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Home | Update | Latest Issue | Gallery | FR Profile | Datafiles | FR 8/97 GERMAN AEROSPACE RESEARCH: MISSED CHANCES? By Wolfdietrich Hoeveler The projected merger of the German Aerospace Research Institute (DLR) with the German Space Agency (DARA) has been pending for a year now. The German government just recently postponed a debate on the merger again. Still, DLR's Managing Director Prof. Walter Kröll still hopes for this step. There is no doubt in his mind about the goal: "To achieve an optimum efficiency with tight resources." The professor is not only thinking about a bundling of the research activities in Germany. First, he wants to focus all national resources of universities, industry, and DLR to selected topics. Then, a similar process should follow internationally, preferably on a bilateral European level. According to Kröll, there is no way around the focusing of the projects in Germany. "The budgets will continue to stagnate, possibly endangering the future of some of today's planned projects", he explains. Furthermore, that good activities might have to be given up in favor of pushing excellent projects ahead. In this respect, the professor is talking about areas in which German companies and research institutes are strong, offering a market potential and a high innovation potential. Kröll does not see internal branch problems in such a concentrated procedure: "Teamwork has always been characteristic for the aerospace industry." He continues, saying that while the European way may be difficult there is now alternative to it: "One is only being taken seriously as partner, if he can be a serious competitor", Kröll says about the globalization of aerospace. However, such an internationalization must pursue national goals as well. For Kröll, the so called focusing on core areas always goes along the lines of the market introduction and the marketing of products. He wants to finish the basic discussion as soon as possible and start some smaller projects in a cooperation between industry and research to be able to ask for long-term contributions in research and technology. Furthermore, Kröll wants to acquire potential operators and users, together with large companies of international significance: "The joint effort will secure the branch's survival." The position is better than it looks: "We need visions with which the public can identify. The research potential in Germany must be better used, in the meaning of concrete goals which we can reach by sharing the work." From page 43 of FLUG REVUE 8/97 Home | Update | Latest Issue | Gallery | FR Profile | Datafiles | FR 8/97 Copyright 1997 by Motor-Presse Stuttgart. All rights reserved. Last updated July 4, 1997 FLUG REVUE, Ubierstr. 83, 53173 Bonn, Germany