topic Hightech Strategy

Information Society

The development of the information and communication technologies has been the driving force for major new developments in production and services in recent years. The further development of technology is decisive if we are to be able to continue producing internationally competitive products and services in the future. Support for this sector of future-oriented technologies has made our country competitive again and has created many new jobs. The BMBF published its new research programme IKT 2020 in March 2007. The EU sets a new focus in the 7th Framework Programme.

Over 50% of Germany's industrial production and over 80% of its exports depend on the use of modern information and communication technologies (ICTs) and electronic systems. They are the basis for the economic performance of every industrialized nation. They interact with production technology, materials technology, optical technologies and microsystem technology. For mechanical and plant engineering, ICTs provide control and test facilities; in the chemical industry, ICTs regulate processes; in vehicles, ICTs nowadays determine all important functions - engine, communication, comfort, safety. The percentage of electronics in the production costs of a vehicle is going to rise in the foreseeable future to over 30%. ICTs are key technologies for innovations.

The computer, the Internet and telecommunications industries have achieved an enormous growth in the past three decades. In the second half of the 1990s, ICT investments contributed 18% to general economic growth. The macroeconomic importance of ICTs, however, goes far beyond the ICTs industry. ICTs trigger innovations, thus creating growth and eventually future-oriented new jobs.

Germany's ICT Competence

Germany has an excellent research community also for ICTs. The MP3 format for music files was developed in Germany at the Fraunhofer Society. All major manufacturers have research laboratories in Germany. Currently, about 800,000 employees are working in the ICT industry alone. The BMBF is setting the course, so that Germany can further enhance its leading role as a location for high-tech and actively develop the information society in Europe.

An example of the positive development in recent years was the topping-out ceremony for a second chip factory of the electronics group "Advanced Micro Devices", AMD, in Dresden in May 2004. Dresden has asserted itself worldwide against other cities. In the region, the experts are working for the worldwide accepted 300mm silicon wafer standard for the production of computer chips which was created by means of BMBF funding. In this way, about 11,000 new jobs have been created in the region so far, as well as 5,000 further jobs in other regions. In recent years, Dresden has become the most important location for micro and nanotechnology in Europe because of government investments. This example shows that Germany is internationally competitive if government sets the right course.

Information and Communication Technologies Are Creating Jobs

The objective of the Federal Government's support for ICT is the creation of new jobs in the core branches as well as in the areas of ICT application, such as automotive construction, mechanical engineering and logistics. The convergence of networks - the growing together of fixed and mobile networks in telecommunication with computers and the Internet - provides an opportunity for linking existing strong points in Germany in the area of traditional communication networks with new developments in the information technologies, in order to influence and shape the next generation of networks with German products and standards.

New Research Programme ICT 2020

The new research programme ICT 2020 was published at the CeBIT 2007 ICT fair in Hannover. It was developed in close cooperation with science and industry to improve the transformation of research results into products. Its aim is to strengthen and develop the technological position of Germany in the ICT sector.

Goals

Research funding will be oriented along Germany's application fields and industries, in which innovations are ICT driven to a considerable degree. Besides the ICT sector itself, these are automobile, mechanical engineering, medicine, logistics and energy. The basis for applications development in these fields are advances in electronics and micro systems, software and knowledge processing as well as communications technology and networks.

Instruments

Four new instruments will be used:

• lead innovations are strongly vertically integrated co-operations, that are aligned to certain application fields and industries where industrial partners take a role in research funding themselves.
• technology groups are horizontally aligned co-operations to pursue technological objectives. 
• service platforms - simuilar to technology groups - to pursue the development of ICT-based serices.
• additionally, a specific SME-oriented funding measure will simplify funding procedures and offer a single point of contact.

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  topic Hightech Strategy

  "ICT 2020" - Research for Innovation

  Information and communication technologies (ICT) are the number one driver of innovation. They are responsible for more than 80 per cent of innovations in the industries and fields of application in which Germany is particularly strong - the automotive sector, medical technology, and logistics. The Federal Government's High-Tech Strategy 2020 therefore puts ICT among the key enabling technologies that will play a decisive role for the future viability of the German economy.
  more (URL: http://www.bmbf.de/en/9069.php)
   
  
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  topic Hightech Strategy

  High-Performance Computing and Supercomputing

  The Internet and the World Wide Web were developed by scientists and for scientists. They are vital for accessing global knowledge and for cooperation between researchers. The excellent gigabit Internet of the German Research Network is only the first step of a development in which networks and applications are merging together to form new working environments. GridComputing is a key concept in the Internet of the future - work on supercomputers which are connected via high-performance networks. The launch of Europe's fastest supercomputer in Jülich on 26 May 2009 was a milestone in this context.
  more (URL: http://www.bmbf.de/en/298.php)
   
  
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  topic Research

  IT Security

  Unauthorized access to an online banking session? Computer viruses at the intensive care unit? This must not happen. The security of computers and the Internet is an important funding priority of the BMBF, because software systems have become an integral part of a large number of technical facilities and devices. Their security and reliability must meet the greatest demands. Methods and tools as well as the related development environments must be further developed and tested for the safety and reliability of IT systems.
  more (URL: http://www.bmbf.de/en/73.php)
   
  
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  topic Research

  Interfaces - Human-Machine Communication

  Some computers are fun to work on; others less so. In future, robots will no longer work in separate areas in production facilities, but together with their human colleagues. This means that there is a considerable need for research and development to improve the interaction between humans and computers. The field of human-machine communication studies different ways of operating computers simply and creating functional and intelligent IT tools.
  more (URL: http://www.bmbf.de/en/476.php)