SIGNO Inventors-Clubs

A platform for creative people

Some industrial nations have recognised that well-directed support of technical-creative potential is a requirement for international competition. In Japan, for instance, the creative potential of inventors is supported by a highly developed system of rewards and incentives. The 134 inventors clubs for children and young people coordinated by Hatsumei Kyokai, the Japanese Institute of Inventions and Innovation, is an impressive example.


Meeting points for inventors

In order to offer inventors and young creative individuals a platform where they can exchange their experience and find useful advice, the German government decided to establish the special support project SIGNO (formerly known as INSTI - Stimulating Innovation). The objective of the nationwide SIGNO Inventors-Clubs-network initiated by the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (BMWi) is to promote creativity and inventive talent.

The message of the project SIGNO is that those whose inventions establish a basis for innovations by virtue of creativity and endurance deserve our acknowledgement. Innovative thinking must be encouraged!

In order to provide inventors with the above entitlement, the nationwide initiative SIGNO Inventors-Clubs encourages creativity and inventiveness of children and young people and supports independent adult inventors during the implementation and marketing of their ideas. The initiative focuses on synergetic processes of teamwork and cross-linking of knowledge, experience and activities, which lead inventors to fruitful results. The consistent holistic approach of the inventive process from idea to matured product, taking into account market requirements and applying proper marketing strategies, is another important key to success.

The initiative SIGNO Inventors-Clubs is not only supporting the creative potential of inventors, but also contributes to the enhancement of the public image of inventors and sets the stage for building bridges between enterprises and private inventors. The initiative is operated by the Cologne Institute for Economic Research (Institut der deutschen Wirtschaft Köln).

Most of the SIGNO Inventors-Clubs are located at schools where membership is reserved for pupils. A few clubs are located at universities and their members include students and teaching staff. The rest of the approximately 50 clubs are open to public. Due to the wide range of age of clubs’ members, the activities of the SIGNO Inventors-Clubs vary from making drawings to database research, building of prototypes and marketing of matured inventions.


Funding of SIGNO Inventors-Clubs

The German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (BMWi) provides the project management of SIGNO at the Cologne Institute for Economic Research (IW Köln) with funds for the support of activities of Inventors-Clubs directed towards informative work. Furthermore, the BMWi supports joint activities that are supposed to enlarge the network and to strengthen its effectiveness.


1. Basic funding

The project management of SIGNO supplies every authorised SIGNO Inventors-Club with maximum 1,500 € per year for the 2008-2010 period. In order to promote intensive networking this annual budget is divided in discretionary and earmarked funds. The proportion of both part-budgets depends on the target group (Youth /Adults): In private adult inventors clubs as well as in academic inventors clubs the annual discretionary fund amounts to 500 € and the earmarked fund amounts to 1000 €. Inventors clubs for youth should be supported in particular way and they are funded with a 1000 € discretionary fund and 500 € is earmarked annually.

The discretionary budget is meant for technical and office equipment, research, industrial property rights, advertising material for public relation work, participation in trade fairs and events referring to inventors as well as for realisation of training courses and praticipation in them.

The earmarked funds are only provided for the exhibits at the International Trade Fair “Ideas - Inventions - New Products” (IENA) in Nuremberg, for the organisation of and participation in advanced training courses as well as the realisation of their own events.


2. Network-oriented offers

In addition, SIGNO Inventors-Clubs in many respects can benefit from various network-oriented offers and incentives such as: exhibiting at the shared pavilion at the IENA-Fair;
competition “I hoch 3”; centrally organized advanced training courses; special marketing of selected high-valued inventions; exchange of experience; informative literature and material for public relations.
More offers such as printed newsletters are planned.