Germany

The Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW) has published the main results of the Innovation Survey 2011, the largest national survey on innovation activities of companies, which is part of the EU’s Community Innovation Survey (CIS). According to the survey, German enterprises invested € 121.3 billion in 2010 in the development and introduction of new products and processes, an increase by 8% compared to 2009, but still below the peak value of 2008 (€ 125.9 billion). Estimates given by companies for their investments in 2011 indicate that a new all-time-high may have been reached last year (figures are still to be validated in the forthcoming survey).

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Results of the German Innovation Survey 2011

The German Government has appointed the members for the second term of the Commission of Experts for Research and Innovation (Expertenkommission Forschung und Innovation – EFI). The Commission was set up in 2007, for an initial term of four years. Consisting of six experts, it provides guidance and advice to the Government and publishes status report about research and innovation in Germany.

In July 2010 the German federal government renewed its high technology strategy, setting new emphases while continuing the overall approach that was defined in 2006. The objective of the renewed high tech strategy is to create lead markets, to deepen cooperation between science and business, and to further improve framework conditions for innovation.