Wednesday, April 29, 2020
A new issue began to emerge at the turn of the year 2019/2020. It has since taken center stage in the public discourse and in the personal experience of individuals. The novel virus that the World Health Organization calls “severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2” has upended every aspect of public life. The WHO declared the outbreak of this virus to be “a public health emergency of international concern.” The COVID-19 pandemic is taking a toll on day-to-day life, on people’s health, on businesses, on the domestic economy and on global trade. The current situation and the dynamic developments throughout Germany and across the world are posing major challenges for people. Working at the forefront of the fight against the pandemic, Fraunhofer experts are supporting the efforts of industry and society to cope with the immediate effects and the consequences to come. Critical life sciences projects, our close collaboration with businesses, joint challenges with partners, direct and indirect medical support – Fraunhofer is reporting on all this and more in their special feature on the “Fraunhofer vs. Corona” campaign.
In regards to the maintaining innovative power and reducing the impact of the current crisis, Prof. Reimund Neugebauer, President of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft:
“The current pandemic weakens our confidence in our ability to solve problems as quickly as needed. It will take a determined and concerted effort to deal with this public health crisis within a short time span – and to revitalize the economy once it is over. The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft is rising to this challenge with a series of sustainable measures in active pursuit of the innovative power of science and technology and the need to augment its impact even in times of crisis.” he said.
In the immediate term, Fraunhofer’s priority is to secure immediate initial funding for urgently needed research, running to several million euros. In this context, we are focusing on projects in the medical and health sectors of direct relevance to the coronavirus crisis, including the development of a vaccine, innovative diagnostic techniques, the development of new drugs, putting into place a powerful IT infrastructure, and prioritizing relevant pre-competitive research. We also provide support by assisting manufacturers who make components for personal protective equipment (PPE). Now is the time to show our support for SMEs by making targeted, ad hoc offers of cooperation – and to help give mid-tier companies the innovation boost they need to get through this difficult period. Through such initiatives, we aim to promote home-grown expertise and know-how, thus safeguarding Germany’s and Europe’s role as technology leaders and maintaining the region’s technological sovereignty.” Mr. Neugebauer concluded.
Tags: consequence, COVID-19Prof. Reimund Neugebauer, European technology, experts, FRAUNHOFER, Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, immediate effects, industry effort, innovative power, mantain, President, society, support
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