Thuringia

Region

Introduction

The Free State of Thuringia is a German federal state, bordered by Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Lower Saxony, Hesse and Bavaria. Thuringia was home to 2.14m inhabitants in 2019, the equivalent of 3% of the German population (Eurostat, 2020). Thuringia has a surface area of 16,172 km2, with a population density of 132.5 inhabitants/km2. The capital and largest city is Erfurt.
Thuringia is known for its industrial sectors in the automotive supply sector, tools industry, engine construction, software engineering, photovoltaic production, medical and biotechnology and lens manufacturing. Thuringia’s universities and research organisations put the region business on the cutting edge of innovation and supply the latter with the skilled workers needed to stay there. Moreover, its universities and research organizations put Thuringia’s businesses on the cutting edge of innovation and supply them with the skilled workers needed to stay there (Germany Trade & Invest , 2019).

Vertical Tabs

Economy

Socio-economic profile:

Thuringia’s economy witnessed a period of dynamic development immediately after 1990, followed by a phase of slowdown and consolidation. Thuringia was affected by the economic crisis, resulting in negative growth rates of the regional GDP in 2008/09. In 2018, the regional GDP was €62.8b, which represented some 2% of the German GDP (Eurostat, 2020).
In 2019, the active population consisted of 1.08m persons (2.5% of the national active population); and the federal state had an unemployment rate of 3.7% (German average: 3.2%) (Eurostat, 2020). The unemployment rate decreased by 27% between 2016 and 2019 (Eurostat, 2020).
Thuringia has a long industrial tradition, which is represented by a diversified industrial landscape (automotive, optics, tourism, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, energy and environmental technologies, food industry, Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), plastic, life science and logistics.) (Invest in Thuringia , 2019). There is a high importance of small and medium-sized enterprises (99.6% of all Thuringian companies have less than 250 employees) (Mittelstandsbericht Thüringen 2015, 2019). Within the manufacturing sector, the highest turnover was achieved in the manufacture of motor vehicles and components, metal products, food products, electronics and optical products (Invest in Thuringia , 2019).
In 2019, 1.6% of the regional population worked in the agricultural sector, 32.2% in industry, and 66.2% in the services sector (Eurostat, 2020). Compared to the German average, these figures show a higher importance of manufacturing industries than at the federal level (national figure: 27.2%) (Eurostat, 2020).
Thuringia exported goods and services with a volume of €15.5bn in 2018 which represents 1.7% of the total German exports (Statistisches Bundesamt, 2019). This positions Thuringia on the third last place of the German regions in terms of exports, just before Brandenburg (1% of German exports) and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (0.5%) (Statistisches Bundesamt, 2019). The most important categories of goods are motor vehicles and motor vehicle parts and machinery, followed by data processing equipment, electronic and optical products. Hungary is the most important trading partner for the regional exports, followed by the United States and France (Mittelstandsbericht Thüringen 2015 , 2019).

Research, Development & Innovation

RTDI profile:

In 2017, Thuringia had total R&D expenditures of €1.35bn, which corresponds to 2.21% of the regional GDP (national average: 3.07%, EU-28: 2.08%). 22% of the GERD is generated by the government, 28% by the higher education sector and 50% by private businesses (Eurostat, 2020). This points towards a strong focus on public R&D involvement (Eurostat, 2020).
In 2017, 547 patents were filed at the German Patent Office (1.2% of German applications; 25 applications/100,000 inhabitants) (DPMA, 2019). In addition, 257.15 patent applications were filed with the European Patent Office in 2012, i.e. 11.78 per 100,000 inhabitants (national average: 23.03 patent applications/ 100,000 inhabitants) (Eurostat, 2020).
About 1.7% of the German R&D personnel are employed in Thuringia (10,875 full time equivalent, 2015), of which 49.3% was employed in the business sector (Germany average: 63.2%) (Eurostat, 2020). In 2019, 28.5% of the 30-34 years olds had obtained tertiary level education diplomas, significantly below the German average (35.5%) (Eurostat, 2020). Additionally, some 5.7% of Thuringia population works in the high-technology sector (in both manufacturing and services) (Eurostat, 2020).
Thuringia has a science and research landscape composed of five public universities and five universities of applied sciences (one of which is private) (Invest in Thuringia , 2019). Thuringia is home to a wide range of science and research institutes. Indeed, 14 universities and 19 non-universities institutes which include five institutes and research units of the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft, three institutes of the Max Planck Society, one institute of the Helmholtz Association, five institutes and research units of the Leibniz Association and further research institutes are present in Thuringia (Research in Thuringia , 2019).
Furthermore, Thuringia has three innovation centres: Thuringia centre for mechanical engineering (ThZM ), Thuringia Innovation centre mobility (ThIMo ) and the centre for energy and environmental chemistry (CEEC ). The state also hosts seven technology centres and incubators (BIC in Northern Thuringia, GIS in Eisenach/Stedtfeld, IGZ in Rudolstadt, TIZ in Gera, TGZ in Ilmenau, TIP in Jena and TGF in Schmalkalden/Dermbach) and five application centres. These are the Application Centre microsystems technology Erfurt, the Studiopark media centre for children’s films in Erfurt, the Centre for Modern Construction Weimar and the Centre for Creative Industries Weimar.
In terms of ICT infrastructure, 94% of the Thuringia population has broadband access (Germany average: 94%), in 2019) (Eurostat, 2020).

Regional Innovation Scoreboard results

Latest Regional Innovation Scoreboard results:

The Regional Innovation Scoreboard 2019 characterises Thuringia as a “Strong Innovator”. Thuringia’s innovation performance has decreased over time starting from 2012.
Thuringia has specific strengths related to the public sector expenditures on research and development, representing 106% of the German average and 126% of the European average). The region is also doing very well in marketing/organisational innovations (0.548, the normalised score) as well as when it comes to SMEs innovating in-house (0.522, the normalised score).
The scoreboard reveals one specific weakness in Thuringia: its share of the adult population with tertiary education only reaches 56% of the German average and 43% of the European average. Other weaknesses in the region are the trademark and design applications, with only 43% and 47% respectively of the German average and 48% and 60% of the European average.

Governance

Governance profile:

The governance of the innovation ecosystem of Thuringia is characterised by a multilevel governance. The State is the main implementing body of the innovation strategy and works according to frameworks enacted at both federal and European levels.
Being one of the German federal states, Thuringia has considerable autonomy in legislation as well as in R&D policy. Particularly in the field of education policy, the German states independently elaborate their own legislation and policies.
The Ministry for Economic Affairs, Science and Digital Society is responsible for economic policy, research and universities, technology and innovation, research, tourism and business promotion. The ministry is aiming for further economic development in Thuringia and is pursuing an active industrial, innovation and technology policy. The aim is that economic growth and innovation drivers should be strengthened and above all, the policy mix seeks to support and orient technology in the direction of greater added value.
Nine industry-oriented regional research institutes offer their know-how to small and medium-sized regional firms that often have limited capacities for internal R&D. Together, these research institutes form the “Research and Technology Network Thüringen (FTVT). This includes:

CiS Forschungsinstitut für Mikrosensorik GmbH that focuses on micro-sensors, microsystem technology and silicon detectors;
the Research Centre of Medical Technology and Biotechnology fzmb GmbH ;
the Society for Production Engineering and Development (GFE-net);
the Weimar Institute of Applied Construction Research (IAB );
the Günter-Köhler-Institut für Fügetechnik und Werkstoffprüfung GmbH (ifw);
INNOVENT Technology Development Jena (Innovent e.V.);
Robert Boyle Institute for anaerobic technologies and the use of Biomass (RBI);
the Institute for Special Textiles and Flexible Materials TITV Greiz; and
the Thuringian Institute of Textile and Plastics Research TITK .

Further regional actors that support technology development and transfer are Landespatentzentrum Thüringen der Technischen Universität Ilmenau PATON (Federal State Patent Centre at the Technical University Ilmenau ). Funding support for regional companies is provided by various institutions, such as the Thüringer Aufbaubank (TAB, Thuringian Development Bank ), while the Landesentwicklungsgesellschaft Thuringia (LEG, State Development Corporation ) focuses on the development of the state’s technology and business environment. Two foundations address science and innovation support: the Foundation Ernst Abbe and the Foundation for Technology, Innovation and Research (STIFT ). The competence and information centre Thüringer Energie- und GreenTech-Agentur (ThEGA, Thuringian Energy and Greentech Agency ) engages in industrial, energy and resource policy. Thuringia’s clusters in the identified growth fields are managed by Thüringer ClusterManagement (ThCM ) in the Landesentwicklungsgesellschaft.

Policy

Policy trends profile:

Thuringia’s innovation policies have been designed at three different levels:

At the European level, the ERDF/ESF 2014-2020 OP and the Regional Innovation Smart Specialisation Strategy (RIS3), currently being updated.
At the national level, the Federal Cabinet adopted in 2018 a new German High-tech Strategy entitled "High-Tech Strategy 2025".
At the regional level, the Innovation strategy is described in the document "Regionale Forschungsund Innovationsstrategie für intelligente Spezialisierung für Thüringen ", from 2014.

The aim of the research, technology and innovation policy is to enhance innovation activities of regional firms, particularly of small and medium-sized enterprises, and to promote the transfer of research results into commercialisation. In this respect, particularly technology and knowledge-based companies are supported in their research, technology and innovation activities.
The Free State of Thuringia pursues an active economic policy towards a knowledge-based and resource-friendly economy. Under this general objective, regional economic policy focuses on encouraging dynamic and sustainable economic growth, job creation and the strengthening of Thuringia’s innovation capacity. The “Trendatlas 2020”, published in 2011, and its innovation, investment and modernisation strategy, is providing a roadmap for Thuringia’s economic development policy and strategy. On the base of Thuringia’ strengths and potential for growth, international trends and future markets, the “Trendatlas” identifies eleven dynamic and future-oriented growth fields. These are accordingly key areas of Thuringia’s industrial policy. A further focus is on R&D in the business sector, cluster and networks, skilled labour, and future-oriented technologies, as well as growth of regional (predominantly small) companies and structural change towards new technology-driven future domains.
The “Trendatlas” results were integrated in the regional process of smart specialisation, together with further studies and analyses. Based on a broad discussion process in the region, the RIS3 Strategy highlights five fields of specialisation:

Sustainable and smart mobility and logistics;
Healthy life and health industry;
Industrial production and systems;
Sustainable energy and resource use;
ICT and innovative services close to production.

The Ministry for Economic Affairs, Science and Digital Society seeks to provide favourable and innovation-friendly framework conditions through promoting research, technology and innovation as well as through the support for R&D personnel.
In 2015, the Ministry published the Directive of the Free State of Thuringia for the promotion of research technology and innovation, “Richtlinie des Freistaates Thüringen zur Förderung von Forschung Technologie und Innovation ”. The innovation policy presents a vision of innovation as a driver for growth and employment for further advancing regional industry and research. Of high importance for Thuringia’s regional economy are innovation activities undertaken by regional SMEs; thus, the aim of the regional research, technology and innovation policy is to further push innovation activities in SMEs and to increase the transfer of research results from regional science and research towards commercialisation. Thuringia’s regional policy for research, technology and innovation support is based on three main elements:

Support of R&D projects (including collaborative efforts as well as R&D in individual companies);
Innovation vouchers; and
Industry-oriented infrastructure.

Supporting measures are co-funded through ERDF, ESF and regional means. Research and innovation policy is based on the regional RIS3 strategy and it focusses on four specialisation fields, complemented by ICT and innovative services as horizontal cross-cutting fields (see above).
In 2007, the Thuringian Government launched an inter-departmental research strategy, which is since then continually updated and complements the regional RIS3 strategy since 2015. The strategy targets strengthening regional universities, non-university research organisations and R&D in private businesses in order to promote scientific excellence. This follows the rationale that a competitive research landscape generates impulses for knowledge and technology transfer and innovations.
Regional research policy aims at ensuring competitiveness, strengthening networks, junior staff development and infrastructure investments. Key research fields are characterised by scientific excellence and close interlinkages with innovative industries. Research funding has two main components: one is focussed on the further development of existing core research fields including maintaining/ increasing their international competitiveness and establishing cross-institutional cooperation structures. The other one is based on supporting innovation projects in the fields of cultural and social change, media and communication, health research and medical technology, microbiology and biotechnology, optical technologies and photonics, micro- and nanotechnologies and microelectronics, information and communication technologies, materials and production technologies, and environmental and energy technology as well as infrastructure.

Activities linked with Advanced Manufacturing

Activities linked with Advanced Manufacturing:

Manufacturing industries have a high importance and tradition in Thuringia in terms of value added, growth and employment. The regional business structure is largely characterised by small and medium-sized enterprises and below-average R&D investments by the business sector. The regional economy is further characterised by a broad mix of different sectors, clusters and competence centres in various growth areas, and a differentiated science and research landscape. In order to increase innovation performance, international competitiveness and employment in the regional economy, the field “Industrial production and systems” is given a high priority in Thuringia’s smart specialisation strategy; the regional RIS3 strategy shows that this specialisation field has specialisation advantages compared to the national level. “Industry 4.0” as part of advanced manufacturing is specifically anchored in two fields of specialisation of Thuringia’s RIS3 strategy: industrial production and systems (see above) and the cross-cutting field of information and communication technologies services. In industrial production and systems, development potential is above all seen in smart, efficient and connected machines and plants, leading to new business models, thus leading to advantages in global competition through intelligent and strategic specialisation.
Concerning industry-oriented research activities, examples for “Industry 4.0” activities are the research groups of flexible process technologies and for in-process quality assurance, both located at the Thüringer Zentrum für Maschinenbau (Centre for Mechanical Engineering Thuringia ) and conducted in cooperation with university and non-university research institutes. This centre is a joint project of the Technical University Ilmenau, the Association for Production Technology and Development Schmalkalden, the Universities of Applied Sciences in Schmalkalden and the Günter-Köhler-Institut für Fügetechnik und Werkstoffprüfung GmbH Jena (Institute Günter Köhler for joining technology and material testing Jena).
In 2016, the Centre for Mechanical Engineering Thuringia and its activities in Industry 4.0 was selected as a competence centre in the nation-wide competition “Small bus iness 4.0 Competence Centres” in order to further develop digitalisation of Thuringia’s industry. It is located at the Centre for Mechanical Engineering at the Technical University Ilmenau. The centre of Ilmenau focuses on the following important thematic aspects:

Integration of intelligent sensor systems, sensor-near data processing and real-time communication in existing systems (Modellfabrik Ilmenau);
Networking of machines and production processes (Modellfabrik Ilmenau);
3D printing and individualized production (Modellfabrik Jena);
Data generation and transfer processes (Modellfabrik Schmalkaden) as well as;
Production management and control systems (Modellfabrik Sondershausen).

The funding initiative “Forschungscampus (research campus) - a public-private partnership for innovations” of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, has been launched with the objective of strengthening Germany’s competitiveness as a strong location for research, development and innovation. Since the beginning of 2016, nine research campuses have been taking part in this initiative. The BMBF supports the research campuses, each with up to two million euros annually for a period of up to 15 years. One of the nine chosen ones is located in Thuringia, InfectoGnostics , research Campus Jena. The InfectoGnostics research campus is a public-private partnership developing new methods in infection diagnostics, with help from transnational research. The interdisciplinary network brings together experts from industry, research and clinics: 25 partners are together developing marketable solutions for rapid and cost-effective on-site analysis (point-of-care testing) of infections.

Complete Regional Profile

Economy

Research, Development & Innovation

Latest Regional Innovation Scoreboard results

Governance

CiS Forschungsinstitut für Mikrosensorik GmbH that focuses on micro-sensors, microsystem technology and silicon detectors;
the Research Centre of Medical Technology and Biotechnology fzmb GmbH ;
the Society for Production Engineering and Development (GFE-net);
the Weimar Institute of Applied Construction Research (IAB );
the Günter-Köhler-Institut für Fügetechnik und Werkstoffprüfung GmbH (ifw);
INNOVENT Technology Development Jena (Innovent e.V.);
Robert Boyle Institute for anaerobic technologies and the use of Biomass (RBI);
the Institute for Special Textiles and Flexible Materials TITV Greiz; and
the Thuringian Institute of Textile and Plastics Research TITK .

Policy

Thuringia’s innovation policies have been designed at three different levels:

At the European level, the ERDF/ESF 2014-2020 OP and the Regional Innovation Smart Specialisation Strategy (RIS3), currently being updated.
At the national level, the Federal Cabinet adopted in 2018 a new German High-tech Strategy entitled "High-Tech Strategy 2025".
At the regional level, the Innovation strategy is described in the document "Regionale Forschungsund Innovationsstrategie für intelligente Spezialisierung für Thüringen ", from 2014.

Sustainable and smart mobility and logistics;
Healthy life and health industry;
Industrial production and systems;
Sustainable energy and resource use;
ICT and innovative services close to production.

Support of R&D projects (including collaborative efforts as well as R&D in individual companies);
Innovation vouchers; and
Industry-oriented infrastructure.

Activities linked with Advanced Manufacturing

Integration of intelligent sensor systems, sensor-near data processing and real-time communication in existing systems (Modellfabrik Ilmenau);
Networking of machines and production processes (Modellfabrik Ilmenau);
3D printing and individualized production (Modellfabrik Jena);
Data generation and transfer processes (Modellfabrik Schmalkaden) as well as;
Production management and control systems (Modellfabrik Sondershausen).

Repository

Support Measures

Policy Documents

Organisations

European Commission - Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs

Thuringia

Vertical Tabs

Economy

Research, Development & Innovation

Latest Regional Innovation Scoreboard results

Governance

Policy

Activities linked with Advanced Manufacturing