Creativity and Innovation, the means of prosperity in the society 徐必德（ Bernd)

1. Creativity and Innovation, the means of prosperity in the society 徐必德（Bernd) 德国中德经济合作中心协会

2. Let me allow the presentation of a quotation just at the beginning.“Berlin, March 19, 2010 – Germany receives above average marks for innovation compared to the 27 member states of the European Union. Alongside Great Britain and the Scandinavian countries, Germany shares a spot among innovation leaders. Germany is also cited as one of the countries with a rate of improvement above the EU average. This is the result of the newly published European Innovation Scoreboard 2009 (EIS)”.[ Internet report of the Germany Trade & Invest. Gesellschaft für Außenwirtschaft und Standortmarketing. The European Innovation The scoreboard is published since 2001.]

3. It might be interesting that the innovation capacity of Great Britain and Sweden is stagnated, while only Germany and one other country are increased. • It was regarded that the country has strength in finance, exports and human recourses. Especially remarkable was for the EIS that there are a large number of innovative companies in the country which make product and process innovations public. [ Internet report of the Germany Trade & Invest. Gesellschaft für Außenwirtschaft und Standortmarketing. The European Innovation The scoreboard is published since 2001.]

4. This gives the chance to present a second quotation: “Germany´s BMW has established itself as one of the leading innovators of the Automotive Industry. In 2004, the group received Germany´s ´most innovative company´, presented with the prestigious Best Innovator Award 2004. (Quality)”[ Internet, May1, 2005.]

5. The company committed themselves to a strong strategic innovation since about 20 years when it was decided that an innovation management system should have the main role in the product development process up from the idea generation to the market introduction stage. The emphasis was on developing customer orientated products. This procedure enabled the company to present an impressive output of new products and brands like Active Steering. The innovation showed furthermore fruitful by gaining as the first European company the prestigious Outstanding Corporate Innovator (OCI) Award.

6. Does this happen just by surprise or why? These results are due to the situation that Germany is traditionally highly innovative orientated. An indication for this statement might be the numbers of patent applications per inhabitant (127) which is second highest among large countries nowadays.[ Lo, p. 2] The patent applications were recorded widespread in the country up from 1870. The top of patent applications was reached in the time of the year 1905 and, regarding the simulation with exponential growth, it is constantly rising up to today.[ Grupp – p. 15, figure 8] The prolongation of this process is shown by the world market share of Research & Development (R & D) goods of the country is ranking second in the world.[ Lo – p. 2]

7. Perhaps the most important driver and source of innovation in the history of Germany is the high standard of technical expertise documented by machine and car production. The roots date back to the middle age, when high standards of craftsmanship guarantee development of handicraft knowledge. [ Knowledge&Wharton, April 2007, 2009; Internet.] At this time universities begin to spread over the country too. Knowledge is regarded as the basis of innovations.

8. Which difficulties face German beside the other international enterprises in China? A special challenge is to hire qualified staff to run the company.[ The Economist, A survey of talents, October 7th 2006; Tiefenbacher – p. 209ff. ] The job seekers are not fitted to handle practical situations in the company environment or lacking the up to date knowledge. This includes the whole range to run a company, beginning in the field of production or services up to the management. A company is as good as the staff is able or willing to participate.[ Schwendner – p.27] If this requirement is not fulfilled, the results might be low productivity, low quality alongside with rising production costs. Enterprises must aim stay ahead when it comes to new ideas, products or services.

9. As a result many, but all bigger enterprises decided to maintain their own training centers like BASF, Bayer, Birkart Globistics Air & Ocean, BMW, Degussa, Kern & Liebers, Schaeffler, Volkswagen, Wuerth beside others. The aim is to provide students with an opportunity to learn skills which cannot be learned from books like handle daily life problems working together with others to for objectives, strive for quality, develop own abilities and so on.

10. Germany itself regards skilled works essential to maintain the basic needs of a society, as the basis for growth and employment in the country. New situations like the ups and down in the economy rise problems. As training places decreased once a time the chamber of commerce and the industrial association agreed in the National Apprenticeship Pact to promote new apprenticeship offers by members of the associations. If needed it was prolonged every three years.

11. New technologies need to have a due to time reaction. Job profiles had to be prepared for the bio- and nanotechnology after the demand for skilled workers was predictable. All vocational plans are checked in a certain period of time to adopt new requirements like technologies.With other words there is always a need to adapt training plans to the demographic situation, economy the technology and so on.

12. ConclusionIn Germany innovation is not carried out mainly by the government but by companies itself. They developed own systems to face the challenge of a competitive economy. Innovation is chance for companies go gain a good position in the future time.Innovation cannot be just to present an instant solution for an urgent problem. Within the time there is always a need to answer with own solutions. All circumstances must take in consideration when they emerge.

13. Germany regards itself as a country with limited natural recourses and because of this acknowledges that the economy must survive by innovation. Finally limited resources are in future time in question for all people of this world. Last but not least it might be worth to point out that the innovation system turns out to be stable for a long time period and created work for the people of the society.[ Grupp - p. 28 ]

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16. 谢谢！ 2010年3月28日 中国●南通