ekipa - Venture Clienting with ebm papst – Shape the Future of Advanced Fan Silencing

ebm-papst is looking for partners to develop next-generation silencing solutions for large axial fan installations—delivering strong noise reduction while keeping efficiency impacts low. Selected innovators gain access to ebm-papst’s test environment and acoustic measurement capabilities for rapid PoCs and a clear path toward scalable collaboration.

Who can participate?

All innovators working on advanced silencer systems with a functional or testable approach— including startups, scaleups, established technology companies, research teams, and independent engineering groups.
If your concept can be validated with measurable data (noise reduction and efficiency impact) and is suitable for outdoor, real-world installations, it is in scope.

#AdvancedSilencing #Acoustics #VentureClienting #DeepTech #InnovateTogether

Executive Summary

Challenge in one sentence

Identify and validate next-generation silencing solutions for large axial fan installations that set new benchmarks in noise reduction, deployability and system efficiency.

Why This Matters

Data centers and other large outdoor cooling installations are increasingly located close to residential areas, where noise regulations and community acceptance are becoming more critical. Today’s common silencer solutions are often bulky, heavy and costly to handle, and can introduce pressure losses that reduce overall system efficiency. As a result, there is a clear need for concepts that achieve strong, measurable noise reduction while remaining practical to deploy at scale.

Solution Space

We are looking for advanced silencing approaches for large axial fan setups—ranging from novel passive concepts and advanced materials to active or hybrid solutions. If your approach can be measured and compared (noise reduction and efficiency impacts), and offers a credible path toward a PoC in a realistic setup—ideally with advantages in weight, footprint, cost or handling—it is in scope.

Why Participate

This project offers innovators the chance to build and validate a joint solution with ebm papst:

Access to fan and airflow expertise, plus acoustic measurement capabilities and a dedicated PoC environment
Opportunity to run a joint Proof of Concept with comparable testing and clear success criteria
Data-driven positioning of your solution in a structured comparison of leading silencing approaches
Direct path to venture-client collaboration, potential co-development and scaling discussions based on results

Process

The participation process is structured to provide fast clarity and fair evaluation:

Application – Submit your application answering key questions about your silencing solution, maturity and expected value.
Evaluation & Shortlisting – Assessment based on problem fit, technical feasibility, measurability and impact potential.
Get-to-Know Session – Short digital session with the ebm papst team to align on use case, integration options and a first PoC idea.
Proof of Concept (PoC) – Joint PoC to validate noise reduction and efficiency impacts in a comparable test setup.
Next Steps & Scale-Up – Successful solutions are considered for further collaboration, customer pilots and long-term partnerships.