Public Corporate Governance Report 2015

FIZ Karlsruhe is a not-for-profit organization with the mission “to provide scientific information to researchers and scientists, to develop appropriate products and services for a scientific information infrastructure, and to make them available to the public. To this end FIZ Karlsruhe also carries out research and development on its own initiative. The aim is to strengthen the transfer of knowledge in Germany and abroad and to support the promotion of innovation as well as the collaboration in science and research”. (Articles of Association, Art. 2, para.1, as amended on December 17, 2013)

FIZ Karlsruhe is a member of the Leibniz Association (WGL) which consists of almost 90 German independent research institutions that are jointly funded by the German Federal Government and the Federal States.

Compliance with the Public Corporate Governance Codex (PCGC) of the German Federal Government (as per September 30, 2009), which contains essential statutory regulations as well as nationally and internationally recognized principles of good corporate governance, is recommended for corporations in which the Federation owns any share of interest. Compliance with the PCGC has been agreed in the Articles of Association (art. 22).

FIZ Karlsruhe considers good and responsible corporate governance that is oriented towards value generation on the long term and complies with national and international standards an essential part of its self-image and a key factor for its success as an enterprise.

In line with the objectives of the “Joint Initiative for Research and Innovation” (Pakt für Forschung und Innovation - www.pakt-fuer-forschung.de) FIZ Karlsruhe is actively committed to equal opportunity and encourages the promotion of women to executive positions. The number of women in executive positions at FIZ Karlsruhe is already above average. As per December 31, 2015, 67% of the Vice Presidents and 39% of the Heads of Units and Departments were women.

FIZ Karlsruhe’s employment policy also considers a reasonable percentage of employees with a handicap and complies with the German Social Security Code IX (SGB IX). In the period under review, the percentage of persons with a handicap amounted to about 6% of the total number of employees.

FIZ Karlsruhe hereby submits the Public Corporate Governance Report 2015.

In accordance with art. 6.1. of the Public Corporate Governance Code, the President & CEO and the Supervisory Board of FIZ Karlsruhe hereby confirm that most of the recommendations of the PCGC were complied within 2015. Cases where we chose to proceed differently are explained in the report.

1. Collaboration of Management and Supervisory Board (PCGC; art. 3.1.3)

In the first half of the business year, the President & CEO will, in accordance with art. 17 (2) of the Articles of Association, submit to the Supervisory Board an annual statement covering the previous business year. At the supervisory board meetings – however, at least every six months – she will report to the Supervisory Board (orally and in writing) on the course of business and the company’s situation. In addition, she will inform the chairperson and the deputy chairperson of the Supervisory Board in urgent matters.

2. President & CEO and Senior Management (PCGC; art. 4.2.1)

The company has a President & CEO who is authorized to act as the company’s sole representative. This corresponds to the provisions of art. 16, para. 1 of the Articles of Association according to which the company may be represented by one or more CEOs. The President & CEO is supported by the Senior Management Team which consists of the Vice Presidents. The Vice President IT, Development and Applied Research is a member of the Management and Prokurist (authorized signatory). As a rule, strategically significant business transactions, or those involving legal or financial obligations, are jointly signed by the President & CEO and either the Prokurist or the responsible member of the Senior Management Team (dual control principle). This arrangement has proven successful in our business operations.

3. Composition of the Supervisory Board (PCGC; art. 5.2.1. and 5.2.2.)

The members of the Supervisory Board are appointed by the shareholders or the Shareholder’s Meeting respectively according to art. 12 (2) of the Articles of Association. The new members of the Supervisory Board were appointed at the end of 2013 and at the beginning of 2014. Three of the ten board members are women. There is no age limit for Supervisory Board members stipulated in the Articles of Association.

Appendix to the Public Corporate Governance Report 2015

Compensation Report

1. President & CEO
   The President & CEO received the following remuneration in 2015:
   Fixed remuneration (including financial benefits and compensations): 132.220,54 Euro
   Bonus: 3,500.00 Euro
2. Former Members of the Management Board
   Publishing the salaries of former members of the management board was not part of their employment contracts. Thus, for privacy reasons, they will not be published (art. 286 para. 4 HGB – German Commercial Code).
3. Supervisory Board
   The members of the Supervisory Board did not receive any remuneration in 2015. They are only entitled to a refund of a reasonable amount of travel and other expenses incurred in connection with carrying out the duties of their office, in accordance with the rules for federal employees.

Reports from previous years 

• Public Corporate Governance Report 2014
• Public Corporate Governance Report 2013
• Public Corporate Governance Report 2012
• Public Corporate Governance Report 2011
• Public Corporate Governance Report 2010