Institute for Applied Fire Safety Research

What Institute for Applied Fire Safety Research does

IFAB Ingenieure für angewandte Brandschutzforschung GmbH is a Berlin-based, privately held German fire safety engineering and research firm founded in 2008. It operates as a specialty consultancy advising builders, property owners, insurance companies, authorities, and engineering offices, and frequently serves as a sub-contractor on large infrastructure projects. Its customer base spans rail operators and OEMs (BVG, Deutsche Bahn, Eurotunnel, Stadler, Bombardier, Siemens, Swiss Federal Railways, ABB, Voith), automotive (Daimler Truck, BMW), and industrial clients (Nickelhütte Aue). The company is co-led by Managing Directors Rajko Rothe and Max Lakkonen, with a headcount of 11-50, and conducts projects internationally across 18 countries.

The firm's core offering is organized into five practice areas: Rail (fire protection for locomotives, trams, metro cars, and rail-bound special vehicles per EN 45545, NFPA 130, TSI LOC&PAS, and ARGE guidelines), Building/Industry, Tunnel & Metro (including over 200 real tunnel fire tests with HRR exceeding 100 MW and CFD simulations for over 40 Berlin subway stations), Batteries (lithium-ion and high-voltage energy storage systems), and Engineering Methods. Underlying technology includes a DAkkS-accredited testing laboratory under DIN EN ISO/IEC 17025:2018, CFD (FDS) simulations validated against empirical data, FTIR spectroscopy for battery fire gas analysis (including HF and HCl detection), self-developed mobile measurement systems capturing several hundred parameters simultaneously, and five proprietary accredited test procedures (IFAB 7-1-1/1 through /5, 2023-2025). Team members participate in NFPA, CEN, and VdS standards committees, and Managing Director Max Lakkonen serves as President of the International Water Mist Association.

IFAB generates revenue through project-based professional services across four streams: fire safety consulting (concepts, expert opinions, risk analyses), accredited fire testing (standardized and ad-hoc tests for water-based suppression systems), CFD simulation services, and training/seminars (including VDI courses on lithium-ion battery fire protection). No public pricing exists; engagements are quoted per project complexity. The firm markets through VDI seminars, the International Water Mist Conference, standards-body participation, and professional referrals. Its data moat rests on empirical evidence from over 1,800 real fire tests conducted since 1995, which validates its CFD models and supports performance-based design verification where conventional standards are inadequate.

Name

Institute for Applied Fire Safety Research

Legal name

IFAB Engineers for Applied Fire Safety Research GmbH

Website

https://ifab-fire.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fire Protection Engineering Services

NAICS

Testing Laboratories and Services (54138), Building Inspection Services (541350), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (541690)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Services-Engineering Services (8711), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823)

akta.pro primary industry

Fire & Life Safety Code Compliance Inspections & Consulting (AHJ Support) (BPABAHAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Smoke Control & Fire/Smoke Damper Inspection & Testing (IMAIAJAI), Fire Alarm Systems (Inspection/Testing/Monitoring/Service) (IMAIAJAC), Fire Pump Inspection, Testing & Service (IMAIAJAF)

Keywords

• Fire safety consulting
• Fire protection testing
• CFD fire simulation
• Lithium battery testing
• Tunnel fire engineering

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

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

Revenue model

1. Fire Safety Consulting Services: Professional consulting services including fire protection concepts, expert opinions, fire risk analyses, and planning. Services are tailored to client needs and project complexity with cost optimization as a stated mission.
2. Accredited Fire Testing Services: Testing services for effectiveness verification of water-based fire suppression systems through standardized and non-standardized fire tests, hot/cold smoke tests, and experimental investigations of design fire scenarios.
3. CFD Simulation Services: Engineering simulations using computational fluid dynamics for smoke extraction, evacuation planning, heat propagation analysis, and fire protection concept validation.
4. Training and Seminars: In-house seminars and webinars on fire safety topics including NFPA 130, EN 45545, and lithium-ion battery fire protection for VDI and industry clients.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

IFAB is a Berlin-based fire safety engineering consultancy and DAkkS-accredited testing laboratory that delivers fire protection concepts, expert opinions, fire risk analyses, real-scale fire testing, smoke tests, and CFD simulations across five practice areas: Rail, Building/Industry, Tunnel & Metro, Batteries, and Engineering Methods. Its services combine theoretical analysis with empirical data from over 1,800 real fire tests to validate fire protection measures for clients such as rail manufacturers, transit operators, automotive OEMs, and industrial facility owners.

Product overview

IFAB (Institute for Applied Fire Safety Research) is a Berlin-based fire protection engineering and research company offering a comprehensive portfolio of fire safety services. The core offering consists of specialized consulting and accredited testing services organized into five main practice areas: Rail (fire protection for rail vehicles), Building/Industry (fire protection for structures and industrial facilities), Tunnel & Metro (fire safety for underground transport infrastructure), Batteries (fire safety testing for lithium-ion and high-voltage energy storage systems), and Engineering Methods (CFD simulations, real-scale fire testing, and hot smoke tests). The company operates an in-house accredited testing laboratory (DIN EN ISO/IEC 17025:2018) and combines theoretical analysis with empirical data from over 1,800 real fire tests to provide evidence-based fire protection solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Rail Fire Protection Services Fire protection consulting and testing services for rail vehicles including locomotives, trams, metro cars, and specialized rail vehicles, covering risk analyses, fire safety concepts, smoke and fire tests, and compliance with standards such as TSI LOC&PAS, EN 45545, NFPA 130, and ARGE guidelines.
• Building/Industry Fire Protection Services Comprehensive fire protection consulting for buildings and industrial facilities, including fire safety concepts, planning, expert opinions, and effectiveness verification for special structures and high-risk applications such as industrial plants, high-bay warehouses, concert halls, hospitals, laboratories, and heritage buildings.
• Tunnel & Metro Fire Protection Services Specialized fire protection services for road and rail tunnels and metro stations, including fire safety concepts, fixed firefighting systems planning, smoke extraction simulations, and fire scenario matrices, with over 200 real tunnel fire tests conducted including heat release rates exceeding 100 MW.
• Battery Fire Safety Testing Services Fire safety testing and consulting for lithium-ion batteries and high-voltage energy storage systems, including fire tests, FTIR gas analysis, impact assessments, and research on fire behavior and suppression for electric vehicles, battery production, transportation, storage, and testing facilities.
• Engineering Methods (CFD and Real-Scale Fire Testing) Advanced fire protection engineering services including CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) simulations using FDS, standardized and non-standardized fire tests, hot smoke tests, and real-scale fire testing for validation of fire protection measures where conventional standards are inadequate.
• Accredited Fire Testing Laboratory Services DAkkS-accredited testing laboratory services (DIN EN ISO/IEC 17025:2018) for testing the effectiveness of water-based firefighting systems through fire tests for rail vehicles, industrial facilities, public places, storage rooms, machinery and plant rooms, tunnel and transport infrastructure facilities, high-voltage energy storage systems, and experimental investigations of design fire scenarios.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 40 subway stations in Berlin have had fire incidents and evacuations simulated for safety assessment
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• International Water Mist Association (IWMA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 September 2024Max Lakkonen, IFAB Managing Director, elected as IWMA President in September 2024. IFAB is conceptual sponsor of IWMC conference and contributes to IWMA's mission of advancing water mist firefighting technology. IWMA bridges specialized water mist companies and fire safety engineers.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• BRE Group (Building Research Establishment): BRE Group operates fire research, testing, and certification services through its BRE Global and FRS (Fire and Security) divisions. Direct peer in fire testing laboratory services, building fire safety research, and standards participation.
• Efectis: Efectis is a European fire science and testing consultancy operating multiple accredited fire laboratories across France, Netherlands, UK, Spain, and Turkey. Direct peer to IFAB in fire testing, CFD simulation, and fire safety engineering for buildings, rail, and tunnels.
• Jensen Hughes: Jensen Hughes is a global fire protection engineering and consulting firm offering risk analysis, CFD modeling, and code consulting for buildings, rail, tunnels, and energy storage. Closest direct peer in fire safety consulting with comparable rail and battery expertise.
• Warringtonfire (Element Materials Testing): Warringtonfire, now part of Element Materials Technology, is a global fire testing and certification business serving construction, rail, and infrastructure markets. Direct competitor in fire resistance testing, reaction-to-fire, and rail fire safety consulting.
• DBI (Danish Institute of Fire and Security Technology): DBI is a Danish fire and security technology institute providing accredited testing, certification, and consulting. Direct peer in fire testing, building fire safety, and standards participation.
• RISE Research Institutes of Sweden (formerly SP): RISE operates the former SP Technical Research Institute of Sweden, including SP Fire Research, a leading European fire testing and research laboratory. Direct peer in fire testing, CFD simulation, and rail/tunnel fire safety.

Broad incumbents

• Arup Fire Engineering: Arup's fire engineering practice offers fire safety consulting, CFD, and performance-based design globally across buildings, rail, and infrastructure. A broader incumbent than IFAB but directly competes for tunnel, metro, and rail fire safety mandates.
• TÜV SÜD (Fire Safety & Security): TÜV SÜD operates accredited fire testing laboratories and provides fire safety certification, inspection, and consulting across rail, buildings, and industrial sectors globally. Broader incumbent competing in similar fire testing and certification markets.
• Bureau Veritas (Fire Testing & Certification): Bureau Veritas provides fire testing, inspection, and certification services globally across rail, marine, construction, and energy markets. Large TIC incumbent with overlapping fire testing scope but broader portfolio.
• DEKRA (Industrial Services & Fire Testing): DEKRA is a global testing, inspection, and certification organization with fire safety testing capabilities serving automotive, rail, and industrial sectors. Broader incumbent with overlapping fire testing and certification services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCu1-R7TYbvTM-Ym_cOjZRqg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ifab_institute_for_applied_fire_safety

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Institute for Applied Fire Safety Research