The event focused on the topic of research funding. The focus was on the funding landscape at federal level.
The German mechanical and plant engineering industry can rely on a high level of innovative strength. However, SMEs in particular sometimes come up against personnel or financial limits in their research and development activities. This is precisely where government research funding comes in.
Overview of research funding
Dr. Julian Barnikol, Research Funding Officer, Forschungskuratorium Maschinenbau e. V., provided an overview of the opportunities and prospects of government research funding as part of the web event entitled “Funding research and innovation”. The event focused on joint industrial research, project funding and research grants.
Industrial Collective Research as a funding instrument is as follows:
Characteristics of the instrument:
• Industry-driven, pre-competitive, broad-based, open-topic
Structural characteristics:
• Bottom-up approach, long-term networks, sector-related, processing by research institutions, no funding for companies, training of young
engineers (e.g. via doctoral theses)
Project funding as a funding instrument is as follows:
Characteristics of the instrument:
• Application-oriented, cooperative, risky and innovative, development closer to the market, open-topic
Structural characteristics:
• Top-down/bottom-up approach, companies are at the center of funding, flexibility, cross-industry, direct flow of knowledge, indirect promotion of young talent
With regard to collaborative research, the speaker specifically addressed the ZIM (Central Innovation Program for SMEs) and KMU-Innovativ programs.
The research allowance as a funding instrument is as follows:
Characteristics of the instrument:
• Funding for basic research and industrial research as well as experimental development, research-oriented, open-topic, far from the market to
close to the market
Structural characteristics:
• Tax incentives (tax office), funding for companies, legal entitlement, continuous submission
During the ensuing discussion, the speaker answered questions from the participants about applications, further advice on funding opportunities and the prospects of funding for certain research projects. Dr. Julian Barnikol, VDMA Research & Innovation, julian.barnikol@vdma.eu, also answered questions on research and innovation funding.
Organizer
The event was offered by ProduktionNRW. ProduktionNRW is the cluster for mechanical engineering and production technology in North Rhine-Westphalia and is organized by VDMA NRW. ProduktionNRW sees itself as a platform for networking, informing and marketing companies, institutions and networks with each other and along the value chain. Significant parts of the services provided by ProduktionNRW are funded by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Protection and Energy of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia.