Support on technology transfer
Beside basic and applied research, support on technology transfer is important: Especially
for SMEs it turns out to be difficult to bring new ideas to the market. Several interviewees
hint on the fact that investment in technology transfer is too little. The problem is, however,
to make sure that funding is pre-competitive. The German Innovation Partnerships (DIP)
as well as funding of the Landwirtschaftliche Rentenbank are currently opportunities to
support SMEs.
In addition, the EU Commission’s framework for state aid for research and development
and innovation in 2006 (2006/C 323/01) made it less attractive for universities to carry
out industry financed research, because universities had to calculate full-cost-pricing.
While some Länder compensated these costs, others didn’t. In the latter case industry
projects became considerably less attractive. The new directive, issued in July 2014
(2014/C 198/01) should improve the situation.
Furthermore, on-farm research receives little attention in third-party funding. Some
interviewees therefore advocate funding more transdisciplinary research.
EU Forecast
euf:ba18h:53/nws-01