Research Funding - vdma.org

In our theme publication you will find facts and figures on research and development, innovations and patents in machinery and equipment manufacturing.

Whether research tax allowance, IGF or project funding - national programs support companies in turning ideas into innovations, reducing risks, strengthening cooperation and putting knowledge into practice.

North Rhine-Westphalia has strengthened its leading position in the selection of Clusters of Excellence for the upcoming funding period from 2026.

The federal government's planned immediate tax investment program sends important signals to the economy. The improvement in the research allowance in particular is good news.

New NRW.BANK development program for SMEs with up to 20 percent repayment discount

Exclusively for members, the specialist department for water and wastewater technology provides a new information service with its publication "Marketplace Water and Wastewater Technology".

To ensure the competitiveness of the mechanical and plant engineering industry, the VDMA is calling for reliable economic framework conditions. A strong industry means a strong economy.

Description

The VDMA has addressed extensive demands to politicians. What do the parties think? Our overview shows the extent to which the mechanical and plant engineering industry is taken into account in the programs for the federal election on February 23, 2025.

The Central Innovation Program for SMEs (ZIM) is a nationwide funding program that is open to all technologies and sectors.

The high pace of innovation in mechanical and plant engineering requires more industry orientation in funding, strengthening of collaborative research, transfer platforms, and the expansion of research funding for future-proof jobs.

The Institute of Machine Tools and Production Engineering (IWF) is jointly headed by Prof. Klaus Dröder and Prof. Christoph Herrmann.

Tax incentives for research offer small and medium-sized companies in particular incentives to invest in research and development.

The Leibniz-IPHT is researching biophotonic methods and technologies that are entering new dimensions in terms of resolution, sensitivity, specificity, speed, accuracy and automation.

Heavy seas and no calm in sight: the mechanical engineering industry expects a decline in production and a slight reduction in jobs in 2025. A political turnaround is needed to strengthen the industry.

The Institute of Materials in Electrical Engineering 1 (IWE 1) researches new technologies in the field of micro- and nanosystems and develops bio- and chemosensors for applications.

The Ministry of Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Protection and Energy of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia is awarding the NRW Innovation Prize for the year 2025.

The innovation prize honors practical solutions to problems. This year, it went to a VDMA member for the development of an energy-saving burner, among other things.

The state should efficiently strengthen the competitiveness of the economy. The research allowance meets all the criteria for this and also strengthens companies in the face of unfair competition.

The draft for the Tax Reform Act has both light and shade. The fact is: Germany needs relief for the economy. Now.

The new research allowance is becoming increasingly popular in the mechanical engineering sector. The Federal Ministry of Finance has now issued an important statement regarding the application deadlines for previous years.

Tax money for the scrappage scheme is not being put to good use. It would be better to use it at the beginning of the value chain in production research. This would benefit jobs and technologies.

The Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection (BMWK) published the new funding guideline "Federal Funding for Industry and Climate Protection (BIK)" on August 23.

VDMA HealthTech provides information on research topics in medical technology and the entire industrial healthcare sector, as well as on current guidelines for funding projects and the general framework conditions.

According to the VDMA survey, Germany remains in first place in the ranking of research locations. Companies want to expand their R&D both at home and abroad.

"Textiles of the Future" will be one of nine priorities in the EU Framework Programme for Research & Innovation "Horizon" from 2025 to 2027 - implemented as a "European co-programmed partnership".

The Forschungskuratorium Maschinenbau e.V. (FKM) bundles and coordinates pre-competitive research for mechanical and plant engineering.

VDMA bundles its activities in the area of "Research and Innovation" and establishes a new joint office. Research and innovation processes can thus be further optimized. Dr. Eric Maiser and Martin Nitsche take over from Dietmar Goericke.

Research secures value creation and jobs in Germany and Europe. Politicians must create innovation-friendly framework conditions. Openness to technology is essential.

Horizon Europe is the EU framework program for research and innovation for 2021 to 2027 with the aim of building a knowledge- and innovation-based society and a competitive economy.

A complete success: The mechanical engineering sector is the frontrunner in the use of the state research allowance. The funding instrument strengthens Germany's competitiveness as a business location.

The Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Transport of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia is providing funding for innovations in the circular economy with "Ressource.NRW". The submission deadline for the first round ends on April 1, 2024.

At the end of January, the Research Allowance Certification Office updated the form for applying for the research allowance.

The EU research program "Made in Europe" not only offers a dialogue platform for topics related to Industry 4.0, but also an opportunity to participate in EU projects. One focus here is the circular economy.

Since 2012, spending on R&D by the manufacturing sector in Germany has increased by more than a third. The machinery and equipment manufacturing industry has seen above-average develeopment.

With over 200 high-ranking representatives from industry, science and politics, the Photonics Partnership Annual Meeting 2023 took place in Brussels on April 26 – 27, 2023. The annual meeting of Photonics21 is one of the most important events for the

Joint research with the goal of more sustainability on the construction site - three new projects are at the start on the topics of temperature control, hydrogen and energy management.

Change is needed in various areas of education and working life to attract more women to technical professions. The latest study by the VDMA's Impuls Foundation investigates exactly what is needed. For the first time, the study focuses on the link between studies, career entry and the first years of employment for female engineers.

Wertschätzung für die Lehre, Unterstützung guter Lehrvorhaben und Rückenwind für innovative Konzepte – darum geht es beim höchstdotierten Lehrpreis in den Ingenieurwissenschaften auf Bundesebene, dem VDMA-Hochschulpreis „Bestes Maschinenhaus“.

VDMA Textile Machinery provides the results of the Industrial Collective Research (IGF) of the Textile Research Association (FKT).

The Research Council for Refrigeration Technology (Forschungsrat Kältetechnik e.V. - FKT) promotes joint industrial research in the field of refrigeration and heat pump technology.

Institute profile of the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Solid State Physics IAF

Mechanical and plant engineering creates the technological prerequisites for the desired transformation of the economy and society.

Dr. Manfred Wittenstein, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of WITTENSTEIN SE on tax policy in the Bundestag election campaign

With the GAIA-X funding competition, the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy will support the implementation of applications based on GAIA-X in the future. Consortia of users and providers can apply with their project outlines until May 7, 2021.

The BMBF supports innovations in production, services and work that focus on people through various funding measures.

The Fluid Technology Research Fund takes up industry-related topics in the pre-competitive area and carries them out with research centers and industry project-accompanying working committees.

In April, the "Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft" started its new survey on research and development (R&D) in the industry in 2020. The results are highly significant.

The machinery and plant engineering sector spent a record amount on research and development in 2019. And even during the Corona pandemic, companies continue to focus on innovation

As a globally networked industry, the mechanical and plant engineering sector has been hit hard by the effects of the Corona crisis. After securing liquidity through tax measures, among other things, the task now is to flank the recovery and strengthen growth.