Institute for Automotive Engineering

What Institute for Automotive Engineering does

The Institute for Automotive Engineering (ika), formally Institut für Kraftfahrzeuge, RWTH Aachen University, is a public university research institute headquartered in Aachen, Germany, with origins dating to 1902 and continuous operation for over 120 years. It conducts full-vehicle research covering seven research areas: Vehicle Design, Vehicle Concepts & HMI, Vehicle Structures, Vehicle Dynamics & Acoustics, Energy and Powertrain Systems, Vehicle Intelligence & Automated Driving, and Traffic Psychology & Acceptance. Operations are supported by an in-house infrastructure portfolio that includes drive/battery/chassis/tire test benches, a high-fidelity driving simulator facility (opened 2016), a full-vehicle crash facility, the Seffent-Melaten test track (opened 1989), CAE tools, and research concept vehicles (karl, SpeedE, E-Jet). Approximately 120 permanent staff and 80+ student assistants execute around 100 student R&D projects at any given time.

The institute operates a hybrid not-for-profit revenue model funded through three streams: public research grants from EU programs (Horizon 2020, mFUND), German Federal Ministries (BMBF, BMWi, BMVI), and the State of North Rhine-Westphalia; direct fee-for-service research collaborations with automotive OEMs and tier-1 suppliers (Volkswagen, Audi, BMW, Porsche, Continental, Schaeffler, DAF Trucks, among others) and government research bodies (BASt); and tuition-based continuing education delivered through the ika Academy division targeting corporate upskilling. Customer relationships are anchored in Germany's automotive heartland, with customers spanning passenger-vehicle OEMs, suppliers, commercial-vehicle manufacturers, and public funding bodies. Distribution is direct and project-based, with industry partner engagement negotiated individually and student intake routed through RWTH Aachen admissions. The institute is also an active consortium participant and coordinator in programs such as ACCorD and the innocam.NRW competence network.

Name

Institute for Automotive Engineering

Legal name

Institut für Kraftfahrzeuge, RWTH Aachen University

Website

https://ika.rwth-aachen.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1902

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

The Institute for Automotive Engineering (ika) is a public university research institute at RWTH Aachen University that conducts full-vehicle research across seven areas, including automated driving, vehicle dynamics, powertrain systems, and traffic psychology, serving automotive OEMs, tier-1 suppliers, and public funding bodies through fee-for-service collaborations and EU/federal grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Automotive Engineering Research Services

NAICS

Engineering Services (541330), Engineering Services (54133), Instrument Manufacturing for Measuring and Testing Electricity and Electrical Signals (334515), Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYIMACAAAB

Passenger Vehicle Platform Engineering & Integration (ICE)

Industrials, Manufacturing & Construction/Automotive & Mobility Manufacturing/Passenger Vehicle Manufacturing (ICE)

Keywords

• Automotive research
• Vehicle testing services
• Automotive engineering education
• Driving simulation
• Mobility research

Headquarters

HQ city

Aachen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public Research Funding: The institute operates as part of RWTH Aachen University and is funded through public sources including EU research programs (e.g., Horizon 2020, mFUND), German Federal Ministry programs (BMBF, BMWi, BMVI), and state-level funding from North Rhine-Westphalia. These grants fund collaborative research projects with industry and academic partners.
2. Industry Research Collaborations: Direct fee-for-service research collaborations with automobile manufacturers and suppliers. The institute conducts applied research for the automotive industry using its infrastructure and expertise.
3. Academy Professional Education: The Academy offers topic-specific continuing education programs for companies to prepare them for the automotive future. Revenue is generated through professional training course fees.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Institute for Automotive Engineering (ika) at RWTH Aachen University conducts full-vehicle automotive research spanning vehicle design, vehicle concepts & HMI, vehicle structures, vehicle dynamics & acoustics, energy and powertrain systems, vehicle intelligence & automated driving, and traffic psychology & acceptance. It provides fee-for-service industry research collaborations, operates testing infrastructure (test benches, driving simulator, crash facility, test track), and delivers continuing professional training through its Academy division, in addition to academic degree programs in mechanical and automotive engineering.

Product overview

The Institute for Automotive Engineering (ika) is a research institute at RWTH Aachen University offering a comprehensive portfolio of research services and testing infrastructure for the automotive industry. The core offering consists of six research areas: Vehicle Intelligence & Automated Driving, Vehicle Dynamics & Acoustics, Energy and Powertrain Systems, Vehicle Concepts & HMI, Vehicle Structures, and Traffic Psychology & Acceptance. These research areas are supported by extensive testing infrastructure including test benches, a high-fidelity driving simulator center, research vehicles (karl, SpeedE, E-Jet), and CAE tools. The institute also provides continuing education through its Academy programs. The research covers the entire vehicle including its systems and complex interactions, from initial concepts through innovative component designs to vehicle prototypes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Academy Continuing Education Programs
• Industry Research Collaboration Services
• Mechanical Engineering B.Sc. Degree Program
• Mechanical Engineering M.Sc. Degree Program
• Automotive Engineering M.Sc. Degree Program
• Vehicle Technology and Transport M.Sc. Degree Program
• Business Administration and Engineering: Mechanical Engineering B.Sc. and M.Sc.

Quantifiable outcome

• Automated driving can reduce accidents in deployment areas by up to 54%
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability8 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AUDI AGcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2023Audi AG is a project partner in the Tyre Road Noise project (10/2023 – 09/2026), a data-based study on controlled and real drive noise emission funded by the BMV's mFUND program. The project develops AI-based prediction models for tire-road noise emissions.
• BMW GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2023BMW Group is a project partner in the Tyre Road Noise project, collaborating on research into tire-road noise emissions with a focus on electric vehicle noise characteristics.
• Continental Reifen Deutschland GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2023Continental Reifen is a project partner in the Tyre Road Noise project, contributing tire manufacturer expertise to the research on tire-road noise emissions and mitigation measures.
• Dr. Ing. h.c.F. Porsche AGcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2023Porsche AG is a project partner in the Tyre Road Noise project and has participated in Aachener Karosserietage events presenting vehicles such as the Porsche Taycan and 911er.
• Volkswagen AGcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2023Volkswagen AG is a project partner in the Tyre Road Noise project. ika has a long-standing relationship with VW, including presenting the new VW Polo at Aachener Karosserietage 2009.
• BASt (Bundesanstalt für Straßenwesen)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2023BASt (Federal Institute for Road Research) is a project partner in the Tyre Road Noise project and collaborated on a study showing automated driving can reduce accidents by up to 54%.
• KIT (Karlsruher Institut für Technologie)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2023KIT is a project partner in the Tyre Road Noise project, contributing academic research expertise to the consortium.
• Institute for Highway Engineering (Institut für Straßenwesen) – RWTH AachencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2023The Institute for Highway Engineering of RWTH Aachen University is a project partner in the Tyre Road Noise project, contributing road engineering expertise.
• ACCorD Project ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020ika serves as collaborative coordinator of the ACCorD (Corridor for New Mobility Aachen–Düsseldorf) project funded by BMVI (€11.11M total, €9.57M public funding, 01/2020–12/2021). Partners include ISAC RWTH, e.GO MOOVE, Ford-Werke, PTV, Vodafone, ZF Friedrichshafen, NRW State Road Authority, and City of Aachen.
• Aldenhoven Testing Center (ATC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerATC is a key testing partner providing vehicle testing and validation facilities. ika collaborates with ATC for research including the opening of CERMcity test environment and KoMoD project activities.
• Future Mobility Partnership e.V.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFuture Mobility Partnership is a network of RWTH Aachen chairs and institutes active in mobility research, coordinated through the Future Mobility Center.
• innocam.NRWcoreStrategic or Co-development Partnerinnocam.NRW is a competence network for automated and connected mobility in North Rhine-Westphalia, funded by the NRW Ministry of Transport. Prof. Lutz Eckstein serves as scientific director. ika hosts and leads this network initiative.
• RWTH Aachen UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partnerika is an institute of RWTH Aachen University. The parent university provides institutional support, administrative infrastructure, and access to cross-disciplinary expertise across engineering and related fields.
• DAF TrucksminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDAF Trucks collaborated with ika in the 'BEV Goes eHighway – BEE' project to develop pantograph-based dynamic charging retrofits for DAF XD Electric series trucks.
• FLK e.V.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFLK e.V. (Forschungsgesellschaft Kraftfahrwesen mbH Aachen) is a partner organization that organized events such as the Aachener Karosserietage in collaboration with ika.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/rwth
• GitHubgithub.com/ika-rwth-aachen
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ika_rwth
• Facebookfacebook.com/ika.RWTH
• LinkedInde.linkedin.com/company/ika-rwth
• Instagraminstagram.com/ika.rwth

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Institute for Automotive Engineering