The objective of Forschungsgesellschaft Druck e.V
The objective of FOGRA Graphic Technology Research Association is to undertake research into, to develop and to apply printing technology and to help the printing industry to use the results obtained. To this end the Association maintains its own institute, with a staff of about 50 that includes engineers, chemists and physicists.
The estimated budget for 2003 was € 4,859 million. 18 % of this, i. e. € 860.000,–, is made up of membership fees. Of this sum, € 123.340,– are provided by the Bundesverband Druck und Medien e.V. Grants from the Federal German Government, the state of Bavaria, the Stiftung Industrieforschung and the Bundesverband Druck und Medien e.V. account for another 40 %, with the principal share, 32 % coming from the Bundeswirtschaftsministerium (Federal Economics Ministry).
35 % of the revenues are generated from other FOGRA activities. These consist of technical reports, contract research, the sale of quality control devices, vocational training, and a literature database. The remaining 7 % are made up of donations and other receipts. The donations are usually donations in kind, that is to say they are equipment or printing papers for research purposes.
FOGRA has over 600 members. About half of them are printing businesses operating in fields ranging from prepress through to bookbinding, while the other half are suppliers. 20 % of the members are based outside Germany.
The eight Technical Committees, responsible for various specialist topics, are a central part of FOGRA. In these committees, specialists from printing businesses, and FOGRA staff, define industry problems which are to be studied. The progress and results of work are also discussed at the Committee meetings. Thus the Committees fulfil a creative and a monitoring function. At the same time they characterise the work style of an institute which has come a long way from the ivory tower of scholarship to meet the needs of the printing industry.
