Germany: Members of the Commission of Experts for Research and Innovation Appointed for the 2nd Term (2011-2014)

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.

The Commission of Experts for Research and Innovation (Expertenkommission Forschung und Innovation – EFI) provides scientific advice to the German Federal Government and periodically delivers reports on research, innovation and technological productivity in Germany. A key task is to provide a comprehensive analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the German innovation system in an international comparison. Furthermore, Germany’s perspectives as a location for research and innovation are evaluated on the basis of the latest research findings. EFI presents proposals for national research and innovation policy.

With delivering the new report of 2011 on 23 February 2011, the Commission has completed its first term of four years. The Cabinet has now appointed the experts for the second term. To ensure continuity in the work of the Commission, a rolling procedure is used. While two new members have been appointed, four of the first term members will continue their service to the Commission for 1-3 more years. Two former members have quit the Commission after completion of the term.

The new experts who have been appointed are Professor Dr. Uschi Backes-Gellner, Professor for Industrial Relations und Human Resource Management at the University of Zurich, and Professor Dr. Monika Schnitzer, Professor at the Seminar for Comparative Economic Research at the Ludwig-Maximilian-University of Munich. They have both been appointed for the full term of four years.

The Commission consists of six experts. The four experts who will continue their work in the second term are:

• Professor Dr. Alexander Gerybadze, Head of the Research Unit for International Management und Innovation and Professor of Economics at the University of Hohenheim;  
• Professor Dietmar Harhoff, Head of the Institute for Innovation Research, Technology Management und Entrepreneurship of Ludwig-Maximilian-University of Munich;
• Professor Dr. Patrick Llerena, Professor for Economics at the University Louis Pasteur, Strasbourg/France;
• Professor Dr. Joachim Luther, Professor at the University of Singapur and Head of the Research Institute for Solar Energy in Singapur (SERIS);

References / further information:

• Commission of Experts for Research and Innovation: http://www.e-fi.de
• “Neue Mitglieder der Expertenkommission Forschung und Innovation berufen“, Press release of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, 30 March 2011.