps with but extends well beyond FTK's consulting and project management offerings.
• Capgemini Invent (Germany): Global digital transformation consultancy with significant German Mittelstand practice, providing strategy, AI, and technology consulting at a scale and price point well beyond FTK but competing for the same SME digitalization wallet.

Regional players

• Cassini Consulting: Dortmund-headquartered digital transformation and strategy consulting firm serving DACH-region enterprises, geographically proximate and competing for similar Mittelstand digitalization consulting engagements.

Others

• eco - Verband der Internetwirtschaft e.V. German internet industry association that runs competency networks, workshops, and policy consulting on digitalization - comparable as a sectoral enabler for SME digitalization though operating as a membership body rather than a research institute.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ftk-ev
• Xx.com/FTKde

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Forschungsinstitut für Telekommunikation und Kooperation