The new Jump Innovation Agency is scheduled to start working in just under six weeks, but many important issues have yet to be resolved: it is not yet clear who should head the agency, which is headed by the Ministry of Economic Affairs (BMWi) and the Ministry of Research (BMBF). Still concrete projects are in the selection. Other basic details are also open. This shows the response of the government to a small request by Anna Christmann, innovation and technology spokeswoman of the Greens, which is the Tagesspiegel.
Research Minister Anja Karliczek (CDU) failed to „set clear course in good time. Thus, this Federal Government is wasting valuable time, instead of actually promoting groundbreaking innovations made in Europe, „criticized Christmann.
Ten innovation competitions and the start of ten top projects are therefore planned for the start-up phase from 2019 to 2022. 116 million euros have now been approved by the Budget Committee, 14 million euros are to flow in the first year.
But according to which key the financing of the agency between BMBF and BMWi divides, still must be worked out. The ministries are also still „identifying“ pilot initiatives for the innovation competitions: „A determination on topics has not happened at the moment,“ it says in the government’s response. The „topic search process is currently being developed“.
The agency is to be founded as a GmbH and run by so-called innovation managers. The aim is to „launch ambitious projects that can change a product or a technology completely overnight“, announces Karliczek recently – but until the agency itself appears on the street, it still seems like a long way to go , From the point of view of Christmann, even the founding of the agency, which was postponed until January, therefore appears „unrealistic“: „The Federal Government, on the other hand, remains in clarification mode. Be it the evaluation concept, staff regulations or stakeholder involvement, this government is still busy developing ‚details‘ „.
