For a land with scarce natural resources like Bavaria, research and innovation are the keys to securing competitiveness and prosperity:

• Companies that are committed to research grow more quickly and are more stable in times of crisis.
• Well networked companies grow twice as fast and are more innovative.
• Small and medium-sized companies that carry out research are by far the most successful due to clearer distinction, internationalisation and more know-how.
• Research and development (R&D) investments and economic growth have a positive correlation: countries with a higher share of R&D grow more quickly.

That is why the Bavarian State Government, in collaboration with the business community, has set a quantitative objective in its overall R&D strategy to increase expenditure in research and development to 3.2% of GDP by the end of the current legislative period, and to 3.6% by the year 2020.