The IGF - three letters that stand for the world's largest research and development network of small and medium-sized enterprises. The network is under threat - funding will expire at the end of 2022. More than 25,000 companies, mainly SMEs, and 1,200 research institutions are currently involved in the "Industrial Collective Research" (IGF) funding program. They are currently working on 1,900 research projects to ensure that Germany is one step ahead in areas such as mobility, materials research, energy efficiency and sustainability. "A successful model of pre-competitive collaboration and technology transfer that is unique in its structure worldwide and makes a fundamental contribution to maintaining competitiveness in Germany as a location for innovation and technology," says Dipl.-Ing. Jens Jerzembeck, Managing Director of the Research Association for Welding and Allied Processes of DVS, DVS Forschung for short.
The Düsseldorf native heads one of a total of 100 research associations that are part of the IGF and are financed solely by the contributions of their members. Since 1958, the research projects initiated by them have been supported with funds from the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection (BMWK) as an industry-oriented instrument of innovation policy in the field of applied research. This award model, which approves funds on application by the research associations, ensures that the individual projects are highly relevant to the industry and that their results are made available to companies in the sector. The BMWK provided a total of 200 million euros for this purpose in the current year.
However, Dipl.-Ing. Rainer Salomon, Managing Director of FOSTA - Forschungsvereinigung Stahlanwendung e. V., fears that this successful model could come to an end in the future: "The coalition agreement states that the research associations are to be strengthened and further developed. At the end of June, however, we found out 'cold turkey' that the BMWK wants to end the existing funding program in its current form. What is currently being worked out behind closed doors is completely unclear. When asked, we were only informed that a reorganization of the programme is currently in preparation." It is due to come into force on January 1, 2023. Jerzembeck comments: "At no point were the research associations involved in the decision-making process. We are concerned that a research network that has grown over decades is being destroyed in a political coup without need."
"An innovative SME sector is a crucial asset for the sustainable future viability of the German economy, especially when it comes to resource efficiency, climate and energy, mobility and digitalization," says Jerzembeck. In view of the current economic policy challenges, reducing investment in innovative strength is not the right approach: "The state is already investing too little money in SME-oriented industry research," says Jerzembeck. DVS President Dipl.-Betriebsw. Susanne Szczesny-Oßing emphasizes the relevance of this: "We live from technological leadership, which must be ensured through practical research. With a good 25 billion euros in turnover, the industry is a European leader." A total of 429,000 people are currently employed in the industry.
"The research projects we are currently working on at FOSTA are forward-looking, for example in the areas of fuel cells, e-mobility and offshore wind energy systems," confirms Salomon. This is also the conclusion of the evaluation of IGF research projects commissioned by the current BMWK in 2021. It states: "The primary target group of the funding program are small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which, due to their small size, are usually not in a position to finance research contracts at external research centers or to maintain their own research departments. The IGF offers them access to the latest findings for the further development of products, processes and services - important prerequisites for maintaining and strengthening the competitiveness of SMEs." They also make an essential contribution to promoting the next generation of researchers: every year, more than 600 engineers emerge from the research projects: "Young talent that is desperately sought after in industry," says Salomon.
