Federal support: Germany should be innovation champion – Handelsblatt

Berlin The federal government wants to make Germany with a billion-dollar funding to become a leading country for new products and services. This year, the federal government supported by actual research of scientists, companies and other organizations with eleven billion euros, as Federal Minister Johanna Wanka (CDU) explained, following a cabinet decision on Wednesday in Berlin.

Similar orders of magnitude are each planned for the coming years. Added to this are laid down in the black-yellow coalition agreement three billion euros. Could apply for funding any money to projects in areas that are considered by the government as central to the future, it said. Overwritten they are using the keywords digital economy and society, sustainable business and energy, healthy living, intelligent mobility, civil security and innovative work environment

new development area.: Healthy work

The latter field – in which it comes to successful and healthy work organization – is compared to the current funding approach a new field. Here are, for example, initially to up to 87 million euros, up to 400 million euros in the digital field, up to 2.2 billion euros in healthy living – be promoted here developments in medicine, disease prevention and care. Overall, these “high-tech strategy” bundles programs of various federal departments. Since 2006, the government promotes similarly research projects as climate protection and energy saving.

Unlike the promotion by content focus rather certain technologies have been supported in the past, or it was left to companies what to do with funding develop, as Wanka said. “We want to become world champion innovation,” said the Minister. Even today, though the economy in the export of high-tech goods with the front.

Given the already strong position of automotive, electrical and mechanical engineering, it was important to develop new fields, Wanka said. In the research it was in the process of prohibitions, she pointed to controversial fields such as green genetic engineering or fracking. Should be supported, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises.

Germany makes it to # 2 on the most innovative countries in the world. But the position is compromised.

The industry demanded more instruments. “With the tax research funding, the federal government may introduce an internationally proven tool for innovation,” said BDI Director Markus Kerber. The German Chemical Industry Association praised the plan to reach more technology acceptance in the population. The high-tech association Bitkom welcomed the fact that the subject startups occupying much space.

Left-research expert Ralph Lenkert criticized the government approach serve commercial interests. Among other things, social and environmental organizations and trade unions should be more involved in the funding guidelines. According to the Greens outweighs a juxtaposition of old programs. “The vague and non-committal, the federal government remains in the participation of the society,” said Green-research expert Kai Gehring. SPD research expert René Röspel countered: “Man is stronger than ever at the center of innovation.”