topic Ministry

Innovations "Made in Germany" - Commission of experts presents report for 2013

"The report confirms our approach towards innovation and growth. We have strengthened innovation in Germany considerably ", said Federal Research Minister Johanna Wanka, speaking on the occasion of the presentation of the EFI report at the Federal Chancellery on 27 February 2013. "Education and research will continue to be priorities for the Federal Government in order to ensure Germany's sustained position among the leaders in the international arena. The EFI report also reveals where we can improve our efforts."

The successful development in recent years is mainly due to increasing public-sector and private investments in research and development:  Gross domestic expenditure on R&D increased by almost 34% to €74.8 billion between 2005 and 2011. The Federal Government alone contributed €13.3 billion in 2011. Germany has thus almost reached the three percent target. The experts therefore recommend setting a higher target and spending 3.5% of GDP on research and development by 2020.

The report praises pioneering initiatives, including the Research Campus and the Leading-Edge Cluster Competition, which enhance the links between science and business and give fresh impetus to the transfer of knowledge and technology. The Federal Government is charting the right course, the experts believe.

The reforms and initiatives have also benefited the academic sector:  Major progress has been made towards profile-building, differentiation and greater flexibility under the Initiative for Excellence, the Pact for Higher Education and the Pact for Research and Innovation. These developments must be followed up, the experts say.

But the report also reveals further need for action during the next legislative period: Research and innovation must continue to be given priority in future. According to the experts, Germany's research and innovation system will only remain competitive with a tax system that promotes innovation, with further initiatives to encourage the transfer of knowledge and technology, with efforts to allow further cooperation between the Federal Government and the Länder in higher education funding, and with increasing investments in education and the improved exploitation of the potential of women in science.

The EFI Report 2013 (in German) can be downloaded here.

2012 Federal Report on Research and Innovation

The 2012 Federal Report on Research and Innovation shows that Germany's achievements in innovation have risen steadily over the past years. In terms of exporting research-intensive products, world market patents, or academic publications, Germany is among the world leaders. The number of Germany's academic publication in relation to population has passed that of the USA. This development clearly shows that institutions of higher education and research institutes have been able to significantly increase their performance in recent years.

Thanks to the innovative strength of businesses, institutions of higher education, and research institutes, Germany is a key stabilizing force in Europe. Innovative businesses, particularly small- and medium-sized enterprises, are crucial for the motors of growth and employment. Over half a million people currently work in Germany's research and development sector - more now than ever before - and they are laying the foundations for Germany's success.

The Federal Government has invested more funds in research and development during this legislative period than ever before. The annual budget for this has increased from 9 billion euro in 2005 to 13.7 billion this year. German industry has reacted to political impetus and pressure from the markets; their investments have also increased significantly since 2005. German businesses invested around 47 billion euros in research and development in 2010 alone.

The 2012 Federal Report on Research and Innovation offers a comprehensive overview of research and innovation in Germany. The layout of the German research and innovation system, as well as important developments and basic data are clearly and accurately presented along with an outline of the reforms made over the past years. With the Federal Report on Research and Innovation, the Federal Government is responding to the 2012 report from the Expert Commission for Research and Innovation (EFI), which was presented to Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel and Federal Research Minister Schavan last February.

Experts: Germany is a leader in Innovation

Expert Commission for Research and Innovation hands over the annual report to Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel and Federal Research Minister Annette Schavan.©Steffen WeigeltThe Expert Commission's newest report on research, innovation, and technological performance was handed over to German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Federal Research Minister Annette Schavan on 29 February 2012. A summary of the report, covering Germany's current developments and challenges in these fields, is available here.

The Expert Commission

Education and technology are irreplaceable for countries with few natural resources like Germany. Innovation keeps the economy going, creates high incomes, and improves the quality of life. Since 2008, the Expert Commission for Research and Innovation (Expertenkommission Forschung und Innovation - EFI) has provided yearly reports on Germany's progress in these fields.

A sophisticated and detailed reporting system was provided for the German innovation policy makers in previous years with the Technological Performance Report. The Expert Commission for Research and Innovation builds on this foundation. It continues the systematic development of indicator systems for the analysis and description of innovation processes and, based on that, reports on the developments in the German innovation system. In addition, key issues of high relevance for the economy and society are discussed. Based on these analyses options for action on innovation policy are presented and discussed.

The key findings of the commission's work are published in the reports. The thematic priority of the reports is not set on the publication of individual, isolated facts, indicators, or trends, but on the development of a general view and the most important recommendations for actions on innovation policy. Detailed information and data can be taken from the underlying studies on the innovation system, for which the Commission of Experts has editorial control. For more information, please visit the EFI website.