INZIN - Institut für die Zukunft der Industriegesellschaft

What INZIN - Institut für die Zukunft der Industriegesellschaft does

INZIN Institut is a non-profit think tank (eingetragener Verein, e.V.) headquartered in Düsseldorf, Germany, dedicated to scientifically accompanying and promoting the structural transformation from today's industrial society to a sustainable industrial society. Its core activities consist of industry-financed doctoral scholarships in resource management, energy, and logistics (supervised by Prof. Dr. Martin Faulstich at TU Dortmund) and commissioned research projects for industry associations, government bodies, and international organizations. The institute does not develop commercial software products; its principal outputs are scientific studies, status reports, and policy recommendations covering circular economy, energy transition, climate protection, and sustainable mobility.

Key intellectual assets include the Status Report on the German Circular Economy (published in 2018, 2020, and 2024 editions, the last jointly commissioned by 14+ industry associations and IFAT), the ADAC Mobility Index, the HYPOS Storage Study on hydrogen-based energy systems, the MORO model spatial planning project for the Spatial Planning Report 2024, and the ITAD Roadmap 2040 for thermal waste treatment. The institute also publishes the recurring "Nachhaltige Industrie" series and operates the regional Kompetenznetzwerk Umweltwirtschaft.NRW (KNUW) competence network and the Dialogplattform Recyclingrohstoffe recycled raw materials dialogue platform.

The organization is funded through professional services revenue streams — principally commissioned research fees from associations and government bodies, supplemented by industrial companies financing doctoral scholarships. It serves industrial companies, industry associations (ASA, BDE, bvse, VDMA, VKU, and others), public-sector commissioners (BBSR), and platforms such as ADAC and IFAT Munich. As a registered non-profit (VR 11691, Düsseldorf Local Court), it is governed by its members under German association law with no parent company, equity, or external ownership structure.

Name

INZIN - Institut für die Zukunft der Industriegesellschaft

Legal name

INZIN e.V.

Website

https://inzin.de

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

INZIN is a Düsseldorf-based non-profit think tank that conducts commissioned research, publishes status reports, and funds doctoral scholarships on circular economy, energy transition, and resource management for German industry associations, government bodies, and industrial companies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainability Research & Policy Advisory

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161), Environmental Consulting Services (541620), Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (541)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Think Tanks, Policy Research & Public Policy Institutes (BPAGAFAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

ESG, Sustainability & Impact Research (BPAHALAL), Renewable Policy & Regulatory Strategy (National/State/Local) (EUAMANAA)

Keywords

• Sustainability research
• Circular economy research
• Energy transition studies
• Industrial transformation consulting
• Resource management research

Headquarters

HQ city

Düsseldorf

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Industrial Doctoral Scholarships: Industry-financed doctoral scholarships in resource management, energy, and logistics sectors. Companies fund scholarship holders who write dissertations at company locations, providing both academic research and practical industry applications.
2. Commissioned Research Projects: Studies commissioned by industry associations, government bodies, and international organizations. Examples include the Status Report on German Circular Economy commissioned by 14+ associations and IFAT, and the HYPOS storage study for hydrogen energy systems.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

INZIN is a non-profit think tank that conducts commissioned scientific research, publishes status reports and indices on circular economy, energy transition, and resource management, and facilitates corporate dialogues and industry-financed doctoral scholarships to advance the structural change toward a sustainable industrial society. Its deliverables include the Statusbericht der deutschen Kreislaufwirtschaft (2018/2020/2024), the ADAC Mobilitätsindex, the HYPOS Speicherstudie, the ITAD Roadmap 2040, and the MORO spatial-planning study.

Product overview

INZIN Institut is a think-tank for the future of industrial society that does not offer commercial software products but rather conducts research projects, publishes studies and reports, facilitates corporate dialogues, and manages a doctoral scholarship program. The organization's portfolio includes: the Dialogplattform Recyclingrohstoffe for raw material security dialogue; the Kompetenznetzwerk Umweltwirtschaft.NRW (KNUW) for environmental innovation networking; the ADAC Mobilitätsindex as a sustainability measurement tool; the Statusbericht der deutschen Kreislaufwirtschaft published in multiple editions; the HYPOS Speicherstudie on hydrogen storage; the MORO spatial planning project; and the Roadmap 2040 for thermal waste treatment. These offerings are complemented by doctoral scholarships in resource management, energy, and logistics, and the Nachhaltige Industrie publication series.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Research informing policy for Germany's circular economy strategy with 105 billion euro annual turnover
• +2 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Prognos AGcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead research partner for major studies including Status Reports on German Circular Economy (2018, 2020, 2024). Prognos AG conducts the analytical work while INZIN provides scientific guidance through Prof. Dr. Martin Faulstich.
• INFA GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner for circular economy studies, providing waste management expertise and industry data for Status Reports commissioned by multiple associations.
• IFAT MunichcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorld's leading trade fair for environmental technology commissions INZIN to produce the Status Report on German Circular Economy, positioning the institute as the scientific authority on the industry.
• ADACcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on ADAC Mobilitätsindex - a sustainability index for mobility in Germany. ADAC provides the platform while INZIN (via Prof. Faulstich) provides scientific methodology and research.
• ITAD (Interessengemeinschaft der Thermischen Abfallbehandlungsanlagen)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInterest group of thermal waste treatment plants commissioned the Roadmap 2040 study on plant capacity utilization, with Prof. Dr. Martin Faulstich providing scientific guidance.
• Technische Universität DortmundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner hosting the doctoral program. Prof. Dr. Martin Faulstich holds the Chair of Resource and Energy Systems at the Faculty of Spatial Planning. Scholarship holders complete their doctorates at this university.
• Universität Leipzig - Institut für Infrastruktur- und RessourcenmanagementcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner for the HYPOS Storage Study on hydrogen-based large-scale storage systems, providing energy systems expertise.
• BBSR (Bundesinstitut für Bau-, Stadt- und Raumforschung)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal institute commissioned the Model Project of Spatial Planning (MORO) study on climate change and energy transition for the Spatial Planning Report 2024.
• HYPOS Project ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe HYPOS project consortium pursues substituting fossil hydrogen with renewable hydrogen. INZIN contributes the storage study examining large-scale hydrogen storage systems for Germany's energy transition.
• Kompetenznetzwerk Umweltwirtschaft.NRW (KNUW)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState-wide network for knowledge and technology transfer in environmental innovations in North Rhine-Westphalia. INZIN contributes research expertise to this regional green economy initiative.
• Dialogplattform RecyclingrohstoffecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDialogue platform developing action options to strengthen the contribution of recycled raw materials for supply security with metals and industrial minerals.
• Industry Associations (ASA, BDE, BDSAV, BDSV, BRB, bvse, DGAW, IGAM, InwesD, ITAD, VDMA, VHI, VKU)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner14+ industry associations co-commissioned the 2024 Status Report on German Circular Economy, representing the waste management, recycling, and environmental services sectors.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• adelphi: Independent think tank and policy consultancy working on environment, climate, and resource policy, frequently commissioned by German and European bodies. Comparable to INZIN in commissioned-study delivery and the circular-economy / Energiewende agenda.
• Agora Energiewende: Think tank publishing policy papers, background studies, and data analyses on the German and European energy transition. Highly comparable to INZIN's role advising on Energiewende, hydrogen storage, and the circular economy.
• Agora Verkehrswende: Think tank focused on sustainable transport in Germany, producing indices and policy studies. Comparable to INZIN's ADAC Mobilitätsindex and sustainability-indicator work on mobility.
• Borderstep Institut für Innovation und Nachhaltigkeit: Non-profit research institute focused on sustainability, circular economy, and innovation research with policy-relevant publications. Comparable to INZIN in providing independent sustainability research to German industry and policy audiences.
• Öko-Institut: Independent applied research institute working on environment, sustainability, and energy policy, frequently commissioned by German federal ministries. Closely comparable to INZIN in producing policy-relevant research on circular economy and energy transition.
• Wuppertal Institut für Klima, Umwelt, Energie: German sustainability and structural-change think tank producing scientific analyses and policy advice on resource, climate, and energy transitions. Closely comparable to INZIN in mission, German policy positioning, and commissioned-study delivery model.
• INFA GmbH: Waste-management and circular-economy research institute that co-authored the Statusbericht Kreislaufwirtschaft. Closely comparable to INZIN in circular-economy research methods and association commissioner base.
• IZES – Institut für ZukunftsEnergie und Systemtechnik: German research institute specializing in energy-system analysis and the Energiewende, providing commissioned studies and technology assessments. Highly comparable as a German non-profit research body serving industrial and public commissioners.

Broad incumbents

• Prognos AG: Large German research and consulting firm with deep practice in energy, mobility, and circular-economy studies. Highly comparable as a delivery partner that also publishes sectoral status reports — directly overlaps with INZIN's joint Statusbericht work.
• Fraunhofer Institut für System- und Innovationsforschung (ISI): Larger Fraunhofer institute conducting applied research on energy, resource, and innovation systems. Comparable in scientific methodology and policy-research delivery, though operating at much greater scale and inside the broader Fraunhofer network.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/inzin-institut

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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