Private businesses and institutions must be accredited as 'private research institutions' in order to:

• hire third-country national researchers to undertake research projects; or
  
• receive 'Industrial Fellowship' grants from the Luxembourg National Research Fund (Fonds national de la recherche - FNR).

Accreditations are awarded by the Ministry of the Economy (Ministère de l'Economie), which maintains a list of all accredited establishments.

Who is concerned

Accreditation is required for any private business or institution that:

• intends to host researchers from third countries;
• intends to host third-country researchers who are already legally established in Luxembourg;
• intends to host third-country researchers who have already entered into a host agreement in another EU Member State and who plan to stay in Luxembourg for more than 3 months;
• wishes to obtain an 'Industrial Fellowship' grant for research undertaken by researchers for a PhD.

Prerequisites

Private Luxembourg research institutions must:

• be established in Luxembourg;
• engage in or plan to engage in research and development work, in particular:
  • basic research: this encompasses experimental or theoretical work undertaken primarily for the purpose of acquiring new knowledge on the mechanisms underlying phenomena or observable facts, without any practical application or use being directly envisaged;
  • industrial research: this encompasses planned research or critical surveys for the purpose of acquiring new knowledge and capabilities with a view to developing new products, processes, services, methods or organisation structures, or significantly improving existing products, processes, services, methods or organisation structures. It includes the development of components of complex systems that are necessary for industrial research, particularly for the purpose of vetting generic technologies, with the exception of prototypes;
  • experimental development: this encompasses acquiring, combining, structuring and using knowledge – especially scientific, technical and business knowledge – with a view to undertaking projects, or producing devices, drawings or models, for the purpose of modifying or improving existing products, processes, services, methods or organisation structures, or designing new ones.
    Experimental development also includes the development of prototypes or the implementation of commercially viable pilot projects, if the latter involve the development of a marketable end product or process that is too costly to produce for demonstration or approval purposes only.

How to proceed

Application for accreditation

The research institution must file an application for accreditation as a private research institution with the Ministry of the Economy.

Applications must be accompanied by:

• the audited annual financial statements for the last 3 financial years (except for recently created businesses);
• any additional information deemed necessary for the assessment of the application for accreditation.

Accreditation is generally granted for 3 to 5 years, except for recently created businesses, for which accreditation is granted for 3 years.

List of accredited private research institutions

• Actimage S.A.
• Ai Mediq S.A.
• Amersil S.A.
  
• ArcelorMittal Belval and Differdange S.A.
• Arspectra Sàrl
• Asets-Lux Sàrl
• Astron Buildings S.A.
• Augment - Digital Facilities Services Sàrl
  
• B Medical Systems Sàrl
  
• Banque et Caisse d'Epargne de l'Etat
• Blue Horizon Sàrl
• Brasserie Nationale S.A.
• Celestial Space Technologies Sàrl
  
• Ceodeux S.A.
• Clear Image AI Sàrl
• Coco World Sàrl-s
  
• Cooperations ASBL
• Cyberhedge Europe Sàrl
• Databourg Systems Sàrl-s
  
• DataThings Sàrl
• Duzina Luka Sàrl
  
• eBus Competence Center Sàrl
• Eco:novis Sàrl
  
• EcoTransFaire SIS Sàrl
  
• e-Xstream Engineering Sàrl
• Fast-Track Diagnostics sàrl
• Flen Health S.A.
• FMR Sàrl
• Fondation Médecins Sans Frontières Asbl
  
• Foyer Assurances S.A.
• GCL International Sàrl
• GFM (CE) S.A.
• GomSpace Luxembourg Sàrl
• Goodyear S.A.
• IEE S.A.
• InCert G.I.E.
• International Lacquers S.A.
• itrust consulting Sàrl
• JC Partners & Associés Sàrl
• Keasy Sàrl
• Kiswire International S.A.
  
• Kylin Prime Capital S.àr.l.
  
• Lift Me Off Sàrl
• LUNEX University S.A.
  
• LuxAI S.A.
• LuxMobility Sàrl
• Luxplan S.A.
• Luxscan Technologies Sàrl
• Lux-SIR ASBL
  
• LuxSpace Sàrl
• Made In Space Europe Sàrl
  
• Manaa Electric S.A.
  
• Max Planck Institute Luxembourg
• Megeno S.A.
• Molecular Plasma Group S.A.
• Morganite Luxembourg S.A.
  
• Motion-S S.A.
• MyelinH Sàrl-s
  
• Nexxtlab S.A.
• Nium Sàrl
  
• Organo Therapeutics Sàrl-s
  
• Oriskany Sàrl
• Paul Wurth S.A.
  
• PM-International AG
• Post Luxembourg
• Préfalux Construction S.A.
• ProNewTech S.A.
  
• Proximus Luxembourg S.A.
  
• Quantego Sàrl
  
• Rafinex Sàrl
  
• Red Lion Consultants Sàrl
• Rotarex S.A.
  
• RSS-Hydro Sàrl-s
• SES Techcom S.A.
• Sita Software S.A.
  
• Solfice Research Sàrl
  
• Textilcord Steinfort S.A.
• The European University of Luxembourg Sàrl
  
• Trendiction S.A.
• Unicorn Nest Sàrl
• Virtual Engineering
  
• Witry & Witry S.A.
• ZithaSenior S.A.
• Zortify S.A.
  

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