HAMBURGISCHE INVESTITIONS- UND FORDERBANK

Their core work

IFB Hamburg is a public investment and development bank serving the Hamburg metropolitan region. Within H2020, it acts as a regional delivery partner for Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) activities, specifically building innovation management capacity among local SMEs. Its role centers on connecting small businesses in Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein with EU support instruments like the SME Instrument, providing key account management and advisory services rather than conducting research itself.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

The focus has remained remarkably stable across all four project periods (2015-2021). The core mission — SME innovation management capacity building via the Enterprise Europe Network — did not change. The only observable shift is a slight broadening of energy sector tagging from 2017 onward, suggesting the SMEs they supported increasingly came from energy-related industries, but the service model itself stayed the same.

IFB Hamburg is a steady-state EEN delivery partner with no visible pivot — expect continuity in regional SME support services rather than new thematic directions.

How they like to work

IFB Hamburg always participates as a junior partner, never as coordinator. With only 3 unique consortium partners all based in Germany, they operate in a small, stable, domestic-only group. This suggests a loyal, low-risk collaboration partner for regionally scoped support actions, but not one that brings a wide European network to the table.

Very limited network of 3 consortium partners, all within Germany. IFB Hamburg operates in a tight domestic cluster focused on northern German EEN activities, with no cross-border partnerships visible in its H2020 portfolio.

What sets them apart

IFB Hamburg's value lies in being a public bank with direct access to the SME ecosystem in Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein. Unlike research institutes or consultancies, it combines financial instruments (as an investment bank) with EU innovation support services. For anyone needing a gateway to northern German SMEs — particularly for technology transfer or pilot deployment — IFB could serve as a regional anchor.

Highlights from their portfolio

• INNOKAM 2015-16
  The inaugural INNOKAM cycle that established IFB Hamburg's role as an EEN innovation management service provider for the Hamburg region.
• INNOKAM 2020-21
  The most recent cycle, demonstrating sustained EU commitment to this regional SME support model through four consecutive funding periods.