The research activities of the three Competency Groups at the Institute of Facility Management (IFM) centre around process-related, organisational, methodological and product-driven development and innovation in the field of facility management. Their cutting-edge research and active efforts in terms of transferring knowledge to industry make them an indispensable partner and driving force within the sector. The IFM's application-driven research focuses on current and future economic and social issues.

The Competency Group Business Administration and Human Resources addresses business management and employee-related issues in the field of facility management (FM). It takes a scientific and application-driven approach to its work, and develops robust and practical solutions in collaboration with its clients and cooperation partners.

The Competency Group Hospitality Management works on and researches strategic and operational issues in the field of hospitality management, with an emphasis on the customer-facing services provided by hospitals, catering outlets, hotels and many other businesses. It collaborates with industry partners to analyse problems, develop practical solutions and monitor their implementation. Its clients and partners include businesses and organisations of all sizes, and it provides consultancy services to both private and public sector players wishing to optimise procedures or adopt an FM strategy.

The Competency Group Real Estate Management researches and develops solutions to FM-related real estate issues. People spend most of their lives in buildings, whether at home or at work, and so the macroeconomic significance of real estate is huge. The Group is actively involved in developing FM-based guidelines for the real estate sector in order to raise the overall economic profile of this field.