IAV mobilizes its workforce with innovation funds

The employees are the most important capital of a company and decisive for its economic success. On the way to becoming a tech solution provider, IAV now wants to further fuel the inventive spirit of its workforce with a specially set up innovation fund. “Startup Committee” is the name of the joint commission, consisting of employee and company representatives, which will decide in the future which projects will benefit financially from the 1.5 million Euro innovation fund. IAV CFO Katja Ziegler and Johannes Katzan of IG Metall will be sponsoring the fund.

With the innovation fund and the involvement of employee representatives in the fund management, IAV is taking another step toward becoming a “joint venture”. Until now, projects of the workforce have been realized, especially through campaigns of the digital lab, and the money often comes directly from the technical IAV departments.

In order to increase the awareness of the fund among the workforce, ambassadors are appointed at all locations throughout the company, who are provided with advice and support for the submission of project ideas.

“The fund is an integral part of the company’s strategy to ensure that IAV is economically, socially and ecologically sustainable and at the same time to ensure attractive working conditions. We are pleased that we have succeeded in establishing the innovation fund for the workforce as part of the collective bargaining process,” said Johannes Katzan from IG Metall.

The startup committee collects and evaluates the submitted project ideas in a two-month cycle. The best proposals will be invited to the Pitchday, an online format for the people behind the projects to present their ideas.

For each supported idea, a financial method of return to the innovation fund is agreed upon successful project implementation, so that as many projects as possible benefit from the fund in the future.