TUV RHEINLAND FORSCHUNGS- UND INNOVATIONS MANAGEMENT GMBH

Their core work

TÜV Rheinland's research and innovation management subsidiary specializes in helping SMEs strengthen their innovation capabilities, particularly through the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) in Bavaria. They deliver structured innovation assessments (IMP³rove, Innovation Health Check) and key account management services that connect businesses with EU funding instruments like SME Instrument and EIC. Beyond SME support, they have coordinated EU-level initiatives in smart energy grids and electric mobility, positioning them at the intersection of innovation consulting and clean technology deployment.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In the early period (2015-2017), the organization balanced hands-on technology coordination — smart energy grids (ENERGISE) and electric mobility (EMEurope) — with its first SME innovation management mandate in Bavaria. From 2017 onward, the focus narrowed sharply toward repeating EEN-based SME support (InnoBavaria 3, 4, 5), with innovation management capacity building and EU funding advisory becoming the dominant activity. The technology coordination role faded while the innovation intermediary role solidified.

Increasingly focused on being an innovation intermediary and EEN service provider rather than a technology project coordinator — future collaborations should expect a support/advisory role rather than technical leadership.

How they like to work

They split evenly between leading and joining: coordinating 2 of 7 projects (both in energy/transport technology) while participating in 5 (mostly the recurring InnoBavaria EEN mandate). With 48 unique partners across 19 countries, they maintain a broad but not deep network — typical of EEN nodes that interact with many organizations through advisory services rather than deep R&D partnerships. Working with them likely means accessing their Bavarian SME network and EU funding expertise rather than technical research capacity.

A wide European network spanning 48 partners across 19 countries, consistent with their EEN role as a Bavarian gateway connecting local SMEs to international opportunities. The geographic spread is broad but shallow — many touchpoints rather than deep recurring partnerships.

What sets them apart

As a subsidiary of TÜV Rheinland — one of Germany's most recognized testing and certification brands — they bring institutional credibility and an established SME client base that few innovation consultancies can match. Their dual capability in both technology project coordination (energy, mobility) and structured innovation assessment tools (IMP³rove) makes them useful as a bridge between technical consortia and the Bavarian SME ecosystem. For consortium builders, the key value is access to their EEN network and a trusted brand that opens doors with risk-averse German Mittelstand companies.

Highlights from their portfolio

• ENERGISE
  Their largest funded project (EUR 578K) and a coordinator role in ICT-based smart energy grids — demonstrates technical project leadership beyond advisory work.
• EMEurope
  Coordinated an ERA-NET Cofund on electric mobility across Europe (2016-2021), their longest-running and most strategically significant project spanning the full e-mobility value chain.
• InnoBavaria_5
  The latest iteration of their flagship SME support series, now incorporating EIC advisory alongside traditional IMP³rove assessments — shows evolution of their core service offering.