WIPANO – Knowledge and Technology Transfer through Patents and Standards

The funding program WIPANO – Knowledge and Technology Transfer through Patents and Standards of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy supports small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), start-ups, and educational institutions in the strategic safeguarding and exploitation of intellectual property. The focus is on three funding priorities: the patenting of research results, active participation in national and international standardization committees, and knowledge transfer through standardization in cooperative joint projects with publicly funded research institutions. The goal is to accelerate the transfer of the latest findings into norms and standards to strengthen innovation potential, promote technology transfer, and sustainably improve market opportunities for innovative products and services.

Funding is provided nationwide in the form of grants, which can be applied for continuously until October 31, 2027 (patenting), May 31, 2027 (standardization), and in the area of knowledge transfer until the deadlines for sketches on May 31, 2026, or full applications on May 31, 2027. Eligible applicants are SMEs with EU status that wish to file intellectual property rights for the first time or again after more than three years, as well as joint projects with at least one university or non-university research institution. A prerequisite for knowledge transfer is also cooperation with a publicly funded partner institution. These framework conditions enable companies to develop a strategic understanding of patents, actively shape standardization processes, and make research results directly available to the economy as visible technical regulations. This holistic approach contributes to the sustainable strengthening of Germany as an innovation location.