With currently 58 affiliated institutes, the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft with its headquarters located in Munich and Berlin is the leading organization for applied research in Germany. The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft promotes and undertakes applied research in an international context of direct utility to private and public enterprises and a wide benefit to society as a whole. By developing technological innovations and novel system solutions for their customers, the Fraunhofer Institutes help to reinforce the competitive strength of the economy in their region, throughout Germany and in Europe. Their research activities are aimed at promoting the economic development of our industrial society, with particular regard for social welfare and environmental compatibility. The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft is committed to a policy of equal opportunities for men and women, and supports efforts to create an equitable work life balance. This enables them to exploit the creative potential of both sexes.

At the headquarters of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft a study called „Discover Gender“ was carried out aiming at developing compatible and transferable guidelines for the assessment and systematical integration of gender perspectives in various fields of research.

Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Martina Schraudner

Martina Schraudner received her Ph.D. in Biology from the Technical University of Munich, and worked as a researcher at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich and the Forschungszentrum Jülich. She obtained her "Inauguration as a Lecturer" (Habilitation) at the Faculty of Agriculture and Horticulture at the Humboldt University of Berlin.

She then accepted a position with Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft where her main responsibility was in strategic research planning with an emphasis on life sciences.

Since 2008, she is professor for "Gender and Diversity in Organisations" at the Technical University of Berlin.

Martina Schraudner has participated in a number of initiatives related to the "Partners for Innovation" project and sat on the advisory committee for the development of a high-tech strategy for Germany.