The Helmholtz Innovation Labs are an initiative of the Helmholtz Association to promote technology transfer in the individual centres. Since 2016, the Helmholtz Association has been funding networking projects. The Labs are physical places where scientific expertise and the needs of industry and its customers meet. In the long term, the labs create "enabling spaces" where ideas can be tested with corporate partners in joint development projects. This commercialisation idea distinguishes the Helmholtz Innovation Labs as "think and do tanks" from pure research laboratories.

In the cohort 2019, the GFZ won two tenders from different sections for the operation of a Helmholtz Innovation Lab. The labs will be financed over a project period from January 1st 2020 to December 2024. A continuation of the labs is also sought after the completion of the funding phase.