On 16 May, the High-tech Forum presented its guidelines for a future-proof Germany to Federal Research Minister Johanna Wanka in Berlin. The innovation policy advisory body's main recommendation is that the federal government should continue to pursue its strategic, cross-departmental and international innovation strategy.

Professor Thorsten Posselt, the director of the Leipzig Fraunhofer Center for International Management and Knowledge Economy IMW, views the presented papers as a fundamental step towards strengthening Germany's role as a center for innovation on the international stage. He emphasized: “The High-tech Forum's expert forum on internationalization recommends that the profile of the German R&D system should be evaluated on a regular basis. In other parts of the world, international developments are advancing at a rapid pace. Innovation research is also progressing at the respective speed. Pioneering work of international importance is taking place in Germany and all over the world. This pioneering work must be expanded and developed further in order to guarantee an even better communication of new technologies from the research area and knowledge transfer to the business sector and society as a whole. This promotes and not least accelerates the development of new business models.”

Besides guidelines for the future of research and innovation, the High-tech Forum presented recommendations regarding the implementation of the current high-tech strategy from a total of eight expert forums to the federal government. The experts' recommendations include, for example, promoting new technologies through research and development, promoting talents and skills through education and qualification and the establishment of suitable political and institutional framework conditions. The papers were developed by the members of the innovation policy committee over the past two years in the course of almost 60 events and workshops with the involvement of around 400 experts. The High-tech Forum is chaired by Reimund Neugebauer, the president of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, and Andreas Barner, the president of the Stifterverband network.

Further background information:

• Ensuring that good ideas have more impact. The High-tech Forum's ideas on how to implement the high-tech strategy (in German
  
• Jointly better – Sustainable value creation, wealth and life quality in the digital age. The High-tech Forum's innovation policy guidelines (in German)