Germany has excellent research capabilities, but a fragmented funding system that tends to hinder innovation rather than accelerate it. This structural problem is highlighted by the evaluation of 88 funding programmes aimed at strengthening knowledge transfer and innovation, carried out by the Higher Education Alliance for SMEs (HAfM). Following the presentation of initial findings at the 10th Berlin Transfer Conference, the 16 members (including The Hochschule Niederrhein) have now published a comprehensive position paper setting out demands and recommendations for action to ensure sustainable support for technology transfer, from research through to innovation.
“Our analysis of the existing funding structures shows that without strategic direction and a market perspective, the potential for innovation is wasted. There is an urgent need for reform in the form of clear programme guidelines and a market-oriented approach,” said Prof. Dr.-Ing. Kira Kastell, HAfM Chair and President of Hamm-Lippstadt University of Applied Sciences. The time for reform is now – before further innovation potential is lost in the funding jungle.
Overall, the University Alliance for SMEs has set out four key demands in its position paper:
- Seamless funding chains instead of isolated projects
- Appropriate framework conditions for universities of applied sciences and SMEs
- A focus on commercialisation as a cross-cutting task
- Flexibility and speed
The study makes it particularly clear that a more consistent funding policy is absolutely essential. The Federal Government’s ‘Research & Application Initiative’, with the three pillars of the ZIM/IGF programmes, the Transfer Booster and the German Association for Applied Research (DAFG), lays the foundations for the intended acceleration of knowledge transfer within the framework of the coalition agreement. In addition, alongside the High-Tech Agenda for Germany (HTAD), the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMFTR) has developed the F.A.S.T. transfer initiative as part of the Transfer Booster, whose funding principles are directly geared towards the level of innovation in the projects. “This approach is expressly welcomed by the HAfM,” said Prof. Dr.-Ing. Peter Ritzenhoff, Managing Director of the HAfM. Nevertheless, he added, there is a need for framework conditions specific to universities of applied sciences (HAWs) and SMEs, funding that covers the entire process from the initial idea through application to market orientation, as well as short and swift decision-making processes. The German Association for Applied Research (DAFG) and its inclusion in the Pact for Research and Innovation could help to ensure the sustainability of research at universities of applied sciences. Specific demands from universities of applied sciences regarding the structure and establishment of the DAFG have already been formulated by the Bad Wiesseer Kreis. Accordingly, the position paper sets out concrete steps for an agile funding policy:
- Streamlining and prioritisation
- Market orientation as standard
- Reducing bureaucracy and increasing speed
- Strengthening regional networking
“Overall, our evaluation of existing transfer programmes reveals that innovation initiatives tend to be held back rather than accelerated,” says Prof. Kastell. A funding policy that is agile, end-to-end and sustainable, whilst taking appropriate account of the existing framework conditions, would be an important step towards overcoming the weaknesses in implementation. The solution does not require further individual programmes, but rather a seamless innovation pipeline that:
- systematically links universities of applied sciences and SMEs,
- integrates commercialisation from the outset,
- reduces red tape and rewards speed,
- strengthens regional innovation ecosystems.
Only in this way can the innovation potential of universities of applied sciences be harnessed, innovative SMEs be sustainably strengthened, and the transfer of research results into marketable products be accelerated.
