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| Issue 1, April 2010 |  | Welcome to our First Newsletter | | GCRI Mission | | Directors' Talk | | Upcoming Event: How Effective is the Current Patent System for Global Technological
Innovation?
| | German Innovation of the Month
| | Essay Contest: Win a Ticket to Germany
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Welcome to our First Newsletter!
Under the joint leadership of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and the German Research Foundation (DFG), the GCRI was opened on February 19, 2010, by the Federal Minister of Education and Research, Annette Schavan and the German Ambassador to the Unites States, Klaus Scharioth. The GCRI website (www.germaninnovation.org) is in development, and a wide range of events have been planned for the rest of the year.
A roundtable discussion, "Harnessing the Revolution in the Life Sciences to achieve the Millennium Development Goals," co-sponsored with the Permanent Mission of the Federal Republic of Germany to the United States and the United Nations, took place on April 20. On May 5, in cooperation with the American Friends of Bucerius and RWTH Aachen University, the GCRI will host a panel discussion entitled "How Effective is the Current Patent System for Global Technological Innovation? Perspectives from the United States and Europe." On May 8, Stephanie Shoemaker and Andrea Deierlein from the GCRI team will speak about German innovations at the EU Open House of the German Embassy in Washington, DC.
Coming up in June: The Bilingual Brain with Professor J�rgen Meisel from the University of Hamburg and the University of Calgary, and Professor Michael Ullman from Georgetown University.
If you are interested in these events or wish to be included on our mailing list, please contact us at info@germaninnovation.org. We look forward to hearing from you and to seeing you at one of our events!
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Our Mission
Launched as a joint initiative of the German Foreign Office and the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, the GCRI was created to enhance Germany's R&D visibility on the North American continent. Our mission is to strengthen transatlantic collaboration in science and technology to help solve the global challenges of the 21st century. Through the creation of a "one-stop shop" for information about the German research and funding landscapes, we will showcase Germany as a land of ideas, know-how, and innovation to the U.S. and Canadian
public. The exchange of expertise and ideas as well as the development of strong networks are an integral part of GCRI events: from lectures and exhibitions to scientific symposia, workshops, and science dinners, we bring together great minds and outstanding talents to foster cooperative and collaborative projects between North America and Germany.
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Interview: Directors' Talk
GCRI's two executive directors, Dr. Sebastian Fohrbeck, also the director of the German Academic Exchange Service's (DAAD) New York office, and Dr. Marion M�ller, director of the North American Office of the German Research Foundation (DFG), discuss the differences between the German and North American research landscapes, why the GCRI was created, and how it will enhance the interface between research and industry.
To read the interview, click here �
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How Effective is the Current Patent System for Global Technological Innovation? Perspectives from the United States and Europe
Supporters of the patent system view patents as essential for funding of R&D, innovation, and economic development. Detractors claim the patent system interferes with research, stifles incremental improvements, costs too much, and generally correlates negatively with innovation.
On Wednesday, May 5, from 6 to 8 P.M., in cooperation with the American Friends of Bucerius and RWTH Aachen University, the GCRI will host a panel discussion that offers perspectives from both sides of the Atlantic. The discussion will be moderated by Dana Beldiman, partner at Carroll, Burdick & McDonough LLP, San Francisco. The speakers will be Peter J. Esser, Representative of German Industry & Trade; Myles W. Jackson, Dibner Family Professor of History and Philosophy of Science and Technology at Polytechnic Institute of New York University and Professor of the History of Science and Technology of the Gallatin School of New York University; and Regina Oertel, director of Technology Transfer and Research Funding at RWTH Aachen University. The discussion will take place at 871 United Nations Plaza in New York City. For more information, please send an e-mail to info@germaninnovation.org.
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German Innovation of the Month
Germany is and has always been a land of ideas. The successful history of "Made in Germany" continues: Germany shares a top spot among Europe's innovation leaders. The results of the recently published European Innovation Scoreboard 2009 (EIS) revealed that Germany's rate of improvement exceeds the European average. And, based on the OECD's 2009 Science, Technology and Industry Scoreboard, "Germany is the most inventive country in terms of patents, after the United States and Japan." Every month, in E-NNOVATION Germany, we will present a "German Innovation of the Month." If you have a suggestion for a "German Innovation of the Month," please send an e-mail to info@germaninnovation.org.
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Essay Contest: Win a Ticket to Germany
Participate in the GCRI Essay Contest to win a round-trip economy-class airplane ticket from any Lufthansa U.S. gateway to any Lufthansa destination in Germany. Entries, in 500 words or less, must answer the following question: "What German innovation has had a major impact on your life or career?" Explain how this innovation has affected you or the world in which you live. The essay must be the sole work of the author. Only essays submitted electronically to
info@germaninnovation.org will be accepted. Entries must include the name of the author, an email address, phone number, and a postal address. No personal or contact information will be handed over to a third party. Submitted entries will become the property of the German Center for Research and Innovation (GCRI). Successful entries will not exceed 500 words and will be judged based on content. The decision of the panel of judges from the German Center for
Research and Innovation, the German Research Foundation and the German Academic Exchange Service is final.
The winning entry will be published on the GCRI website and in the newsletter. The DEADLINE is May 31, 2010, 5 P.M. Eastern Standard Time. The winner will be notified by June 30, 2010. Receipts of essays will be confirmed by email. Please contact us if you do not receive a confirmation within a week.
Learn more �
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