Innovation programme for environmental technologies

The high-tech strategy of the German government has challenged the small- and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) in Germany, encouraging them to focus on their own home-grown innovations. SMEs are some of the most innovative companies in Europe. They are supported in their innovative endeavours by the Zentralen Innovationsprogramm Mittelstand (ZIM – Central Innovation Programme for SMEs). To offset any disadvantages of SMEs compared to bigger companies, they can obtain funding for research and development projects in the form of subsidies that do not have to be paid back. With the ZIM projects approved in 2009 and 2010 alone, around 70 000 jobs were safe­guarded or created.

 

The ZIM modules SOLO (assistance for single enterprises) and KOOP (support of co-operative projects with at least one other industrial partner or a scientific institute) enable the often very flexible, but generally undercapitalized innovative enterprises to develop their own innovations. The criteria for ZIM subsidies, which generally amount to over 100 000 € per project in addition to 25 000 € for preparation of the market launch, are SME-friendly: simple application possible at any time, rapid approval procedures and comparatively “uncomplicated” bureaucracy.

 

With ZIM-SOLO funding from Berlin, ITE GmbH has developed, for instance, a mobile, high-performance separator for processing drilling sludge (Fig.). This environmentally friendly and economic innovation, which is used in well and geothermal drilling and ultimately discharges “almost” clear water into the sewage system, separates the drillings and solids. “Without the funding, realization of the innovation would only have been possible in certain circumstances and would have taken a much longer time,” explained Norbert Schwarzer, authorized officer at ITE. He went on to say that new markets had been opened with the innovation and turnover had increased in this market segment.

 

x

Related articles:

Issue 04/2016

Examples of inventiveness and innovations of German enterprises

The ceremony of this year’s German Raw Material Efficiency Award, which was held on December 4, 2015 in the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) in Berlin, was expected with...

more
Issue 06/2011

Prize for new spectrometer system

On 31.03.2011 Germany’s Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology honoured the cooperation partners RTT STEINERT GmbH and inno-spec GmbH with the ZIM Prize 2010 for the development of a new,...

more
Issue 11/2014 CDE

Integrated environmental protection

CDE Global and Josef Bohnen GmbH hosted an open day event on 23rd August at a new sand and gravel washing plant at Josef Bohnen’s main quarry in Swisttal, near Cologne. The turnkey plant (Fig. 1) was...

more

ACHEMA 2024 sets the tone for a more sustainable and competitive process industry

At ACHEMA 2024, the world's leading trade show for the process industries, 2842 exhibitors from 56 nations showed 106 001 participants from 141 countries the latest equipment and innovative processes...

more
Issue 06/2013

FILTECH 2013 Congress Programme now released

With FILTECH 2013 taking place from 22-24 ­October 2013, the City of Wiesbaden will turn into the world’s top meeting-place for all those involved with Filtration & Separation and adjacent sectors....

more