Applied research is an important part of the profile of universities today. Besides commissioned research and development for companies, resarch projects also are funded by the European Union or from German national and state (Länder) budgets. Many projects evolve in an interdisciplinary environment with other research partners (i.e. collaborative research). This environment allows the IAF to cooperate with notable universities, other higher education institutions, and research institutes and therefore continue to be internationally competitive. Research is an increasingly important part of the master's degree programmes at Furtwangen University, helping to keep the curricula up-to-date. Research at Furtwangen University is divided into core subjects ranging from microsystems, production, and environmental and medical engineering to web-based infrastructures and applications, as well as innovation and gender research.
An important facet of universities’ research responsibility is the transfer of research results and scientific insights to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). In this respect, the IAF uses its expertise to fulfil its obligation as a service provider.
Third-party research funding is a quantitative benchmark for research achievement, and Furtwangen University holds a top position by this measure in comparison with other universities of applied sciences in Baden-Württemberg. In 2010, Furtwangen research results were reported in 262 seperate publications and public lectures, some at international conferences. Numerous students have been involved in these research activities in the course of preparing project reports and bachelor’s and master’s theses.