IHP – Innovations for High Performance Microelectronics will continue to be jointly funded by the federal government and the federal states in the coming years until at least 2029. This was recommended by the Senate of the Leibniz Association on Tuesday, 4 July 2023, following the completion of the regular scientific evaluation. The Senate's published statement says that IHP is in an excellent position to continue to make an international contribution to the field of microelectronic research, which is important for Europe's technological sovereignty. The report thus confirms the excellent strategic fit and future viability of IHP. The next review is scheduled to take place after seven years.
The Institute was evaluated in October 2022 by an international review panel, whose assessment and recommendations are endorsed by the Senate. In addition to outstanding scientific achievements, the supraregional significance of the research conducted at the institute as well as international networking are of decisive importance for the continuation of funding. "This positive vote motivates us extraordinarily to stringently pursue our scientific as well as structural plans. This means that IHP will continue to make significant contributions to solving current and future societal challenges," say the IHP directors Professor Gerhard Kahmen and Nicolas Hübener.
The 97 Leibniz institutions in Germany receive financial support (basic funding) from the federal government and the federal states. In order to ensure that the foundations for this funding continue to be in place, the institutions are subject to regular evaluation – at the latest every seven years. In this context, it is examined whether they continue to have a supraregional significance and whether there is a science policy interest at the national level. The evaluation offers the institutions valuable indications for their future development by providing an overview of strengths, weaknesses and potentials. The process is carried out by the Senate of the Leibniz Association in two stages. In the process, independent evaluators assess the facilities on site and make recommendations for their further development. Based on these evaluations, the Senate prepares a statement in which a funding recommendation is made. Finally, it is the responsibility of the Joint Science Conference to review the conditions for joint funding of Leibniz institutions. In doing so, it relies on the Senate's statement and other reports. Only if the prerequisites continue to be met will the funding be continued.
The complete statement of the Senate and the report of the evaluation group in German can be found on the Leibniz Association's website.
