CRC/Transregio 154

What CRC/Transregio 154 does

CRC/Transregio 154 (TRR 154) is a DFG-funded Collaborative Research Center (Sonderforschungsbereich/Transregio) hosted by Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU). It brings together approximately 50 researchers from eight partner institutions — FAU, TU Darmstadt, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, TU Berlin, Weierstraß-Institut (WIAS) Berlin, Zuse Institut Berlin (ZIB), Universität Duisburg-Essen, and Technische Universität Nürnberg (UTN) — under Spokesperson Prof. Dr. Frauke Liers (since April 2023). The center develops mathematical modeling, simulation, and optimization methods for gas transport networks, spanning three research areas: integer-continuous methods (Area A), model adaptation and coupling (Area B), and analysis and numerical simulation (Area C). Core technical contributions include a hierarchical model architecture from Euler equations to algebraic relationships, mixed-integer nonlinear programming algorithms such as the NeTI (Network Tearing and Interconnection) algorithm, domain decomposition combined with machine learning, and methods for optimal control under deterministic or stochastic uncertainty. Research outputs are explicitly designed to be generalizable beyond gas networks to water networks and other physical transport systems, with hydrogen integration as an emerging focus area.

The center does not commercialize products or services. It is funded in three sequential four-year phases by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG): Phase 1 (2014-2018), Phase 2 (2018-2022), and Phase 3 (2022-2026), with the scheduled Abschlusstagung in May 2026 marking the current program's closure. Outputs are distributed through open channels: the GasLib data library (hosted at ZIB, sourced from Open Grid Europe GmbH), a Transient Gas Network Data extension with boundary condition and state files, the TRR154 GitHub repository, and the OPUS4 publication repository. Marketing and dissemination occur through academic conferences (the MOG series — 2018, 2021, 2024, 2026), summer/winter schools, and joint conferences with the EU MINOA ITN project and Fraunhofer ADA Lovelace Center. Industry engagement is limited to data provision (Open Grid Europe), advisory board representation, and doctoral researcher excursions (Siemens Energy). As a publicly funded research entity, TRR 154 has no paying customers and no commercial revenue model.

Name

CRC/Transregio 154

Legal name

TRR 154 - Mathematische Modellierung, Simulation und Optimierung am Beispiel von Gasnetzwerken (SFB/Transregio 154)

Website

https://trr154.fau.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

TRR 154 is a DFG-funded German Collaborative Research Center developing mathematical modeling, simulation, and optimization methods for gas transport networks, serving academic and gas-industry stakeholders through open-source data libraries, software, and publications across eight partner universities and research institutes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic Research / Mathematical Optimization

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Natural Gas Distribution (2212)

SIC

Natural Gas Distribution (4924), Natural Gas Transmission (4922)

akta.pro primary industry

Capacity, Pressure & Hydraulic Modeling Analytics (EUAJALAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

SCADA/Telemetry & Real-Time Operations Analytics (EUAJALAF), Decarbonization Planning for Distribution Networks (RNG/H2 Readiness) (EUAJAEAL), Station Engineering & Capacity Planning (PRS/Regulator Stations, City Gate) (EUAJAEAI), Gas Supply Forecasting & Load Planning (Weather/Sendout) (EUAJAGAH)

Keywords

• Mathematical optimization research
• Gas network modeling
• Network simulation software
• Energy systems research
• Applied mathematics research

Headquarters

HQ city

Erlangen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. DFG Research Funding: Collaborative Research Center funded by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) through three phases: Phase 1 (2014-2018), Phase 2 (2018-2022), Phase 3 (2022-2026). Funding supports research personnel, equipment, and operations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

TRR 154 conducts fundamental and applied research in mathematical modeling, simulation, and optimization, using gas networks as a primary application domain. Its deliverables are research outputs, open-source software (TRR154 GitHub repository), and standardized data libraries (GasLib and Transient Data Extension) used by researchers and gas network operators. The center operates across three DFG-funded phases (2014-2018, 2018-2022, 2022-2026) through 24 subprojects spanning integer-continuous methods, model adaptation/coupling, and analysis/numerical simulation.

Product overview

CRC/Transregio 154 operates as a collaborative research center rather than a commercial product company. Its core offerings include the GasLib data library (containing stationary gas network datasets), a Transient Data extension providing time-dependent boundary conditions and network states for dynamic simulations, and shared research software/code via the TRR154 Github repository. The center organizes its research across three phases (2014-2018, 2018-2022, 2022-2026) through multiple subprojects focused on mathematical modeling, simulation, and optimization methodologies for gas networks, with findings applicable to broader network optimization contexts including hydrogen infrastructure and other physical transport networks.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• GasLib A comprehensive library of gas network data providing stationary gas network datasets used by researchers for testing and validating optimization algorithms and simulation methods.
• Transient Gas Network Data Extension An extension to GasLib providing transient (time-dependent) gas network data including boundary condition files (.bcd) and state files (.state) in XML format for dynamic simulation testing.
• TRR154 GitHub Repository Shared code repository containing software implementations, algorithms, and research code developed by the collaborative research center's subprojects, publicly available to the research community.

Quantifiable outcome

• Development of algorithms for global optimality verification in gas network optimization problems
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary host institution for TRR 154 headquarters. Provides Department Mathematik and Department of Data Science as home for the research center. Houses multiple subprojects including B06, B09, C03, C05, C06, C07.
• Humboldt-Universität zu BerlincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey partner institution hosting subprojects A03, B02, B04, B09, B10, C02, C08, Z01. Professor Falk Hante serves as Deputy Speaker.
• Technische Universität DarmstadtcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor partner with subprojects A01, A02, A09, B01, C05, C09. Professor Marc Pfetsch serves as Deputy Speaker. Research focus on optimization and numerical methods.
• Technische Universität BerlincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution with subprojects A05, A07, B03, B07, and research groups in combinatorial optimization and network algorithms.
• Weierstraß-Institut (WIAS) BerlincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch institute partner hosting subprojects B02, B04 and contributing to stochastic optimization and inverse problems research.
• Zuse Institut Berlin (ZIB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner contributing subproject A05 and expertise in mathematical optimization algorithms and software.
• Universität Duisburg-EssenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerContributing institution with subproject C03 focused on stochastic optimization in gas transport.
• Technische Universität Nürnberg (UTN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution hosting subprojects A05, B07, B08, B09 and related research groups. Professor Alexander Martin (Former Speaker) affiliated with UTN.
• Open Grid Europe GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGermany's largest gas transmission system operator providing real gas network data for the GasLib library and research validation. Dr. Uwe Gotzes serves on the Advisory Board.
• MINOA (Marie-Curie ITN)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean Union funded project (Mixed-Integer Nonlinear Optimization: Algorithms and Applications) co-organizing conferences and sharing research objectives with TRR 154.
• ADA Lovelace Center (Fraunhofer IIS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch center co-organizing conferences with TRR 154, bridging academic research and industrial applications in data science.
• DESYminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner through Helmholtz Imaging initiative where Professor Martin Burger serves as Head of Research Unit, contributing to subproject C06.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Energy Exemplar (PLEXOS): Commercial vendor of energy market simulation software (PLEXOS) used by European TSOs and utilities for gas-electricity market coupling. Overlaps with TRR 154's market equilibrium and Entry-Exit system work but focuses on market simulation rather than physical network optimization.
• ADA Lovelace Center (Fraunhofer IIS): Fraunhofer research center for data science and industrial AI that co-organizes events with TRR 154. Adjacent peer — bridges academic research and industrial data science applications, with overlap on data-driven optimization for energy and infrastructure.
• MINOA ITN (Mixed-Integer Nonlinear Optimization): EU-funded Marie-Curie Innovative Training Network on MINLP algorithms and applications that co-organizes conferences with TRR 154. Directly comparable as a European research network focused on the same mixed-integer nonlinear optimization problems TRR 154 tackles for gas networks, though broader across applications.
• Fraunhofer SCAI (Institute for Algorithms and Scientific Computing): Fraunhofer institute focused on optimization algorithms and software for industrial applications including energy networks. Comparable as an applied research organization working on gas/network optimization with industry partners, though with broader scope across logistics, automotive, and pharma.

Direct peers

• PSI Software AG: German software vendor providing network management and optimization solutions for gas distribution and transmission operators, including PSIcontrol/PSIgase. Directly comparable to TRR 154's mathematical optimization focus on gas networks, but PSI operates commercially and serves operational deployments rather than research.
• Zuse Institute Berlin (ZIB): Berlin research institute that hosts GasLib and contributes MINLP algorithms to TRR 154. Directly comparable as an applied mathematics research organization working on optimization and gas network simulation; ZIB is a partner rather than a competing consortium, but functionally operates the closest shared infrastructure.
• Weierstrass Institute (WIAS Berlin): Berlin research institute for applied analysis and stochastics, partner institution in TRR 154 contributing subprojects on stochastic optimization and inverse problems. Comparable as an applied mathematics research institute with overlapping methods (PDE-based modeling, stochastic optimization) and direct collaboration.
• KISTERS: German vendor of energy and grid optimization software including gas network simulation, scheduling, and balancing tools. Overlaps with TRR 154's application domain (gas network optimization, capacity planning, nominations) but KISTERS ships commercial products to utilities and TSOs.

Others

• Open Grid Europe GmbH: Germany's largest gas transmission system operator and TRR 154's primary industry data partner. Not a peer in research but functions as a key stakeholder: provides real gas network data for GasLib, hosts doctoral researcher excursions, and would be the primary commercial beneficiary of TRR 154's optimization research.

Broad incumbents

• Siemens Energy: Global energy technology incumbent serving gas and power sectors with hardware, software, and services. Listed as a TRR 154 excursion destination for doctoral researchers, indicating industry engagement. Comparable in gas sector footprint but much broader in scope including turbines, grid hardware, and digital energy software.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• GitHubgithub.com/TRR154
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/crc-transregio-154

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about CRC/Transregio 154