The Max Planck Society invests four million euros annually to bring promising technologies from the research stage into practical application.
In a nutshell:
- Prove2Move funding: The Max Planck Society invests four million euros annually through Prove2Move to help researchers develop promising technologies toward practical use and commercialization.
- Better chances: Prove2Move focuses on validating early-stage research to reduce technological risks, test applications, and strengthen intellectual property for better market readiness.
- From research to application: Prove2Move accelerates the transfer of research into practice, helping ideas move faster and more effectively toward real-world applications.
Scientific breakthroughs at the Max Planck Society (MPG) often occur at an early stage of development when they are not yet immediately applicable. For such findings to lead to innovative products and industrial applications, a crucial intermediate step is often necessary: validation. Technological risks must be mitigated, application scenarios tested, intellectual property rights strengthened, and market assumptions made more robust. This is exactly where Prove2Move comes in. The program provides four million euros annually to enable Max Planck researchers to further develop research findings with high commercialization potential and lay the groundwork for decisions regarding commercialization, whether through licensing, industrial collaboration, or a future spin-off.
"The validation phase in particular is considered too risky by many licensees and investors," says Bram Wijlands, Managing Director of Max Planck Innovation GmbH. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Max Planck Society and responsible for technology transfer. "With Prove2Move, we can support researchers at a very early technological stage-precisely where external programs or private funding often do not yet apply. Validated projects subsequently have significantly better chances of successfully founding startups or being transferred into licensing agreements and follow-up programs." The focus of the new validation program is not on continuing basic research, but on a concrete development step from scientific insight toward technical applicability and market-relevant commercialization.
"With Prove2Move, the Max Planck Society is expanding its offerings for application-relevant innovations," says Max Planck Society President Patrick Cramer. "Our scientists often have excellent ideas. Prove2Move helps to further develop these ideas toward application more quickly and in a more structured manner. This accelerates the transfer of research into practice."
Scientists employed at a Max Planck Institute who wish to validate market-relevant results or methods from their research are eligible to apply. Selection is carried out by a panel of experts within Max Planck Innovation GmbH through a competitive process. Successful teams can look forward to close support from Prove2Move project managers throughout the project's duration.
