Prof. Barth
The industrial site that is Germany has increasingly been at the center of heated debate in recent times. It is often forgotten, amidst the various complaints that are heard, that the discussion about securing Germany's future is to a large extent also a discussion about Germany as a prime site for research. Let us, therefore, examine briefly the German research landscape.Around 73 billion marks are spent annually in Germany on research and development, some DM 50 billion of which are borne by industry. According to realistic estimates, however, only approx. DM 5 billion actually go into securing the future by means of research; the rest are development costs for safeguarding markets and products. The public sector spends around DM 23 billion on research in universities and major research centers (GFE). Yet only 30 % of these funds flow directly into securing the future in the form of application-oriented projects - the lion's share of public research being directed towards gaining theoretical insight.
These figures can be regarded as reliable; moreover, they have been confirmed by a high-ranking commission of the Central Association of the Electronics Industry (ZVEI). The conclusions that can be drawn from these figures are significant. The reduction of funds and the resulting urge to make savings has triggered a movement in the direction of greater customer orientation in research. With its final report of 1994, the so-called Weule Commission initiated an extensive re-orientation of the GFE. Anyone engaged in research will know about the coordination processes that occur in planning, with which GFE and industry together seek to reconcile industrial applications and GFE resources. From the joint staffing of the planning committees, which are there to assist the management boards of the GFE, to actually collaborating on project management and implementation, there is a broad wave of cooperation spreading over the German research landscape.
Implementation is the central problem
Is all well within the world of research then? This question too can only be answered with a categoric "NO". The R&D share of the gross national product in Germany is very much comparable with that of other industrial nations:
Germany 2.7 %
USA 2.8 %
Japan 3.05 %
What is astonishing is the difference in the proportion of high-tech products represented in the exports of these countries. The figures here are:
Germany 16 %
USA 47 %
Japan 27 %
So our research expenditure in Germany falls flat, without having any tangible effect on the markets or, indeed, on our future. We simply create too few products, that can be marketed successfully, from the findings of our research.
To solve this transfer problem, we need an intellectually innovative climate, in which science and technology are felt to be a collective good, and not a major threat. We need to increase the innovative power and productivity of businesses.
- This transformation begins in schools and universities, in research establishments, in administrations and public authorities, by breaking up the encrustations that have formed and introducing efficient and more innovatory processes.
- It then extends to promoting the growth of new ideas and their implementation in public authorities, administrations and industry.
- Finally it culminates in promoting the founding of companies as the fastest and most effective form of technology transfer. To do this, we require simplified regulations for the formation and closure of companies, as well as for the generation and provision of capital.
What will the Hannover Trade Fair 1995 reveal?
The 1995 Hannover Trade Fair will no doubt prove me wrong in parts of my argument. There will be many exhibition stands where joint projects between scientific research institutes and industry, and the products that result, will be presented. A lot of stands will belong to companies which are out to conquer the market with their new products and innovative ideas. We can take heart from the large number of young people, working on the stands and behind the scenes, who view research and technology without prejudice and see them as providing an important opportunity for their future. But let us not kid ourselves. Every good idea that is generated and pursued at a university without ever being realized as a product is ultimately wasted money. It should be the priority of research managers, entrepreneurs and, last but not least, politicians to minimize such wastage.
Let us in conclusion look at a few specific areas, which in my view are particularly important focal points of research and technology at the present time.
It is generally recognized that information technology is one of the decisive technologies of our age. The availability of information - any time, any place and as required - will significantly affect core skills in all scientifically relevant sectors. Accordingly, information technology will take up considerable space in the presentation of research findings at the Hannover Trade Fair - linking up directly to CeBIT, which concentrates solely on this area. This very fact shows that no one sector - be it the construction of heavy machinery or the packaging industry - can do without information technology, neither today, nor in the future. As embedded systems made up of hardware and software, computers and their programs determine the efficiency of products. For this reason, especially in Germany where we see ourselves as system suppliers, we need to control information technology in order to use it in our products.
An essential aspect of the availability of information has become famous the world over under the buzzword "data highway." CeBIT will illustrate what a data highway looks like and how you can build one. The Hannover Trade Fair will show how you can ride this data highway and how it can serve us - industry and the public alike - in preparing for the 21st century.
To convince themselves of the veracity of these statements, each visitor to the Hannover Fair should take a look at Hall 18. There, universities and industry in tandem are presenting their efforts at innovation along with examples of successful technology transfer. To this extent, the far-sightedness of the Fair's management is to be applauded, in attaching great importance to this innovation market and providing a suitable forum for it for several years now. It is unfortunate, however, that the tendency of industry to make its presence felt here is waning. This indicates the characteristic image of the present status of research held by a number of industrial companies.
Daimler-Benz, clearly, has no wish to be part of this trend. In Hall 18 of the Hannover Trade Fair, the company is offering the public the chance to see how, already today, the various corporate units are collaborating on an international basis in the area of research and development. We cordially invite you to visit our stand. A press conference will be held there on April 2, when further ideas of the Daimler-Benz Group on how it intends to secure the future through research will be explained.
Back to the News archive
© 1995 Daimler-Benz