Knowledge and technology transfer is a high priority at Freie Universität Berlin. Cooperative arrangements with a large number of private-sector firms underscore the university’s commitment to academic work with a focus on practical, real-world applications.

Profound Innovation is the central service facility for supporting the transfer of knowledge and technology at Freie Universität. The team supports students, researchers, and alumni in two areas:

• protection of intellectual property and its commercial exploitation
• business start-ups, especially those stemming from or related to research.

A number of successful companies have already been started by past and present members of the university community. In the 2014 study, Gründungsradar (“founding radar”) of the Donors' Association for German Science (Stifterverband der Deutschen Wissenschaft), Freie Universität Berlin occupied sixth place in the nationwide ranking for the quality of start-up promotion at large universities with over 15,000 students.

Freie Universität reaches out to a broad audience through continuing and professional education offerings, public events, cooperation with schools and educational institutions, and extensive communications regarding academic developments.