AIF – Alliance for Industry and Research

AIF – Allianz für Industrie und Forschung e. V. (until 2024 Arbeitsgemeinschaft industrieller Forschungsvereinigungen „Otto von Guericke“, commonly shortened to AIF or AiF) is a German umbrella organisation that networks industry-driven research associations. Registered as a voluntary association at the Amtsgericht Köln under register number 4218, it brings together 59 non-profit research associations representing more than 50,000 mostly small and medium-sized enterprises and around 1,200 participating research institutions. Its self-description is that of a unique, cross-sectoral and technology-open industrial network in Germany. The association was founded on 22 June 1954 in Königstein im Taunus on a joint initiative of industry and the state, with representatives of eight research associations signing the founding protocol and statutes. Its purpose was to pursue both ideal and material goals in the field of industrial collective research (Industrielle Gemeinschaftsforschung, IGF), in which companies cooperate on pre-competitive research. For decades the AIF acted as a project management agency for public funding programmes, notably the IGF programme of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK). Structurally, the AIF operates through organs including the members' assembly, the presidium, the senate, the scientific council and expert groups. It has two wholly owned subsidiaries: AiF Projekt GmbH, founded in 2010 and based in Berlin, which acts as a project management agency, evaluator and mentor (for example as a mandated project management agency for the BMWK's ZIM-KOOP cooperation module), and AiF Forschung • Technik • Kommunikation GmbH (AiF F•T•K), founded in 2011 at the Cologne headquarters, which handles evaluation management and networking. In 2023 the BMWK decided to transfer the Industrielle Gemeinschaftsforschung to the project management agency of the German Aerospace Center (DLR). After a strategic realignment in 2024, the renamed Allianz focuses on its role as a research and transfer network and as an interface between research, industry and politics. The new name is intended to make clear the AIF's commitment to industrial research in Germany. The AIF is also among the institutions entitled to nominate candidates for the German Future Prize of the Federal President and the German Environmental Prize of the German Federal Environmental Foundation.

The AIF was founded on 22 June 1954 in the "Haus der Länder" in Königstein im Taunus, on a joint initiative of industry and the state, in order to pursue ideal and material goals in the field of industrial collective research. Representatives of eight research associations signed the founding protocol and the AIF's statutes. Martin Westermann was elected the first president of the AiF. By the time of the first ordinary members' assembly on 27 October 1954 in Wiesbaden, twelve further research associations had joined. The number of members grew steadily and currently stands at 59 research associations. Founding members from 1954 included research associations from sheet metal processing, the food industry, foundry technology, the graphic trades, textiles, electron microscopy, process engineering and brick products. At its 13th members' assembly on 5 December 1966 in Bad Godesberg, the AiF chose Otto von Guericke, the founder of vacuum technology, as its namesake. In 1974, with significant involvement of the AIF, the "Federation of European Industrial Co-operative Research Organizations" (FEICRO) was founded in Cologne as a European umbrella organisation for industrial collective research; FEICRO was absorbed in 1999 into the newly founded "European Association of Research and Technology Organisations" (EARTO). In 1978 the AIF first acted as a project management agency of the public sector for company-specific funding measures for small and medium-sized enterprises. On 15 November 1990, shortly after German reunification, the AIF opened its Berlin branch office. From 1995, with the AIF as the federal government's project management agency, the later so-called "intec.net" emerged, a network of contact points for international technology cooperation of SMEs, which until it expired at the end of 2008 comprised a total of 15 such contact offices in eleven countries of Central and Eastern Europe as well as in India and China. In 1996 the AIF took over the federal project management for the promotion of research at universities of applied sciences, a role it held until mid-2012. On 1 January 2010, AiF Projekt GmbH was founded as a wholly owned subsidiary of the association. In May 2011, another wholly owned subsidiary of AiF e. V. was founded under the name "AiF Forschung • Technik • Kommunikation GmbH" (AiF F•T•K GmbH). Until 2023, the AIF was for 70 years a carrier of industrial collective research, in which companies join forces for joint pre-competitive research. In 2023 the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action decided to transfer industrial collective research to the project management agency of the German Aerospace Center. After a strategic realignment in 2024, the renamed Allianz focuses "on its role as a research and transfer network as well as an interface between research, industry and politics"; the new name is intended to make clear the AIF's commitment to industrial research in Germany.

• 2024

  Strategic realignment and renaming to AIF – Allianz für Industrie und Forschung, focusing on its role as a research and transfer network and interface between research, industry and politics.

• 2023

  BMWK decides to transfer industrial collective research (IGF) to the project management agency of the German Aerospace Center (DLR).

• 2011

  AiF Forschung • Technik • Kommunikation GmbH (AiF F•T•K GmbH) founded as another wholly owned subsidiary.

• 2010

  AiF Projekt GmbH founded as a wholly owned subsidiary of the association.

• 2008

  intec.net expires at the end of 2008, having comprised 15 contact offices in eleven Central and Eastern European countries plus India and China.

• 1999

  FEICRO is absorbed into the newly founded European Association of Research and Technology Organisations (EARTO).

• 1996

  AIF takes over federal project management for the promotion of research at universities of applied sciences, a role held until mid-2012.

• 1995

  With AIF as federal project management agency, the later "intec.net" network of SME international technology cooperation contact points emerges.

• 1990

  AIF opens its Berlin branch office shortly after German reunification.

• 1978

  AIF first acts as a public-sector project management agency for company-specific funding measures for SMEs.

• 1974

  FEICRO founded in Cologne with significant AIF involvement as a European umbrella organisation for industrial collective research.

• 1966

  13th members' assembly in Bad Godesberg chooses Otto von Guericke as the AiF's namesake.

• 1954

  AIF founded in Königstein im Taunus on a joint initiative of industry and the state; eight research associations sign the founding protocol and statutes; Martin Westermann elected first president.

• 1954

  First ordinary members' assembly in Wiesbaden; twelve further research associations have joined by then.

A cross-sectoral, technology-open umbrella network and interface between research, industry and politics, focused on strengthening the innovation capacity of German SMEs through industrial collective research.

• AIF network of research associations

  Umbrella network of 59 industry-driven, non-profit research associations representing more than 50,000 mostly SMEs and around 1,200 research institutions.

• AiF Projekt GmbH

  Wholly owned subsidiary founded in 2010 and based in Berlin; acts as project management agency, evaluator and mentor, e.g. as mandated project management agency for the BMWK's ZIM-KOOP cooperation module; 135 employees as of 2022.

• AiF Forschung • Technik • Kommunikation GmbH (AiF F•T•K)

  Wholly owned subsidiary founded in 2011 at the Cologne headquarters; handles evaluation management and networking; six employees as of 2022; was a project management agency of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research and coordinates a European research network on behalf of the EU Commission.

• AiF InnovatorsNet

  Digital networking platform for innovation and research, connecting companies, start-ups, universities, research institutions and associations.

• Scouting services

  Data-pool and AI-based analyses and information on R&D relevance, patents and markets for strategic decisions.

1. 1AIF – Allianz für Industrie und Forschung (official website)aif.de
2. 2Services – AIF – Allianz für Industrie und Forschungaif.de
3. 3Über uns – AIF – Allianz für Industrie und Forschungaif.de
4. 4AIF e.V. – AIF – Allianz für Industrie und Forschungaif.de
5. 5Allianz Industrie Forschung (Wikidata)wikidata.org
6. 6AIF Allianz für Industrie und Forschung (Wikipedia, German)de.wikipedia.org