diff --git a/cmake/generate_fmu.cmake b/cmake/generate_fmu.cmake
index b45d228..cf0add1 100644
--- a/cmake/generate_fmu.cmake
+++ b/cmake/generate_fmu.cmake
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 
-function(generateFMU modelIdentifier)
+function(generateFMU modelIdentifier resourceFolder)
 
     target_sources(${modelIdentifier} PRIVATE "$<TARGET_OBJECTS:fmu4cpp>")
     target_include_directories("${modelIdentifier}" PRIVATE "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/export/include")
@@ -26,10 +26,25 @@ function(generateFMU modelIdentifier)
             WORKING_DIRECTORY "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}"
             COMMAND descriptionGenerator ${modelIdentifier} "${outputDir}/$<TARGET_FILE_NAME:${modelIdentifier}>")
 
+    if (resourceFolder STREQUAL "")
+        add_custom_command(TARGET ${modelIdentifier} POST_BUILD
+                WORKING_DIRECTORY "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/${modelIdentifier}"
+                COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E tar "c" "${modelIdentifier}.fmu" --format=zip
+                "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/${modelIdentifier}/binaries"
+                "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/${modelIdentifier}/modelDescription.xml")
+
+    else ()
+        message("[generateFMU] Using resourceFolder=${resourceFolder} for ${modelIdentifier}")
+
+        file(COPY "${resourceFolder}/" DESTINATION "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/${modelIdentifier}/resources")
+
+        add_custom_command(TARGET ${modelIdentifier} POST_BUILD
+                WORKING_DIRECTORY "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/${modelIdentifier}"
+                COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E tar "c" "${modelIdentifier}.fmu" --format=zip
+                "resources"
+                "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/${modelIdentifier}/binaries"
+                "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/${modelIdentifier}/modelDescription.xml")
+    endif ()
+
 
-    add_custom_command(TARGET ${modelIdentifier} POST_BUILD
-            WORKING_DIRECTORY "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/${modelIdentifier}"
-            COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E tar "c" "${modelIdentifier}.fmu" --format=zip
-            "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/${modelIdentifier}/binaries"
-            "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/${modelIdentifier}/modelDescription.xml")
 endfunction()
diff --git a/export/examples/BouncingBall/CMakeLists.txt b/export/examples/BouncingBall/CMakeLists.txt
index e252b7d..4da8531 100644
--- a/export/examples/BouncingBall/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/export/examples/BouncingBall/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -3,4 +3,4 @@ add_library(bouncing_ball SHARED
         "bouncing_ball.cpp"
 )
 
-generateFMU("bouncing_ball")
+generateFMU("bouncing_ball" "")
diff --git a/export/examples/BouncingBall/bouncing_ball.cpp b/export/examples/BouncingBall/bouncing_ball.cpp
index 15dff22..ceec26d 100644
--- a/export/examples/BouncingBall/bouncing_ball.cpp
+++ b/export/examples/BouncingBall/bouncing_ball.cpp
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ using namespace fmu4cpp;
 class BouncingBall : public fmu_base {
 
 public:
-    BouncingBall(const std::string &instanceName, const std::string &resources)
+    BouncingBall(const std::string &instanceName, const std::filesystem::path &resources)
         : fmu_base(instanceName, resources) {
 
         register_variable(
@@ -79,6 +79,6 @@ model_info fmu4cpp::get_model_info() {
     return info;
 }
 
-std::unique_ptr<fmu_base> fmu4cpp::createInstance(const std::string &instanceName, const std::string &fmuResourceLocation) {
+std::unique_ptr<fmu_base> fmu4cpp::createInstance(const std::string &instanceName, const std::filesystem::path &fmuResourceLocation) {
     return std::make_unique<BouncingBall>(instanceName, fmuResourceLocation);
 }
diff --git a/export/examples/CMakeLists.txt b/export/examples/CMakeLists.txt
index d0eb5fa..f9aced6 100644
--- a/export/examples/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/export/examples/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
 
 add_subdirectory(BouncingBall)
 add_subdirectory(SimplePendulum)
+add_subdirectory(Resource)
diff --git a/export/examples/Resource/CMakeLists.txt b/export/examples/Resource/CMakeLists.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d4be233
--- /dev/null
+++ b/export/examples/Resource/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+
+add_library(resource SHARED
+        "resource.cpp"
+)
+
+generateFMU("resource" "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/resources")
diff --git a/export/examples/Resource/resource.cpp b/export/examples/Resource/resource.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e378a8f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/export/examples/Resource/resource.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+
+
+#include <fmu4cpp/fmu_base.hpp>
+
+#include <fstream>
+
+using namespace fmu4cpp;
+
+
+class Resource : public fmu_base {
+
+public:
+    Resource(const std::string &instanceName, const std::filesystem::path &resources)
+        : fmu_base(instanceName, resources) {
+
+        std::ifstream ifs(resources / "file.txt");
+
+        std::string line;
+        std::getline(ifs, line);
+
+        register_variable(
+                string(
+                        "content", [line] { return line; })
+                        .setVariability(variability_t::CONSTANT)
+                        .setCausality(causality_t::OUTPUT));
+
+        Resource::reset();
+    }
+
+    bool do_step(double currentTime, double dt) override {
+
+        debugLog(fmi2OK, get_string_variable("content")->get());
+        return true;
+    }
+
+    void reset() override {
+        // do nothing
+    }
+
+};
+
+model_info fmu4cpp::get_model_info() {
+    model_info info;
+    info.modelName = "Resource";
+    info.description = "A model with resources";
+    info.modelIdentifier = FMU4CPP_MODEL_IDENTIFIER;
+    return info;
+}
+
+std::unique_ptr<fmu_base> fmu4cpp::createInstance(const std::string &instanceName, const std::filesystem::path &fmuResourceLocation) {
+    return std::make_unique<Resource>(instanceName, fmuResourceLocation);
+}
diff --git a/export/examples/Resource/resources/file.txt b/export/examples/Resource/resources/file.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..980a0d5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/export/examples/Resource/resources/file.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Hello World!
diff --git a/export/examples/SimplePendulum/CMakeLists.txt b/export/examples/SimplePendulum/CMakeLists.txt
index d357a95..22e1618 100644
--- a/export/examples/SimplePendulum/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/export/examples/SimplePendulum/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -3,4 +3,4 @@ add_library(simple_pendulum SHARED
         "simple_pendulum.cpp"
 )
 
-generateFMU(simple_pendulum)
+generateFMU(simple_pendulum "")
diff --git a/export/examples/SimplePendulum/simple_pendulum.cpp b/export/examples/SimplePendulum/simple_pendulum.cpp
index d878b9a..e55cbcd 100644
--- a/export/examples/SimplePendulum/simple_pendulum.cpp
+++ b/export/examples/SimplePendulum/simple_pendulum.cpp
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ using namespace fmu4cpp;
 
 class SimplePendulum : public fmu_base {
 public:
-    SimplePendulum(const std::string &instanceName, const std::string &resources)
+    SimplePendulum(const std::string &instanceName, const std::filesystem::path &resources)
         : fmu_base(instanceName, resources) {
 
         register_variable(real("angle",
@@ -74,6 +74,6 @@ model_info fmu4cpp::get_model_info() {
     return info;
 }
 
-std::unique_ptr<fmu_base> fmu4cpp::createInstance(const std::string &instanceName, const std::string &fmuResourceLocation) {
+std::unique_ptr<fmu_base> fmu4cpp::createInstance(const std::string &instanceName, const std::filesystem::path &fmuResourceLocation) {
     return std::make_unique<SimplePendulum>(instanceName, fmuResourceLocation);
 }
diff --git a/export/include/fmu4cpp/fmu_base.hpp b/export/include/fmu4cpp/fmu_base.hpp
index 43ad06a..384e802 100644
--- a/export/include/fmu4cpp/fmu_base.hpp
+++ b/export/include/fmu4cpp/fmu_base.hpp
@@ -14,12 +14,14 @@
 #include "logger.hpp"
 #include "model_info.hpp"
 
+#include <filesystem>
+
 namespace fmu4cpp {
 
     class fmu_base {
 
     public:
-        fmu_base(std::string instance_name, std::string resourceLocation)
+        fmu_base(std::string instance_name, std::filesystem::path resourceLocation)
             : instanceName_(std::move(instance_name)), resourceLocation_(std::move(resourceLocation)) {}
 
         fmu_base(const fmu_base &) = delete;
@@ -29,7 +31,7 @@ namespace fmu4cpp {
             return instanceName_;
         }
 
-        [[nodiscard]] std::string resourceLocation() const {
+        [[nodiscard]] const std::filesystem::path& resourceLocation() const {
             return resourceLocation_;
         }
 
@@ -181,7 +183,7 @@ namespace fmu4cpp {
         size_t numVariables_{1};
 
         std::string instanceName_;
-        std::string resourceLocation_;
+        std::filesystem::path resourceLocation_;
 
         std::vector<IntVariable> integers_;
         std::vector<RealVariable> reals_;
@@ -193,7 +195,7 @@ namespace fmu4cpp {
 
     model_info get_model_info();
 
-    std::unique_ptr<fmu_base> createInstance(const std::string &instanceName, const std::string &fmuResourceLocation);
+    std::unique_ptr<fmu_base> createInstance(const std::string &instanceName, const std::filesystem::path &fmuResourceLocation);
 
 }// namespace fmu4cpp
 
diff --git a/export/tests/basic_test.cpp b/export/tests/basic_test.cpp
index f8e34ec..00d2d51 100644
--- a/export/tests/basic_test.cpp
+++ b/export/tests/basic_test.cpp
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 class Model : public fmu4cpp::fmu_base {
 
 public:
-    Model(const std::string &instanceName, const std::string &resources)
+    Model(const std::string &instanceName, const std::filesystem::path &resources)
         : fmu_base(instanceName, resources) {
 
         register_variable(real("myReal", [this] { return real_; })
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ fmu4cpp::model_info fmu4cpp::get_model_info() {
     return m;
 }
 
-std::unique_ptr<fmu4cpp::fmu_base> fmu4cpp::createInstance(const std::string &instanceName, const std::string &fmuResourceLocation) {
+std::unique_ptr<fmu4cpp::fmu_base> fmu4cpp::createInstance(const std::string &instanceName, const std::filesystem::path &fmuResourceLocation) {
     return std::make_unique<Model>(instanceName, fmuResourceLocation);
 }
 
diff --git a/resources/readme.txt b/resources/readme.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..724da85
--- /dev/null
+++ b/resources/readme.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+place fmu4cpp resources in this folder
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
index e783b88..88a8e14 100644
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ add_library(${modelIdentifier} SHARED
 )
 
 # Generate FMU
-generateFMU("${modelIdentifier}")
+generateFMU("${modelIdentifier}" "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/resources")
 
 set(OUTPUT_FILE "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/model.txt")
 file(WRITE ${OUTPUT_FILE} "${modelIdentifier}")
diff --git a/src/model.cpp b/src/model.cpp
index 9e90460..f0069f7 100644
--- a/src/model.cpp
+++ b/src/model.cpp
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ using namespace fmu4cpp;
 class Model : public fmu_base {
 
 public:
-    Model(const std::string &instanceName, const std::string &resources)
+    Model(const std::string &instanceName, const std::filesystem::path &resources)
         : fmu_base(instanceName, resources) {
 
         register_variable(integer(
@@ -96,6 +96,6 @@ model_info fmu4cpp::get_model_info() {
 }
 
 std::unique_ptr<fmu_base> fmu4cpp::createInstance(const std::string &instanceName,
-                                                  const std::string &fmuResourceLocation) {
+                                                  const std::filesystem::path &fmuResourceLocation) {
     return std::make_unique<Model>(instanceName, fmuResourceLocation);
 }