Promotion of small and medium-sized enterprises improved
"The High-Tech Master Plan is another measure of the federal government's innovation offensive. With it we are strengthening the technological performance of medium-sized companies. It is the backbone of Germany's competitiveness as a business location," explained Clement and Bulmahn. More than 200.000 medium-sized companies from industry and services are among the innovative companies in Germany. Around 35.000 of them are continuously engaged in research and development.
"With this initiative, we are continuing the federal government's reform policy for new and competitive jobs," said Clement. "As an important element, the initiative includes the umbrella fund for equity capital created together with the European Investment Fund EIF. With a total of 500 million euros, we want to open up financing opportunities for more young high-tech companies for their innovative ideas Companies, together with private funds, will be able to mobilize a total of up to 1,7 billion euros. In our innovation concept, the new federal states in particular will continue to have high priority."
With the high-tech master plan, the tax framework for venture capital funds will be significantly improved through a clear distinction between commercial and asset management funds. The increased profit share of fund initiators (the "carried interest") is to be taxed in future according to a national and internationally competitive regulation.
Federal Minister Bulmahn: "With the initiative, we are improving cooperation between science and industry. To this end, we are continuing to set up professional structures for patent exploitation in public research and are increasingly involving small and medium-sized companies in top-level research networks. In addition, we are promoting spin-offs by innovative companies from public research and will present a concept for strengthening the start-up culture in Germany".
In addition, important federal funding programs such as "PRO INNO" and the "Industrial Joint Research and Development (IGF)" will be made more flexible and efficient and the broad impact of the funding will be improved.
In conclusion, Bulmahn and Clement explained: "The networking of small and medium-sized companies with science is an essential prerequisite for companies to improve their technological competence and competitiveness. That is why we provide small and medium-sized companies with a clearly structured range of funding, with which we can specifically Support research collaborations with other companies and research institutes. Simpler processes and better advice will facilitate access to these programs".
Additional information
SME funding advice from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research: http://www.kmu-info.bmbf.de/
Downloads
High-Tech Master Plan "Innovations and Future Technologies in SMEs" - An initiative of the Federal Government within the framework of "pro mittelstand": [http://www.bmwa.bund.de/bmwa/generator/Redaktion/Inhalte/Downloads/High-Tech-Masterplan,property=pdf.pdf] (PDF: 410KB
Source: Berlin [bmwa]
