Statement to the press by Dr. Andreas Kreimeyer

Chairman of the Chemical Industry Fund within the German Chemical Industry Association

(Fonds der Chemischen Industrie im Verband der Chemischen Industrie – VCI)

29 June 2009, Lindau/Germany

(Check against delivery)

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Ladies and Gentlemen:

The fact that this globally unique event continues to take place in Lindau signifies the importance of Germany as a key location for science. The next few days not only promise scientific exchanges and meetings between talented young scientists and Nobel Prize laureates in chemistry, but will also show that the chemical community is tackling the challenges of the present while trying to find answers to the urgent issues of the future: a rapidly growing and ageing population, urbanization, energy demands, and mobility. The chemical industry, a cross-sector industry, is well-prepared for finding solutions to these new, old challenges.

The Chemical Industry Fund is both proud and glad to support this traditional, elite event here in Lindau; we are assuming the costs of 125,000 euros for 115 young scientists, who will be meeting with Nobel Prize laureates through Friday. Furthermore, some individual chemical companies are making considerable financial contributions to support this event. Our industry needs young people with enthusiasm for the future, because their creative ideas and their dedication are guarantors of future innovations in chemistry.

Chemical innovations significantly contribute to the development of advanced products and processes within other industries. We need chemical know-how to address such issues as effective climate protection, savings in energy and raw materials, supply of clean water or food for a growing global population. This know-how is needed to develop lithium-ion batteries for use in modern motorcars, tailor-made functional materials for photovoltaics, and the next generation of heat insulation.

Technical progress presupposes education in a form which stirs enthusiasm, as well as excellent professional qualifications. In particular, an industrial location such as Germany depends on these factors because we do not have significant sources of raw materials. The abilities and the skills of the people who live in Germany are our resources for achieving future growth, prosperity, and progress. We will therefore continue to need specialized and well-qualified individuals, including chemists.

For this reason, our Chemical Industry Fund promotes young scientists. The Fund supports schools and universities by awarding fellowships and prizes to outstanding young scientists in chemistry, biochemistry, and related subjects. Our fellowship program primarily promotes gifted and high-performing doctoral candidates and prospective university professors, as well as future chemistry teachers.

Our program not only starts at the university level, but it also involves children and youngsters in schools. Our "School Partnership Chemistry" program – to which the Fund has been contributing 2.1 million euros annually since 2001 – wants to improve the teaching of experimental chemistry and stir enthusiasm for chemistry. With this in mind, the Fund also provides schools with high-quality teaching materials. After all, we want interested pupils to grow into well-informed adults. Only in this way can they assess the chances and risks of new technologies and form their own sound judgments.

In difficult economic times like today, one can rely on the chemical industry to promote young people. Against this backdrop, the Board of Trustees – or Kuratorium – of the Chemical Industry Fund has decided to make 6.4 million euros available for fellowships and the promotion of young scientists for 2009; this includes doctoral candidates from abroad who want to pursue a doctoral degree in Germany.

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Germany has outstanding fundamental research of international renown. This good news is based on a research rating by the German Council of Science and Humanities. The Council advises the German federal government and the governments of the German federal states in the development of their organizational structure of universities and their scientific content. Two years ago the Council systematically evaluated, for the first time, the performance of chemistry research at universities and non-university research facilities. The Chemical Industry Fund supported this evaluation project.

The result: Chemical research in Germany has a very well-balanced profile. The main points are 1) the broad basis of research achievements ranging from good to very good, 2) the successful promotion of young scientists, and 3) the well-functioning transfer of knowledge. From our viewpoint, the results of the study lead to one central conclusion: research facilities are particularly successful if they seek a clear-cut profile for themselves and focus their strength on a very small number of research fields. This conclusion is impressively substantiated by the above-average results of chemical research at Max-Planck-Institutes, which were included in the study.

This appraisal of chemistry was of great benefit for the international visibility of fundamental chemical research in Germany. The wide range of fields covered, the interdisciplinary character and the diversity of research facilities are – so-to-speak – the "trade marks" of Germany as a location for science. For these reasons, Germany is also an interesting place for outstanding young scientists from abroad.

Even though these findings are positive, we must not forget that the strength of chemistry in research and industry in Germany cannot be taken for granted. And most importantly, we cannot and we must not rest on our laurels, because the pressure of international competition on Germany – as a location of chemical innovation – is increasing dramatically with progressing globalization. This holds true for science and industry. In particular, the newly industrialized countries of Asia are catching up in research, and unfortunately, Germany still does not attract enough outstanding foreign scientists, irrespective of the large number of good programs initiated by the federal government and scientific organizations.

The following measures are necessary for Germany to remain globally competitive as a location for chemical innovation:

·Give sufficient autonomy to research facilities – for example, in appointments of outstanding scientists.

·Ensure internationally competitive financing for universities and research facilities. Politicians must not economize on research and teaching.

·Strengthen and intensify chemical research as a whole to successfully cope with the tasks and problems of the future.

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Since 1980, nine German scientists have been awarded the Nobel Prize in chemistry or medicine – eight of these scientists were or are being promoted by the Chemical Industry Fund. We see this as encouragement and as a responsibility not to slacken in our research promotion efforts. Countess Bernadotte as President of the Council and Professor Schürer as Chairman of the Board of the Foundation – let me extend my best wishes for an inspiring and successful event.