Who we are
HIC CONSULTING has its origins in HAMBURG INSTITUT, which was founded in 2012. Since 2025, HIC CONSULTING has focused on its core business: strategy consulting, policy consulting and engineering planning. Under the name HAMBURG INSTITUT, we continue to work on selected research topics with our non-profit subsidiary HIR Hamburg Institut Research gGmbH.
Our spirit
The heart of HIC CONSULTING is its team. Motivation, curiosity and enthusiasm – the sources from which our employees draw their energy are climate-neutral, emission-free and renewable every day. HIC CONSULTING thrives on the spirit that the work here is more than just a job. We want to make a visible difference with our special skills and personalities.
Our expertise
Feedback from our customers confirms that we are on the right track. With the diverse and sometimes highly specialised expertise within our ranks, we are no longer an insider tip in certain specialist areas – including heat storage, large heat pumps and guarantees of origin – but a preferred partner throughout the industry.
Our structure
As an owner-managed company, we attach great importance to our independence – also in terms of manufacturers and software providers. The owners are the two founders and managing partners of HIC CONSULTING, Dr Matthias Sandrock and Robert Werner, as well as Dr Martin Jörß. In addition, numerous employees hold shares in the company through the employee-owned company Trimaran UG & Co. KG.
Milestones
HIC Hamburg Institut Consulting GmbH is set up by Christian Maaß, Dr. Matthias Sandrock und Robert Werner. With their combined expertise and many years of experience, they work together on their conviction that professional implementation is the key to a successful energy transition.
Research becomes an increasingly important field of activity. To this end, the non-profit HIR Hamburg Institut Research gGmbH is founded.
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The focus on policy consulting is expanded. Groundbreaking fundamental studies on heat transition (expert report on Hamburg heat transition; social heat transition; the future of district heating; consulting on renewable electricity markets) are developed.
Four state ministries are already making use of our expertise in the field of heat transition. HIR launches the EU research project SmartReFlex – Intelligent and flexible solutions for 100% renewable heating networks in European municipalities – with other European partners.
Research and consulting on renewable energy markets and renewable energy verification are expanded. Among other things, a groundbreaking study on the future of the voluntary green electricity market is published.
The engineering team is growing, and with it the range of services offered in the area of technical concept development for municipalities and district heating network operators.
The company continues to grow with the acquisition of greenmiles GmbH. Market demand leads to the launch of consulting services for industry and commerce on decarbonisation strategies and carbon management.
District heating network operators are increasingly discovering renewable energies. Municipal utilities and energy suppliers become a solid customer base for Dr. Tobias Zimmermann and his team of engineers.
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Hamburg Institut establishes a communications department, which, under the leadership of Philippa Kreis develops communication strategies and measures for our customers, among other things.
With groundbreaking projects on guarantees of origin for renewable energies and carbon accounting, our internationally renowned team of specialists in these areas is also growing under the expert leadership of Dr. Alexandra Styles and Juliane Mundt.
HAMBURG INSTITUT has become one of the top addresses for heating strategies for large cities: Munich, Bremen, Hamburg, Berlin, Leipzig and Rostock trust our advice.
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In the area of climate neutrality, the Climate Strategies team led by Jana Kapfer the cities of Oldenburg, Osnabrück and Buchholz in der Nordheide. By 2025, Nuremberg, Regensburg and the Hanover region are added to this list.
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Launch of a flagship project: The first seawater heat pump in a larger heating network in Germany is being built in Neustadt in Holstein. Dr. Henrik Pieper und and his team organised the funding and developed the innovative technical concept. In the field of large heat pumps, we are now considered one of the leading firms for design and feasibility studies.
With numerous interdisciplinary consulting projects on decarbonisation in industry, we have made a name for ourselves in the aluminium industry, among others, and support Trimet, Otto Fuchs, Schüco, Aurubis, Dockweiler and others with our work. The number of international projects is increasing significantly.
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The first pilot register of origin for green district heating in Germany goes into operation. It was developed by HAMBURG INSTITUT as part of the BMWE-funded energy transition real-world laboratory IW3 – Integrierte WärmeWende Wilhelmsburg (Integrated Heat Transition Wilhelmsburg).
The founding of the employee-owned company Trimaran UG & Co KG enables employees to participate in the company.
Our office in Berlin opens, from where Jakob Schlandt heads the Policy & Markets division and, together with his team, keeps a close eye on political developments.
Another office is opened in Lindau on Lake Constance, enabling shorter distances to Austria and Switzerland for Dr. Nikolai Strodel and his team of specialists for seasonal heat storage.
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The ‘municipal heat planning’ team led by Felix Landsberg launches its 25th heat planning project. From state capitals to smaller municipalities, we provide important building blocks on the path to climate-neutral heat supply.
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Dr. Martin Jörß joins the company as a partner. The former senior partner of an international management consultancy strengthens the growth course both in terms of personnel and finance.
Restructuring of the company: HIC Consulting GmbH bundles the core business of strategy and policy consulting as well as engineering planning.
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The range of services in specialist planning for large heat pumps and heat storage systems is expanded to include, among other things, HOAI service phases 1 – 4.
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HIR Hamburg Institut Research gGmbH remains a non-profit wholly-owned subsidiary and continues to operate as a research unit under the Hamburg Institut brand.