For 20 years, Prof. Martin Schell headed the Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute in Berlin, one of the world's leading centers for optical communication. At the end of February, he posted on LinkedIn "Fraunhofer Goodbye."
His new employer: Huawei.
The switch
Schell wasn't just any researcher. As executive director of the HHI and chair holder at TU Berlin, he was responsible for cutting-edge research on photonic circuits and optical chips. Technology that flows directly into 5G networks and data centers.
The HHI is tax-funded, Schell's knowledge comes from two decades of German research funding.
His new position: Head of R&D at the Huawei Bragg Research Center in Ipswich, Great Britain.
Around 200 researchers there work on next-generation optical chips. In Cambridge, Huawei is planning another optoelectronics center for £1 billion.
Alarm in Berlin
The domestic intelligence service has been warning for years: Huawei uses "aggressive tactics and generous salary promises" to poach European researchers.
Kiesewetter (CDU): "Highly critical." 5G networks are "the central nervous system of our economy."
Von Notz (Greens): "Very bad taste."
Research Ministry: "Concerning." State-funded research must not "benefit a systemic rival."
Background: The EU has excluded Huawei from Horizon Europe. Chancellor Merz wants to ban the group from future mobile networks.
The answer from Shenzhen: If we're not allowed to participate in your programs, we'll get your minds.
Structural problem in academia
The debate goes beyond Schell. Germany's Fixed-Term Academic Contracts Act forces academics to secure permanent positions within six years after their doctorate. Those who fail are out.
Huawei offers what many universities cannot: labs, resources, prospects.
All Details & Data: Wirtschaftswoche, Nikkei, Handelsblatt
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