What saarland innovation und standort does

saarland innovation und standort GmbH (trading as saaris) is a state-backed economic development agency headquartered in Saarbrücken, Germany, operating under the mandate of the Saarland state government together with industry and labour institutions. Its purpose is to support small and medium-sized enterprises (KMU) in Saarland through structural change, digital transformation, skilled workforce development, sustainability and circular economy adoption, technology transfer, startup formation, and internationalisation. The agency's service portfolio is delivered via consulting, workshops, networking events, funding programme administration, and dedicated service centres such as the Patent- & Markenzentrum, the WelcomeCenter, and co:hub66 coworking spaces.

saaris operates a diversified portfolio of interconnected service categories rather than a unified software product: Digitalisierung (with DiSerHub as the automotive EDIH), Fachkräfte (skilled worker attraction and retention including credential recognition), Moderne Unternehmenskultur (with the ESF+ funded Kompetenz durch Weiterbildung programme 2021–2027), Nachhaltigkeit & Kreislaufwirtschaft (with KOMATRA and TraWeBa), Gründen & Kreatives (co:hub66, Dock 11 cross-innovation), Technologietransfer (innovation funding, patents, automotive transformation), Enterprise Europe Network membership, Standortmarketing (Saarland Marketing with the 'Germany's Hidden Champion' focus brand), and International/Messen services. Distribution combines direct consulting at four Saarbrücken offices, digital service platforms (job portal, competency search, newsletter), and a calendar of events.

The revenue model is publicly funded rather than transactional: services are financed by the Saarland state government and supplemented by federal, ESF+, and EU programme inflows; specific fees are not disclosed. The customer base is a long-tail of SMEs across Saarland, plus state-level stakeholders and Greater Region partners. Saarland Marketing, launched in 2014, has documented over 1,500 cooperative partnerships and a 2nd-place nationwide ranking in a University of Hohenheim study of location marketing effectiveness.

Name

saarland innovation und standort

Legal name

saarland innovation und standort GmbH

Website

https://saaris.de

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

saaris is a state-backed economic development agency in Saarbrücken, Germany, delivering consulting, funding brokerage, and location marketing services to small and medium-sized enterprises in the Saarland region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regional Economic Development Services

NAICS

Other Management Consulting Services (541618), All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (54199)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Management Services (8741)

akta.pro primary industry

Technical Cooperation, Capacity Building & Policy Advisory Programs (BPADABAO)

akta.pro secondary industry

Software/Application Support (SaaS, Enterprise Apps) (BPAAACAC)

Keywords

• Regional economic development
• SME consulting services
• Innovation funding brokerage
• Technology transfer support
• Workforce development programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Saarbrücken

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

saaris is a state-backed regional economic development agency that delivers consulting, qualification, networking, and funding programme administration services to small and medium-sized enterprises in the Saarland region of Germany. Its service portfolio covers digital transformation (including the DiSerHub automotive initiative), skilled worker attraction and retention, modern corporate culture, sustainability and circular economy (including KOMATRA and TraWeBa), startup support (including co:hub66 coworking spaces and Dock 11 cross-innovation hub), technology transfer and patent support (Patent- & Markenzentrum), internationalisation and trade fair participation, and regional location marketing (Saarland Marketing). Services are delivered through office-based consulting, workshops, seminars, and funded programme administration, with no unified software product.

Product overview

saaris (saarland innovation und standort GmbH) is a regional business development agency providing a diversified portfolio of advisory, networking, and support services for SMEs in Saarland, Germany. The offering consists of interconnected service categories rather than a unified software product: Digitalisierung (digital transformation consulting including DiSerHub), Fachkräfte (skilled worker attraction and retention), Unternehmenskultur (corporate culture programmes including the ESF+-funded Kompetenz durch Weiterbildung funding programme), Nachhaltigkeit & Kreislaufwirtschaft (sustainability services including KOMATRA and TraWeBa projects), Gründen & Kreatives (startup support including co:hub66 coworking spaces and Dock 11 cross-innovation hub), Technologietransfer (technology transfer and patent services), Enterprise Europe Network membership, Standortmarketing (regional branding including Saarland Marketing with the 'Germany's Hidden Champion' focus brand), and International/Messen services. The portfolio is complemented by event programming (Veranstaltungen & Seminare) and physical service centres (Patent- & Markenzentrum, WelcomeCenter). There is no unified software platform or digital product—all services are delivered through consulting, workshops, networking events, and funding programme administration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Saarland Marketing: Location marketing initiative for the Saarland region, launched in 2014, promoting Saarland as a place to live and do business.
• saaris-motovation
• saaris-fue
• co:hub66
• Dock 11
• DiSerHub

Products and services

• Digitalisierung (Digitalisation Services) Consulting and support services for digital transformation, covering digital transformation in the automotive industry, SME digitalisation, digitised world of work, and real lab digitalisation initiatives for businesses in Saarland.
• Fachkräfte gewinnen & binden (Skilled Workers Services) Services for attracting and retaining skilled workers, including recognition of foreign certificates, international skilled worker programmes, and qualification support for Saarland employers.
• Moderne Unternehmenskultur (Modern Corporate Culture)
• Nachhaltigkeit & Kreislaufwirtschaft (Sustainability and Circular Economy) Services promoting sustainable business practices and circular economy, including competencies for green steel industry and value chain development.
• Gründen & Kreatives (Founding and Creatives) Startup support services including consulting programmes, rural coworking spaces, cross-innovation, and rapid prototyping facilities for Saarland entrepreneurs and creatives.
• Technologietransfer (Technology Transfer) Services facilitating technology transfer including automotive transformation support, innovation funding programmes, patents and IP rights assistance, and technology transfer for SMEs.
• Standortmarketing (Location Marketing) Regional marketing services for Saarland, promoting the region as a business location and managing the Saarland brand identity.
• International & Messen (International and Trade Fairs) Support services for international market entry, trade fair participation, and export activities for Saarland businesses.
• Enterprise Europe Network European business network providing internationalisation support, partnership brokering, and innovation services for SMEs across Europe.
• Saarland Marketing State-wide branding initiative promoting Saarland as a place to live and do business through campaigns, digital platforms, and over 1,500 cooperative partnerships.
• Kompetenz durch Weiterbildung (KdW)
• Patent- & Markenzentrum (Patent and Brand Centre)
• WelcomeCenter (Welcome Centre)
• co:hub66 (Coworking Spaces)
• Dock 11 (Cross-Innovation Hub)
• DiSerHub (Digital Transformation in Automotive)
• KOMATRA (Circular Economy Programme)
• TraWeBa (Battery Value Chain)
• Veranstaltungen & Seminare (Events and Seminars)
• Germany's Hidden Champion

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,500 collaborations through Saarland Marketing initiative
• +2 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hessen Trade & Invest GmbH: Hesse's state economic development agency offering SME consulting, innovation funding, and location marketing. Closely comparable structure and service portfolio to saaris.
• NRW.Global Business GmbH: Economic development agency for the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Direct peer: same mandate of state-backed SME support, location marketing, and inward investment promotion, just at much larger scale.
• Berlin Partner für Wirtschaft und Technologie GmbH: Berlin's state-owned business and technology promotion agency. Provides SME support, cluster management, location marketing, and innovation services — same operating model as saaris in a different state.
• Baden-Württemberg International (bw-i): State agency for internationalisation, SME support, and innovation promotion in Baden-Württemberg. Highly comparable mandate, funding model, and service architecture.
• Bayern International: Bavaria's state-backed internationalisation agency supporting SMEs with export, trade fair participation, and partnership brokering. Direct functional overlap with saaris's International & Messen service line.
• Hamburg Invest Wirtschaftsförderungsgesellschaft mbH: Hamburg's state economic development corporation offering business location consulting, SME support, and sector-specific cluster promotion. Same institutional model and service mix as saaris.
• Invest in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern GmbH: Economic development agency for a smaller German state with structural-change challenges analogous to Saarland. Closest match in terms of state size and transition context.

Broad incumbents

• Business France: French national agency supporting international development of French companies and inward investment. Same Enterprise Europe Network partner structure and SME export support mandate as saaris.
• Enterprise Ireland: Irish state agency supporting Irish-owned enterprises in international markets. Comparable public-mandate SME development agency with innovation funding and capability-building programmes.

Regional players

• CzechInvest: Czech national investment and business development agency under the Ministry of Industry and Trade. Comparable public mandate of SME support, innovation funding, and inward investment, but operating at national rather than regional level.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/saaris_ev
• Facebookfacebook.com/saaris
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/saaris

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 saarland innovation und standort