As a result of the biggest crisis in the history of the Federal Republic of Germany, the German economy must adapt and focus even more strongly and quickly on future-oriented technologies. Research-savvy small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in all sectors are extremely flexible in this respect, but they urgently need support - especially in these challenging times - in order to remain competitive on the global market and to be able to develop economically, ecologically and socially sustainable products. Industrial Collective Research (IGF), which has been successful for decades and is unique in the world, offers the best conditions for accelerating structural change in regions dominated by SMEs and for advancing the development, expansion and use of new technologies. The current, particularly high number of applications for IGF projects shows the great need for technology-open research funding.
"We are very pleased that, on the basis of a supplementary recommendation by the Budget Committee, an increase in funding for the area of 'Industrial Research for Companies' has now been approved in the second supplementary budget for 2020. With this additional 50 million euros, many great projects that will be launched this year can be realized - among other things via the IGF. This is in line with demand and the research associations of the AiF can thus make an important short-term contribution to stimulating the economy," explains the President of the AiF German Federation of Industrial Research Associations "Otto von Guericke", Professor Sebastian Bauer.
Eckhardt Rehberg, budget policy spokesman for the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the Bundestag, believes that strengthening Germany's research-based SMEs is absolutely forward-looking, especially in these times, and reaffirms the recommended resolution: "The members of the budget committee agreed, almost across all parliamentary groups, that we must provide the two SME-oriented funding programs of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy with additional funds for 2020, especially now. Many projects that could not be implemented due to Covid-19 and could not be approved due to limited budgets can now be considered and help SMEs in particular to tackle innovations or make their own products and services fit for the future through the large number of transfer activities. In the case of the IGF, the additional funds are expected to lead to several thousand more company participations and involve hundreds of young engineers and other specialists in projects. And, of course, every joint industrial research project is also always structural funding, as great research institutions throughout Germany carry out the projects."
Shortly after the Bundestag, the Bundesrat also approved the second supplementary budget to finance the coronavirus aid measures on July 3, 2020. The coalition's economic stimulus package was thus implemented in the 2020 federal budget. An additional 50 million euros are now available from the supplementary budget for the "Industrial research for companies" budget item in the Federal Ministry of Economics.
Once signed by the Federal President, the law can be promulgated in the Federal Law Gazette and enter into force retroactively from January 1, 2020.
