The AiF is the German Federation of Industrial Research Associations "Otto von Guericke".
The AiF is project coordinator for the IGF and ZuTech programmes sponsored by the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Labour. BVL plays a part in these promotion programmes via its membership of the AiF.
Research for small and medium-sized companies
The central concern of the AiF is the promotion of applied research and development (R&D) for the benefit of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Since it was founded in 1954, the AiF has created a unique infrastructure to this end, comprising an industry-sponsored innovation network that serves as a bridge between industry and science and that also acts as a partner to the federal government.
The network includes 100 industrial research associations with around 50,000 member companies, primarily SMEs, as well as some 750 affiliated research institutions and two AiF offices in Cologne and Berlin.
Joint industrial research is supported via the AiF with funds from the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology. The research associations of the AiF pool research needs into related areas and allow the sharing of financial risks.
In its capacity as a system provider for all topics and issues relating to research, the AiF also offers its member associations a wide range of services to help them find their bearings in an era of fast-paced technological change.
