AiF – German Federation of Industrial Research Associations
The AiF is the German Federation of Industrial Research Associations “Otto von Guericke” e.V. and was founded in 1954. The task and mission of the AiF is to be the leading national organisation for the promotion of applied research and development for SMEs. The legal form of the AiF is a non-profit registered association. Members include about 100 industrial research associations from all sectors (industry and service providers) with 50,000 affiliated companies (mainly small and medium-sized enterprises).
The organs and bodies are the General Assembly, the Presidium, the Senate and the Scientific Council. The head office is in Cologne and there is a capital office in Berlin especially for the connection to politics.
As a consortium of industrial research associations, the AiF stands for the promotion of different innovation stages together with partners from industry, science and the state. We offer a portfolio of funding instruments along the entire value chain, from basic research to proprietary implementation in products and processes.
The heart of the AiF is Industrielle Gemeinschaftsforschung (IGF). It fills the gap between basic research and commercial application. Here, new technologies are prepared for entire sectors of the economy or often across sectors. Companies accompany the research work, which is oriented towards their needs and interests. The IGF results are openly available to all interested parties. They are the preliminary stage for company-specific developments. It is well-known that small and medium-sized enterprises are the foundation of the German economy. This is also due to its innovative strength – and it is to this that the work of the AiF is directed.
The Aif facilitates access to technological progress, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises. So that SMEs remain a stable basis of the German economy in the future and can maintain their international competitiveness. The DVS is a member of the AiF and the research association for the interests of welding technology. The IGF projects mentioned above are organised there.
You can find more information at www.aif.de