Dr. Sophie Hippmann

Dr. Sophie Hippmann is Director of Transfer and Innovation Management at Fraunhofer, one of Europe's leading applied research organizations, where she has been based since 2013. Since September 2025, she has additionally assumed the role of interim Director Research.

In her current position, she oversees technology transfer, transfer consulting, and entrepreneurship initiatives — including Fraunhofer Venture and AHEAD, Fraunhofer's DeepTech Accelerator — as well as market-oriented professional education through the Fraunhofer Academy and fund management in collaboration with HTGF.

Earlier in her career at Fraunhofer, she founded and headed the Fraunhofer Corporate Think Tank (2014–2019), driving corporate R&D portfolio management, and served as scientific officer to the president (2013–2016).

Sophie Hippmann holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the TU Munich, specializing in product development and combustion engines, and completed her Master's thesis at Rice University in Houston.