MFG. On 18 July, the German Institute for Invention (DIE) announces the shortlist for this year's Diesel Medal in Munich. MFG Baden-Württemberg and European Media Laboratory are nominated for the Diesel Medal 2011 on account of their exemplary sponsorship of innovation as part of the Heidelberg Innovation Forum. The trophy is one of the most coveted national awards in the research and development scene. At their members' assemblies on 20 and 21 July 2011, Linux Solutions Group (Lisog) and LIVE Linux-Verband ("LIVE Linux Association") agree to jointly support the use of Linux and open-source-based software from that time onwards. They merge to form the Open Source Business Alliance. MFG Baden-Württemberg, who had also been co-initiators of Lisog and had managed it up until that date, is tasked by the Alliance with running the office of the largest open-source association in the German-speaking world.

World events. On 8 July, the space shuttle "Atlantis" takes off from Cape Canaveral into space on its final mission. Upon its return on 21 July, NASA's space shuttle programme goes into retirement after three decades and 135 missions. On 9 July, the defeated German team leaves the pitch after their quarter-final at the Women's Football World Cup against Japan in Wolfsburg. Seven days later, the Japanese team defeats the USA on penalties at the end of an enthralling World Cup final to win the tournament for the first time. On 13 July, the German Library Association publishes the results of the 2011 Library Ranking. The three leading positions among academic libraries are occupied by the University of Konstanz, the University of Heidelberg, and Hochschule Konstanz University of Applied Sciences. On 25 July, the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology publishes a new "Broadband Atlas". The publication says that 40% of Germans surf the Internet at at least 50 Mbit/s.

The most submissions were received in the "Social Media" category (image: hektikproductions)

AUGUST
Social media boom at the DMMA OnlineStar 2011

MFG. In August, the DMMA OnlineStar 2011 jury chaired by Florian Grimm starts to review the submissions for this year's competition. A total of 279 applications has been received from Germany, Austria and Switzerland in the nine categories. The category with the most submissions for the jury to appraise was the "Social Media" category (58). An above-average number of submissions was received in the "Microsites" (40) and "Corporate Websites" (38) categories, as well as in the "Special Formats" (52) category, in which interfaces between digital and actual spaces are sought extending beyond the classic digital advertising formats. The DMMA OnlineStar, which has grown out of the German Multimedia Award (DMMA) and the OnlineStar, is highly coveted. Winning the award secures the prize winners important points for the highly respected creative rankings by the Horizont and W&V specialist publications.

Gamescom is a gamer's paradise (source: Koelnmesse GmbH)

World Events. On 3 August, the trial of Egypt's former president Husni Mubarak begins in Cairo. For the first time in history, the USA loses its top rating from one of the large rating agencies. On 5 August, Standard & Poor's reduces the credit rating of the world's largest economy by one level to AA+ due to the country's high level of debt. On 12 August, the PC celebrates its birthday. Thirty years ago, IBM had presented the "IBM 5150 Personal Computer" with the "Dos 1.0" operating system from Microsoft. From 17 to 21 August, 275,000 visitors flock to the Gamescom fair in Cologne. The influx of visitors is so great that organisers have to refuse entry to the fair for a time due to safety reasons. On 22 August, the German humorist Vicco von Bülow dies, alias Loriot. "Dear god, have fun!" – that is the content of a full-page advertisement taken out by the Art Directors Club Deutschland (ADC) to bid farewell to their honorary member.

SEPTEMBER
IT business ideas from the clouds and senior citizens surfing in the countryside

MFG. On 7 September, the DMMA OnlineStar jury publishes the shortlist for this year's competition. 35 creative pieces of work are nominated for the award coveted across the German-speaking world. On 27 September, MFG and European Media Laboratory advertise the eleventh Heidelberg Innovation Forum for the first time, at which they will bring together selected researchers and founders with potential partners and investors. On this occasion, they are looking for innovative products, services and research results in the context of the subject of "Cloud Computing". On 30 September, the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Rural Affairs and Consumer Protection honours the instructors from the "Senior Internet Helpers" programme with certificates for their voluntary work. As part of the "Internet goes Ländle" programme, the instructors have helped older people to get to grips with PCs and the Internet.

Smartphones are also strongly represented at the IFA fair (source: Messe Berlin)

World events. Despite growth slowing in the industry, the IFA fair has the greatest amount of floor space in its history. From 2 to 7 September, 1,441 exhibitors and 238,000 visitors attend the world's largest fair for consumer electronics and household appliances in Berlin. At the same time, the price of gold on the New York Stock Exchange reaches an annual peak of $1,901. The microblogging service Twitter celebrates 100 million active users on 8 September. On 12 September, the state government of Baden-Württemberg launches its own Twitter feed. In the state election in Berlin on 18 September, the Pirate Party Germany wins 8.9% of the votes. Just five years after the party was founded, the "Pirates" are elected into their first state parliament in Germany with 15 seats. Pope Benedict XVI visits Baden-Württemberg as part of his tour of Germany.

OCTOBER
New stimuli for mobile open-source projects and interdisciplinary research

MFG. On 4 October, a new round of bids commences for "Baden-Württemberg Goes Mobile". MFG is organising this competition for the second time in order to find young developers and founders who want to realise mobile open-source projects together with renowned companies. On 14 October, the jury of the Karl Steinbuch Research programme (KSF) announces the winners of the first round of bids. With its completely new programme, the MFG Foundation Baden-Württemberg sponsors innovative pieces of research dealing with the interdependencies between IT and telecommunication technology and the creative industries. Each piece of research sponsored receives up to 70,000 euros. At the prize-giving gala in Berlin on 27 October, the winners of the DMMA OnlineStar 2011 are celebrated. 26 of 279 submitted pieces of work are awarded the important creative and industry award in the digital economy.

World events. On 5 October, a leading figure in the history of the PC departs the world with the death of Steve Jobs. After the approval of the American Federal Trade Commission, the EU Commission in Brussels paves the way for the takeover of the VoIP provider Skype by Microsoft on 7 October. With a purchase price of 8.5 billion US dollars, it is the largest deal in the company history of Microsoft. On 20 October, the former Libyan dictator Muammar al-Gaddafi is killed in Sirte under unclear circumstances. On 26 October, the Royal Society in Britain, the oldest publisher of scientific texts in the world, opens up its archive of journals to online access. On 31 October, the seven billionth person is born according to a UN estimate. The global population has grown by a billion people in the space of twelve years, the UN says.

NOVEMBER
Web 2.0 technologies for effective further education
MFG. On 15 November, the German Federal Government's "Culture and Creative Economy" campaign awards the Creative Industries Cluster Baden-Württemberg the "Motion Detector 2011" prize. On 22 November, State Secretary Jürgen Walter presents 21 new Karl Steinbuch scholars with their certificates in Stuttgart. The Scholarship provides the students with the opportunity to realise interdisciplinary research projects parallel to their studies. At the closing "Next Generation Learning Conference" on 23 November in Brussels, MFG presents the results of the SVEA project together with their European partners. The project makes the benefits of Web 2.0 technologies usable for further education provision. The results include 10 online training modules, a collaborative online platform, and a Web 2.0 guide for instructors and seminar directors. On 25 November, a further unique European training and learning platform goes online, realised by the partners of the INNOTRAIN IT cooperative project. The platform supports small and medium-sized companies to optimise their IT and business processes with training sessions free of charge.

The people of Baden-Württemberg vote on Stuttgart 21 (source: textbar)

World events. In light of the European sovereign debt crisis, two national presidents resign in the space of four days: the state premier of Greece, Giorgos Papandreou, on 9 November and Silvio Berlusconi on 12 November. The successor to the Italian, who had been viewed as controversial across Europe, is the non-partisan Mario Monti. On 27 November, the people of Baden-Württemberg are called upon to decide the future of the "Stuttgart 21" railway project in a referendum. There is a turnout of 48.3% with 58.8% voting against the Stuttgart 21 termination law and thus in favour of building the underground railway station. On the following day, the "Politics and Communication" industry magazine awards Winfried Kretschmann the title "Politician of the Year" due to his new political style of openness and co-determination. With the LÜKEX 11 emergency exercise, 2,500 people from the crisis and administration committees of the German confederation and states test how to protect sensitive IT systems and structures against attacks and malfunctions for two days at the turn of the month.

DECEMBER
Technologically creative research and two years of "Internet goes Ländle"

MFG. The "Internet goes Ländle" initiative is able to reflect on two successful years in which it has been successful in effectively strengthening the Internet and media abilities of senior citizens. In the process, MFG and its partners have particularly supported the training of so-called senior Internet helpers who introduce their contemporaries to the benefits of PCs and the Internet in courses and workshops. The training sessions are organised by Senior Internet Initiatives (SII), many of which are organised in the SII Baden-Württemberg Network. On 14 December, the MFG Foundation Baden-Württemberg commences the 2nd sponsorship round of the Karl Steinbuch Research programme. Researchers from higher-education institutions in Baden-Württemberg are able to apply until 27 February. Innovative pieces of research dealing with the interdependencies between IT and telecommunication technology and the creative industries are sponsored with up to 70,000 euros per project.

Thomas Gottschalk presents "Wetten, dass..?" for the final time (source: ZDF/Carmen Sauerbrei)

World events. On 3 December, Thomas Gottschalk presents "Wetten, dass..?" (the German-language version of "You Bet!") for the final time with almost 15 million people watching on television. At their first party conference after their electoral success in Berlin, the members of the Pirate Party Germany debate their programme on 3 and 4 November in Offenbach. After the party initially took a stance on IT and Internet issues, it now wants to strengthen its position in other areas of policy. This includes its campaign for a non-conditional minimum income. Social web, intelligent networks and cyber security are the discussion topics at the 6th National IT Summit in Munich on 6 December. At the EU summit in Brussels on the subject of the sovereign debt crisis, the 17 eurozone countries and nine non-eurozone countries agree to introduce binding debt limits and related sanctions. Great Britain declines to participate. On 10 December, tens of thousands of people take their protest against electoral fraud from blogs to the streets of Moscow. It is the largest demonstration in Russia since the early Nineties.