Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection

Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection ; — BMWK —
state level	Federation
position	Supreme Federal Authority (as Federal Ministry )
founding	October 23, 1917 as Reich Economic Office
Headquarters	Berlin
authority management	Robert Habeck ( Bündnis 90/Die Grünen ), Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection
servants	2187 (December 2020)
household volume	EUR 10.43 billion (2021)
web presence	www.bmwi.de

Robert Habeck (B90/The Greens), Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection

The Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection ( BMWK ) is a supreme federal authority in the Federal Republic of Germany . It has its headquarters or first office in Berlin and its second office in the Federal City of Bonn . The current head of the authority is the Federal Minister for Economics and Climate Protection Robert Habeck ( Greens ).

The authority was founded in 1949 as the Federal Ministry of Economics . With the appointment of the Merkel III cabinet , the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology was renamed the Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy by virtue of an organizational decree on December 17, 2013 . After the appointment of Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz on December 8, 2021 , he issued an organizational decree on the same day that the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy be given the name Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection . According to the decree, new responsibilities were transferred to the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection: responsibility for games from the division of the Federal Ministry for Digital Affairs and Transport and responsibility for climate protection , including European and international ones, from the division of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection Transfer references with the exception of international climate policy .

story

First office of the BMWi in Berlin

Second office of the BMWi in Bonn

The forerunner of today's Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection can be seen in the Reich Economic Office, founded in 1917 . This developed into the Reich Ministry of Economics in 1919 , which existed until 1945. The tasks were taken over from 1946 to 1949 by the administrative office for economy . After the Federal Republic was founded, the Federal Ministry of Economics existed from 1949 to 1998 . From May 1971 to December 1972 it was temporarily merged with the Federal Ministry of Finance to form the Federal Ministry of Economics and Finance. In 1998, the technology area was added from the research ministry, so that from then on it was called the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology . Between 2002 and 2005 it was combined with parts of the previous Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs to form the Federal Ministry of Economics and Labour . The federal government under Angela Merkel separated the two areas again in 2005 and renamed the ministry as the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology . With the formation of the Merkel III cabinet on December 17, 2013, the ministry was renamed the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy . With the formation of the Scholz cabinet on December 8, 2021, the ministry was renamed the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection .

In order to fulfill its tasks, the ministry is divided into nine departments and one central department .

Central Department – Z
Management and Planning Department - L
European policy – E
Economic policy - I
Energy Policy - Heat and Efficiency - II
Energy Policy – Electricity and Networks – III
Industrial policy - IV
Foreign Economic Policy – V
Digital and innovation policy - VI
SME policy – VII

The following changes were made compared to the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (2013): Individual IT policy issues were handed over to the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure , which was also redesigned . The previous departments of communications and postal policy (VI) and technology policy (VII) were therefore combined in VI. The topic of energy policy was divided into departments II and III (previously III). Mittelstandspolitik was expanded to include responsibility for the new federal states, previously the Ministry of the Interior , and changed the numbering from II to VII.

Field Office

The headquarters of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection is housed in a building complex consisting of the historic buildings of the former Kaiser Wilhelm Academy (Military Medical Academy) and the remains of the former Invalidenhaus , supplemented by some new buildings. The basic structure of the Invalidenhaus dates from the middle of the 18th century and was then outside the city. The building of the Kaiser Wilhelm Academy was erected around 1900.

As early as 1994, the former boarding school wing, which is particularly suitable as an office building, was restored and used by the ministry as the first construction phase. From July 1996 to December 2000, renovation work was carried out on the buildings under the direction of the architects Baumann and Schnittger, with the aim of restoring as much of the building's original condition as possible. The outer facades of the houses were therefore largely reconstructed and restored true to the original. The project costs of the 2nd construction phase amounted to 194.3 million euros.

authorities

Several federal offices are subordinate to the Ministry. This includes

the Federal Cartel Office (BKartA), Bonn
the Federal Network Agency for Electricity, Gas, Telecommunications, Post and Railways (BNetzA), Bonn
the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM), Berlin
the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) with headquarters in Braunschweig and a second office in Berlin
the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR) with headquarters in Hanover and a second office in Berlin-Spandau
the Federal Office of Economics and Export Control (BAFA) in Eschborn and Bochum as well
Germany Trade and Invest (GTAI), which was integrated into the BMWi in Bonn in 2010.

funding programs

The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection subsidizes small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as well as various universities and research institutions as part of various funding programs . Corresponding organizations can be supported by the programs “Mittelstand-Digital”, “go-digital”, “go-Inno”, “INNO-KOM” and “WIPANO”.

Mittelstand-Digital

"Mittelstand-Digital" informs small and medium-sized companies about the opportunities and challenges of digitization. Mittelstand 4.0 competence centers throughout Germany help with expert knowledge, demonstration centers, networks for exchanging experiences, events and practical examples. The Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection enables free use of all Mittelstand-Digital offers.

go-digital

The "go-digital" funding is aimed at small and medium-sized companies in the commercial and craft sectors. Companies based in Germany and fewer than 100 employees can be funded with a 50% subsidy for the digitization of their processes. The program is divided into five different digitization aspects:

digitization strategies
IT security
Digitized business processes
data literacy
Digital market development

This involves the optimization of business processes, the development of additional market shares and data protection against system failures and cybercrime . The relevant consulting firm , which is responsible for implementing the "go-digital" measures, is responsible for submitting the application for funding.

go-Inno

Small and medium-sized companies that deal with innovation development can be funded as part of the "go-Inno" program. In particular, small companies are addressed that lack up-to-date knowledge of methods and instruments to successfully manage internal product innovation or technical process innovation. Consulting services for the preparation and implementation of corresponding ideas are covered at 50% with the "go-Inno" funding. Corresponding organizations should strengthen their competitiveness through innovative product solutions.

INNO-COM

The "INNO-KOM-Ost" funding program was launched in 2009 due to the many structurally weak regions in Germany. The project was aimed at non-profit external industrial research institutions from East Germany, which researched innovation. Since January 1, 2017, the program has been used under the new name "INNO-KOM" in structurally weak regions throughout Germany. The respective institutions are funded in their research and development projects of preliminary research (VF) and market-oriented development (MF). The maximum funding is €550,000 and can also be applied for for investment measures to maintain the scientific and technical infrastructure.

WIPANO

In contrast to "go-Inno", the aim of the "WIPANO" funding program is not to promote the creation of innovations , but in particular to disseminate them through knowledge and technology transfer. On the one hand, "WIPANO - Knowledge and Technology Transfer through Patents and Standards" promotes the efficient protection and use of intellectual property of small and medium-sized enterprises. The program also supports the transfer of current research results into norms and standards . Universities and non-university research institutions receive the "WIPANO" funding of a maximum of 35% share financing for the identification, protection of intellectual property rights and the marketing of research results. SMEs, which have their research and development results for the first time through industrial property rights, or whose last property right application is more than five years ago, are also eligible. The amount of funding is 50% subsidy on eligible expenses and a maximum subsidy amount of €16,575.

Leap Innovation Agency

The BMWi, together with the Federal Ministry of Education and Research , is the customer for the Agency for Disruptive Innovation .

advisory boards

The ministry has a total of six advisory boards.

Scientific Advisory Board

The Scientific Advisory Board advises the Federal Minister on general questions of economic policy.

Advisory Board Young Digital Economy

The Young Digital Economy Advisory Board is a body of experts who advise the Federal Minister on economic policy issues in the context of digitization and the new economy . The Advisory Board, originally set up by Federal Minister Philipp Rösler in 2013 , meets several times a year and communicates the results of its deliberations in the form of expert statements, among other things.

In July 2021, the Advisory Board's call for "discipline of the press" to ensure "balanced reporting" in connection with IPOs caused criticism . The authors were Amorelie founder Lea-Sophie Cramer , investor Christoph Gerlinger from the German Startups Group and Alex von Frankenberg, managing director of High-Tech Gründerfonds. After the criticism, the “position paper on the subject of IPOs by German start-ups”, which contained this proposal, was withdrawn.

Other Advisory Boards

Advisory Board	founding	task
SME Advisory Board	1956	Questions of commercial medium-sized businesses and the freelance professions
Tourism Advisory Board	1977	Tourism issues
Accreditation Advisory Board	2010	Accreditation questions according to the Accreditation Body Act
TTIP Advisory Board	2014	TTIP

Federal Minister since 1949

Surname	Political party	beginning of the term	end of term	Cabinet(s)
Federal Minister of Economics
Ludwig Erhard (1897-1977)	independent	September 20, 1949	October 16, 1963	Adenauer I Adenauer II Adenauer III Adenauer IV Adenauer V
Kurt Schmuecker (1919–1996)	CDU	October 17, 1963	Nov. 30, 1966	Erhard I Erhard II
Karl Schiller (1911-1994)	SPD	December 1, 1966	July 7, 1972	Kiesinger Brandt I
Helmut Schmidt (1918-2015)	SPD	July 7, 1972	December 15, 1972	Brandt I
Hans Friderichs (b. 1931)	FDP	December 15, 1972	October 7, 1977	Brandt II Schmidt I Schmidt II
Otto Graf Lambsdorff (1926-2009)	FDP	October 7, 1977	September 17, 1982	Schmidt II Schmidt III
Manfred Lahnstein (b. 1937)	SPD	September 17, 1982	October 1, 1982	Smith III
Otto Graf Lambsdorff (1926-2009)	FDP	October 4, 1982	June 27, 1984	Cabbage I Cabbage II
Martin Bangeman (* 1934)	FDP	June 27, 1984	December 9, 1988	Cabbage II Cabbage III
Helmut Haussmann (b. 1943)	FDP	December 9, 1988	January 18, 1991	cabbage III
Jürgen Möllemann (1945–2003)	FDP	January 18, 1991	January 21, 1993	Cabbage IV
Günter Rexrodt (1941–2004)	FDP	January 21, 1993	October 26, 1998	Cabbage IV Cabbage V
Federal Minister for Economics and Technology
Werner Mueller (1946–2019)	independent	October 27, 1998	October 22, 2002	Schroeder I
Federal Minister for Economics and Labour
Wolfgang Clement (1940–2020)	SPD	October 22, 2002	November 22, 2005	Schroeder II
Federal Minister for Economics and Technology
Michael Glos (born 1944)	CSU	November 22, 2005	February 10, 2009	Merkel I
Karl Theodor zu Guttenberg (* 1971)	CSU	February 10, 2009	October 28, 2009	Merkel I
Rainer Bruederle (* 1945)	FDP	October 28, 2009	May 12, 2011	Merkel II
Philipp Rösler (* 1973)	FDP	May 12, 2011	December 17, 2013	Merkel II
Federal Minister for Economics and Energy
Sigmar Gabriel (born 1959)	SPD	December 17, 2013	January 27, 2017	Merkel III
Brigitte Zypries (* 1953)	SPD	January 27, 2017	March 14, 2018	Merkel III
Peter Altmaier (* 1958)	CDU	March 14, 2018	December 8, 2021	Merkel IV
Federal Minister for Economics and Climate Protection
Robert Habeck (born 1969)	Green	December 8, 2021	in office	scholz