The Institute for Applied Research (IAF) acts as supporting organization for all research and development requests, placed at the University of Applied sciences Ingolstadt by external partners from industry and service. It provides an administrative and organizational platform to interested professors for handling contracts with external customers and provides help and advice on collecting public subsidies (i.e. from regional, federal or European sources). In addition it offers further academic qualification to excellent postgraduates.
Within the institute, the section „Materials and surface Technology“ represents one of the areas of research.
It is obvious, to organize the cooperation with external customers via the Institute for Applied Research if:

>the problem to be solved requires an orientation
at fundamental scientific principles and may occupy
a postgraduate over a longer period of time

>public subsidies should be requested for a
contemplated project

>the complexity of the matter seems to make
necessary an interdisciplinary cooperation with
other colleagues from the section “Materials and
Surface Technology” or other branches within the
institute.