Promoting Innovation

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Today, knowledge is disseminated faster than ever and has become a key production factor through the impetus it gives to such innovations as newly launched products or services and newly implemented production processes. As a result, only enterprises implementing innovations fuelled by new research and development processes are capable of asserting themselves on the market in the long run. For this reason, Berlin’s economic policy regards a reliable yet flexible approach to promoting innovation as a key plank in helping regional enterprises hone and sustain an effective competitive edge. On the one hand, this policy aims at developing and leveraging the existing potential for innovation in Berlin’s many established enterprises, especially in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). On the other, the objective is to further stimulate the business start-up and locational dynamic in a process focusing particularly on generating economic value from the region’s broad scientific and research landscape. Here, networking with companies enables science and research to strengthen the generation and transfer of implementation-oriented knowledge. Overall, the bundling of regional competences and promoting efficient (cooperation) structures creates a basis for sustainably stabilising and increasing competitiveness, employment and growth.

Berlin’s Technology and Innovation Funding Programmes

Funding Projects and Business Promotion

Pro Fit – Programme to Promote Research, Innovation and Technologies
In particular, the Pro Fit programme aims to enhance the technological competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) by intensifying research and development in individual and joint projects, and supporting the market launch of innovations.

  • Pro Fit Innovation
    Funding: Company research projects and research institute joint projects in the areas of industrial research and experimental development
    Loans: Individual and joint projects in experimental development and production organisation, market preparation / launch by companies
  • Pro Fit Early Phase
    Funding and Loans: Improving the potential sources of financing for newly established companies for developing and operating their business infrastructure, as well as forward and / or parallel financing to implement an innovation project.
  • Details and applications: Investitionsbank Berlin, Tel.: (030) 2125 4668

Innovation Assistant Programme

The programme supports a personalised knowledge transfer in science and technology, in particular, in SMEs. The enterprises obtain new inputs into innovative processes in the organisational or technological areas from recently qualified graduates employed through this programme.
  • Contribution to HR costs: Funding towards the costs of employing recent graduates in new jobs specifically supporting innovative projects
  • Details and applications: Investitionsbank Berlin, Tel.: (030) 2125 4747

VC Fund Technology
The venture capital funding focuses on innovative young Berlin-based technology-oriented companies. By providing an additional input of private finance through equity or quasi-equity capital during the early business phase, a viable and sustainable capital basis can be established and the financial risk reduced.

Ordinary equity holdings which can be supplemented by silent partnerships or shareholders’ loans, primarily for projects strengthening a company’s competitive position or taking innovative projects to market

Details and applications: IBB Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH, Tel.: (030) 2125 3201

Transfer BONUS
This programme supports the increased transfer of technological and scientific knowledge from research to industry to strengthen the innovative potential of small and medium-sized enterprises in the region.

Financing of small format cooperation projects with a research facility in the field of applied research and development

Details and applications: IBB Business Team GmbH, Tel.: (030) 4678 2828

Design Transfer Bonus
The Design Transfer Programme supports the transfer of knowledge and expertise from the design sector and university research to SMEs developing technological products or services. The available funding promotes the earliest possible applied integration of design skills in innovation processes.
Details and applications: B.&S.U. mbH, Tel.: (0)30 390 42 72
Senate Department (SenWEB) contact: Nadja Clarus, Tel.: (030) 9013 8477

Training, Consulting and Networking

Coaching BONUS
The Coaching BONUS programme offers targeted coaching projects to help entrepreneurs and young and established enterprises acquire the skills needed to meet business and management challenges successfully, and so boost their competitiveness. SMEs already active on the market can obtain customised support in developing an international presence in their field of business.

Support funds: Consulting and training projects for innovative start-ups and enterprises in the technology sector interested in developing a set of sustainable business skills

Details and applications: IBB Business Team GmbH, Tel.: (030) 467 8280

Business Angels of Berlin and Brandenburg
The Business Angels Club, whose main office receives financial support from the federal state of Berlin, focuses especially on providing mentoring and networking opportunities for entrepreneurs in the Berlin-Brandenburg capital region. This support also includes guidance on how to design a successful and sustainable business model.

Evaluations and Reports

Evaluating Berlin’s Promotion of Innovation and Technology: For the project “Evaluating Berlin’s Promotion of Innovation and Technology” in 2009/10, the Senate Department for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises funded an external survey to analyse and evaluate the effectiveness and sustainability of specific innovation measures, both in their individual and combined impact.
Evaluating Berlin’s Promotion of Innovation and Technology (in German)

Further information about this

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