The Hans Sauer Stiftung is a nonprofit foundation headquartered in Munich that promotes science and research with a focus on socio-ecological transformation. Founded in 1989 by inventor and entrepreneur Hans Sauer, the organization operates both as a grant-making and operational entity, supporting technical and social innovations where societal benefit takes priority.
Hans Sauer made his fortune developing relay technology, accumulating over 300 patents during his career at Siemens and through his own company, SDS-Relais AG, which he sold to the Matsushita conglomerate in 1989. That same year, he established the foundation with a vision that innovations should emerge from social and ethical motivations to create measurable societal and ecological benefits.
The foundation's work centers on three core objectives: promoting technical and social innovations with clear societal utility, integrating ethical and ecological considerations into innovation processes, and developing competencies for responsible thinking and action. It addresses these through annual funding programs with thematic priorities and competitive awards that recognize outstanding projects.
The Hans Sauer Award has tackled urban challenges through competitions addressing circular cities and the built environment. The 2021 award focused on transforming cities into circular societies by emphasizing societal dimensions alongside technical solutions. A 2020 competition examined circularity in construction, recognizing that the building sector consumes roughly half of Europe's extracted materials and generates one-third of total waste.
Beyond awards, the foundation operates initiative programs and maintains digital platforms exploring social design and circular economy principles. Its work involves collaboration with municipalities, researchers, and civil society organizations across Germany and internationally.