Baden-Württemberg and Saxony Demand Equal Treatment for Non-University Research Institutions
Baden-Württemberg and Saxony are jointly calling for equal treatment of non-university research institutions in terms of salaries for top-level personnel. They argue that these institutions should be granted the same freedoms in salary payment as large scientific and research institutions, which have already been introduced years ago.
With the legislative proposal presented today in the Bundesrat, a true equal treatment among non-university research institutions is to be achieved. The industrial research institutions in the states should be granted the same freedoms in salary payment for their top-level personnel as the large scientific and research institutions that were introduced years ago.
Dr. Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut, Minister for Economic Affairs, Labor, and Tourism in Baden-Württemberg, together with Martin Dulig, Minister of Economic Affairs, Labor, and Transport in Saxony, is calling for equal treatment of non-university research institutions in the states and proposes a change in the Wissenschaftsfreiheitsgesetz (Science Freedom Act). The two states have jointly submitted a corresponding legislative proposal to the Bundesrat (BR-Drs. 264/23).
In the competition for skilled workers, adequate payment is necessary
„In the global competition for skilled workers and the best scientists, there is a need for freedom and adequate payment, even in non-university research institutions,“ explained Dr. Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut, the Minister of Economic Affairs, Labor, and Tourism in Baden-Württemberg. „Otherwise, Germany risks falling behind in the innovation competition for the smartest minds,“ Dr. Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut continued. The actions of the federal government in recent months have caused great uncertainty among all parties involved. A clear perspective is still lacking. Non-university research institutions urgently need planning security in order to be able to concentrate on their research tasks.
The Saxon Minister of Economic Affairs, Martin Dulig, said, „Research institutions are central innovation partners for our medium-sized companies – and progress needs skilled workers! We are facing major challenges in climate and energy transition, the automotive industry, and the overall digitization of our society. This requires clever ideas and innovations! Therefore, the institutions need the best researchers, as well as experienced science managers. We must enable them to pay competitive salaries with private revenues. This is the only way they can attract and retain skilled workers in the long term.“
Federal government takes action against non-university research institutions
According to the budgetary regulations of the federal government and the states, funding recipients are generally not allowed to pay their employees better than comparable federal or state employees. The public sector collective wage agreements serve as a benchmark. The provision of competitive salaries for management personnel is therefore severely restricted because the public sector collective wage agreements do not apply to executive employees. For several months, the federal government has been taking action against numerous non-university research institutions in the states and stipulating that the ban on better treatment be complied with for all personnel.
With the Wissenschaftsfreiheitsgesetz (Science Freedom Act) adopted in 2012, non-university research institutions jointly supported by the federal and state governments, including the Max Planck Society, the Fraunhofer Society, the Helmholtz Association, the Leibniz Association, and the German Research Foundation, were given significantly more autonomy and freedoms. The listed scientific and research institutions can use their financial resources more flexibly and thereby more effectively, efficiently, and target-oriented. This notably includes the relaxation of the ban on better treatment and the permission for institutions to use third-party funds from non-public sources to attract or retain highly qualified researchers. The law does not yet apply to independent non-university research institutions of the states, resulting in significant disadvantages for them in competition.
In recent months, the states have repeatedly turned to the federal government and proposed solutions. Unanimous resolutions of the Wirtschaftsministerkonferenz (Conference of Economic Ministers) as well as the Minister-President Conference, which demand a long-term sustainable legal framework, have so far not led to a change of course by the federal government.
A significant key to Germany’s innovation and economic strength
The research and transfer institutions close to the economy are a key factor in Germany’s innovation and economic strength. The non-university research institutions of the states are independent institutes of industry-related research institutions. They provide an important bridge between science and the economy and are specifically tailored to the needs of small and medium-sized enterprises. The task of the non-university research institutions is to timely identify and explore technology fields relevant to the economy through preliminary and independent research. The individual institutes are crucial pillars in the transfer system of the states.
In Baden-Württemberg, the non-university research institutions are organized jointly in the Innovationsallianz innBW e.V. and receive annual basic funding from the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labor, and Tourism. In addition, the institutes receive project funding from the federal government or the European Union, as well as orders from industry.
The Saxon institutes are organized in the Sächsische Industrieforschungsgemeinschaft e.V. (SIG) and are primarily funded through industrial and community projects. They receive subsidies from the Free State of Saxony for major investment projects upon application and greatly benefit from federal innovation funding programs.
