ReLUT

What ReLUT does

ReLUT (Research Lab for Urban Transport) is an interdisciplinary scientific research center at Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences (Frankfurt UAS), officially established in November 2024 as a wissenschaftliches Zentrum through a presidential resolution (Präsidiumsbeschluss RSO 1620). It is a non-commercial, government/state-affiliated research entity focused on mobility and logistics topics, addressing intelligent intermodal connectivity of transportation modes, emission-free transportation, and supply chain efficiency improvements in the context of climate change and the Verkehrswende (traffic transformation). The lab's "products" are research outputs: research projects, academic publications, annual reports (Jahresberichte), the Brownbag Seminar Mobility and Logistics series, a cycling research program, and startup support related to urban transport innovations.

The underlying research model is interdisciplinary, drawing on at least 12 professors and supporting research staff across civil engineering, business administration, economics, and law — covering rail, public transport, logistics, production management, environmental infrastructure, sustainable mobility, cycling, aviation logistics, traffic planning, transport economics, and sustainability. The lab operates from Nibelungenplatz 1, 60318 Frankfurt am Main, and benefits from direct access to the state of Hesse, the FrankfurtRheinMain region, and the city of Frankfurt as real-world experimental conditions.

ReLUT has no commercial revenue model. It is funded through institutional research funding, public grants (notably from Land Hessen), and project-based collaborations with municipalities, scientists, and companies. The go-to-market motion is community-led: research projects are generated through collaborations with regional partners, and dissemination occurs via Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, GitHub, a newsletter, and the Brownbag Seminar series. Core ecosystem partners include the House of Logistics and Mobility (HOLM), the Promotionszentrum Mobility and Logistics, the Radlogistikverband (cargo bike logistics association), FGSV, Forschungscampus Hessen, Frankfurter Forschungsinstitut, mobiles Hessen, and Studienfeld.de.

Name

ReLUT

Legal name

ReLUT - Research Lab for Urban Transport

Website

https://relut.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2024

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ReLUT is an interdisciplinary research laboratory at Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences focused on mobility and logistics research. It conducts projects on intermodal transport, emission-free mobility, and supply chain efficiency, funded through institutional grants and regional partnerships in Hesse, Germany.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic Research - Mobility and Logistics

NAICS

Other Support Activities for Transportation (4889)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTLAJAHAK

Connected Freight & Trucking Infrastructure (Platooning Support, Smart Corridors)

Transportation & Logistics/Transportation Infrastructure & Operations (Roads, Rail Networks, Traffic Management)/Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) & Connected Infrastructure (V2X)

Keywords

• Urban transport research
• Mobility logistics research
• Sustainable transportation studies
• Intermodal transport research
• Cycling infrastructure research

Headquarters

HQ city

Frankfurt am Main

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Research funding and grants: ReLUT is a university research center funded through institutional research funding, grants, and project-based collaborations with government entities (Land Hessen) and regional partners. No commercial revenue generation.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ReLUT is an interdisciplinary scientific research center at Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences conducting research projects on urban mobility and logistics. Its work focuses on intelligent intermodal connectivity of transportation modes, emission-free transportation, supply chain efficiency, and cycling infrastructure. Outputs include collaborative research projects, academic publications, the Brownbag Seminar Mobility and Logistics series, annual reports, and startup support for mobility innovations, all funded through academic grants rather than commercial sales.

Product overview

ReLUT (Research Lab for Urban Transport) is a scientific center at Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences established in November 2024. It operates as an interdisciplinary research lab rather than a commercial product company. The portfolio consists of research services including research projects focused on mobility and logistics for climate protection, academic publications, cycling research programs, doctoral seminars (Brownbag Seminar), annual reports documenting achievements, and startup support for urban transport innovations. The research activities aim to advance intelligent intermodal transport networking, emission-free mobility solutions, and supply chain efficiency in the FrankfurtRheinMain region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ReLUT Research Services (Forschungsprojekte) Interdisciplinary research services focused on mobility and logistics topics, including collaborative research projects on climate change, traffic transformation, intermodal transport networking, cycling infrastructure, and supply chain efficiency. Offered to municipalities, companies, and academic partners in the Hesse/FrankfurtRheinMain region.
• Startup Support for Urban Transport Innovations Startup support and incubation services related to urban transport and mobility innovations, helping founders working on mobility and logistics solutions connect with ReLUT's research expertise and networks.

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

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• House of Logistics and Mobility (HoLM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReLUT is linked with the House of Logistics and Mobility (HOLM), a center for logistics and mobility research and transfer, located at Frankfurt Airport. HoLM provides infrastructure and networking opportunities for logistics and mobility research.
• Promotionszentrum Mobilität und LogistikcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReLUT is associated with the Promotionszentrum (Doctoral Center) for Mobility and Logistics, a structured doctoral program supporting research in these fields.
• Radlogistikverband (RLVD)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReLUT collaborates with the Radlogistikverband (Cargo Bike Logistics Association) on cycling logistics research topics.
• FGSV - Forschungsgesellschaft für Straßen- und VerkehrswesenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReLUT works with FGSV, the research society for road and transport engineering, on traffic and mobility research standards.
• Forschungscampus HessenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReLUT is connected to Forschungscampus Hessen (Hesse Research Campus), a network of research institutions in Hesse.
• Frankfurter ForschungsinstitutminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReLUT maintains affiliation with the Frankfurter Forschungsinstitut (Frankfurt Research Institute) for broader research collaboration.
• mobiles Hessen / NahmobilitätminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReLUT partners with mobiles Hessen2020, the state initiative promoting near-mobility (pedestrian and cycling infrastructure) in Hesse.
• Studienfeld.deminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReLUT collaborates with Studienfeld.de on sustainable mobility study programs and educational outreach.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• TU Berlin — Chair of Transport Systems Planning (VSP): TU Berlin's VSP group conducts academic research on transport systems, intermodal mobility, and traffic planning — directly mirroring ReLUT's research themes but within a larger and more established university environment.
• TU Dresden — Chair of Transport Economics: TU Dresden's transport economics chair focuses on logistics, freight transport, and transport policy — directly comparable to several of ReLUT's research themes including supply chain efficiency and intermodal connectivity.
• RWTH Aachen — Institute of Urban and Transportation Planning: RWTH Aachen's urban and transport planning institute combines civil engineering and transport research, aligning closely with ReLUT's interdisciplinary focus on mobility, logistics, and urban infrastructure.
• Technical University of Munich — Chair of Traffic Engineering: TUM's traffic engineering group conducts research on intelligent transport systems, intermodal mobility, and traffic control — overlapping with ReLUT's intelligent and intermodal connectivity focus, with significantly larger institutional scale.
• Wuppertal Institut: The Wuppertal Institut conducts research on sustainable mobility, transport, and climate transition. It is highly comparable to ReLUT's focus on emission-free transport and supply chain efficiency from a sustainability and policy perspective.
• Karlsruhe Institute of Technology — Institute for Transport Studies (IfV): KIT's IfV is a major German university institute focused on transport engineering, traffic planning, and mobility research. Comparable to ReLUT in academic setting but with decades-long publication record and significantly larger project portfolio.
• Fraunhofer Institute for Transportation and Infrastructure Systems (IVI): Fraunhofer IVI conducts applied research on transport, mobility, and logistics systems with strong ties to German public authorities. It is a close analog to ReLUT in its applied orientation, though it operates at significantly larger scale and is commercially enabled through Fraunhofer's contract research model.

Broad incumbents

• ETH Zurich — Institute for Transport Planning and Systems (IVT): ETH Zurich's IVT is one of Europe's leading transport research institutes, covering transport systems, economics, and policy. Comparable in research topics to ReLUT but operating at international scale with substantially greater resources and visibility.
• DLR Institute of Transport Research: DLR's transport research institute is Germany's largest dedicated transport research body, covering intermodal mobility, traffic management, and transport economics — overlapping heavily with ReLUT's research scope but with national and international reach and substantially larger funding base.
• Bundesanstalt für Straßenwesen (BASt): BASt is the German federal highway research authority, conducting applied research on road infrastructure, traffic management, and transport safety. It is thematically adjacent to ReLUT's mobility research and a likely partner/funder, though operating as a federal agency rather than a university center.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• GitHubgithub.com/ReLUT
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCAyUTNtqwiNwtgjWQD_7lqQ
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/relut-research-lab-for-urban-transport
• Instagraminstagram.com/_relut_

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 ReLUT