Dr. Klaus Kinkel, Chairman of the Executive Board at Deutsche Telekom Foundation

Increase Awareness for Innovations

“Germany’s innovative ability is absolutely essential for the future of our country. It is crucial for ensuring prosperity and growth in a country like ours that is poor in natural resources. This fact is the fundamental idea that gave rise to the Federal President’s Prize for Technology and Innovation ten years ago: We ,ist promote and reward the innovative spirit in Germany if we want to remain competitive on the international stage.

How desperately we need such incentives for Germany as a country of innovation is illustrated by the Innovation Indicator Germany, a study carried out by the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW in Berlin), commissioned by the Deutsche Telekom Foundation and Bundesverband der Deutschen Industrie (BDI). With respect to innovative ability, the Indicator shows Germany ranked 6th among the 13 leading industrial nations worldwide. It is not a bad ranking, but nowhere near as good as it should be. More than anything, weaknesses in the educational system and people’s attitudes toward science and technology are holding Germany back from rising in the ranks.

This is where the Deutsche Telekom Foundation will start applying its many activities: We want make a contribution toward strengthening the educational system, improving the research environment, and campaigning for technological advances. It is our special wish to get the younger generations interested in mathematics, natural sciences, technology and innovations. The same applies here as to music and sports: Role models generate the most enthusiasm. People who possess special abilities and pursue their goals with dedication and tenacity –these are the people who generate enthusiasm.

The scientists and researchers who are awarded the Deutsche Zukunftspreis are also role models. They dare to go where no one has gone before, find and invent exciting things, champion their ideas with energy and dedication and suffer setbacks. This is why, and rightly so, they are awarded the highest honor that our country can bestow for ingenuity and courage by our head of state: The Deutsche Zukunftspreis.

The Deutsche Telekom Foundation is proud to support the Federal President and his prize over the next three years as one of the main sponsors and to be an active contributor toward improving the climate of innovation in Germany.“