The German Research
Landscape and Current Developments
in Science and Research
Content
The German Research Landscape
Current Developments in Science and Research
The German Research Landscape
Facts and Figures
 approx. 750 publicly funded research institutions,
about 100 research networks and clusters
 549,000 staff in Research and Development,
approx. 320,000 scientists and researchers
 bilateral, European and multilateral cooperations
with more than 40 countries („WTZ-Abkommen“/
Agreements on scientific and technical cooperation)
 Gross Domestic Expenditure on Research and
Development: 69,9 billion euro (in 2010)
Source: Federal Statistical Office (preliminary numbers for 2010)
The German Research Landscape
Different players
 Research at institutions of Higher Education
 Non-university research facilities
 Industrial research
Higher Education Institutions
Institutions of Higher Education
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108 universities
210 universities of applied sciences
6 colleges of education
16 colleges of theology
52 colleges of art
29 colleges of public administration
Features of German universities
 Unity of research and teaching
 Broad range of subjects
 Theoretical orientation of research
Source: Federal Statistical Office (August, 2012)
Higher Education Institutions
Facts and Figures:

2.38 million students enrolled in German higher education
institutions

Approximately 264,000 international (11.1%) and 2.1 million
German students enrolled at German universities

Public expenditure for institutions of higher education: 41.229
billion euros (2010)

Excellence Initiative by the German States (“Länder”) and the
Federal Government: From 2006–2017 a total of 4.6 billion euros
will be invested to promote top-level research

More information is offered by the German Rectors’ Conference at
www.hrk.de
Excellent non-university research
institutions

Max Planck Society

Helmholtz Association of National
Research Centres
www.mpg.de/en
www.helmholtz.de/en/
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Leibniz Association

Fraunhofer Gesellschaft
www.wgl.de
www.fraunhofer.de/en
Excellent non-university research
institutions
Max Planck Society
www.mpg.de

The Max Planck Society (MPG) is an independent, non-profit research
organisation named after the world-famous physicist Max Planck (1858–
1947).

With its focus on basic research in the natural sciences and humanities,
the MPG complements research projects at universities. The MPG is wellknown for its excellence in research.

Seventeen scientists at the MPG have received the Nobel Prize.
Facts and Figures:
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80 institutes and research centres
Staff: 17,019
Budget: 1.5 billion €
Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine in Münster
Research budget (Source: MPG)
Excellent non-university research
institutions
Helmholtz Association of National
Research Centres
www.helmholtz.de

The Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres provides top
scientific achievements to society, science and industry for addressing
the major challenges of today.

The Helmholtz Association is the largest scientific organisation in
Germany. Its work follows the tradition of the great natural scientist
Hermann von Helmholtz (1821–1894).

Scientists in 18 Helmholtz Centres work on a wide variety of topics in
areas ranging from health, the environment and energy to fundamental
research such as elementary particlephysics.
Facts and Figures
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Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY
A Research Centre of the Helmholtz Association
18 research centres
Staff: 33,634
Budget: 3.4 billion €
Research Budget (Source: Helmholtz)
Excellent non-university research
institutions
Leibniz Association
www.wgl.de

The Leibniz Association is the umbrella organisation for 86 research
institutions which address scientific issues of importance to society as a
whole.

The Leibniz Institutes conduct research and provide infrastructure for
science and research and perform research-based services – liaison,
consultation, transfer – for the public, policy-makers, academia and
business.

The Berlin Museum for Natural History (Museum für Naturkunde), one
of the ten largest scientific collections in the world, is a prominent
example of a Leibniz Association member.
Facts and Figures:
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86 institutes and research facilities
Staff: 17,300
Budget: 1.5 billion €
Research Institute and Museum for Natural History Berlin
Research Budget (Source: Leibniz)
Excellent non-university research
institutions
Fraunhofer Gesellschaft
www.fraunhofer.de

The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft conducts applied research for both private
and public enterprises, as well as for the general benefit of the public.

The association takes its name from Joseph von Fraunhofer (1787–
1826), the illustrious Munich researcher, inventor and entrepreneur.
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The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft is the largest organisation for applied
research in Europe. It conducts research under contract for industry, the
service sector and public administration and also offers information and
services.
Facts and Figures
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Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics (ITWM)
Kaiserslautern
80 research facilities
Staff: 20,000
Budget: 1.8 billion €
Research Budget (Source: Fraunhofer)
Excellent non-university research
institutions
 Federal research institutions/
Departmental research
(41 institutes funded by the Federal
Ministries, staff: 21,000 in 2010)
 “Länder” institutions
(167 research organisations funded
by Germany’s federal states/“Länder”,
staff: 5,600 in 2010)
 Academies of Science
(about 10 publicly funded organisations)
Intensive Industrial Research
 Almost 70% of the research investments in Germany are
spent by the industrial sector (approx. 47 billion euros)
 Numerous industrial research facilities and companies are
closely cooperating with universities and other research
institutions (networks and clusters)
 The German Federation of Industrial Research Associations
(AiF) promotes research and development in all industry
sectors
 Industries strong in research: Automobile industry, electrical
engineering, chemical industry and mechanical engineering
Basic and Applied Research
Applied
Research
Industry
FraunhoferGesellschaft
Leibniz Association
Helmholtz
Association
Basic
Research
Universities
Max Planck Society
Public
Funding
Private
Funding
Expenditure on Research
and Development
Research expenditure 2010 (in total):
69,9 billion euros
Universities
Max Planck Society
Helmholtz Association
18,0 %
Fraunhofer -Gesellschaft
Leibniz Association
other public or private
research institutes
Source: Federal Statistical Office (numbers for 2010)
67,2 %
Industry
Research Funding
Primary Sponsors
Secondary Sponsors
Federal Government/
Ministries
German Research
Foundation
“Länder”/States
German Academic
Exchange Service
Industry
Alexander von
Humboldt
Foundation
Foundations
etc.
Find out more: http://www.research-in-germany.de
Content
1. The German Research Landscape – Overview
2. Current Developments in Science and Research
Current Developments in
Science and Research
 Strategy for the Internationalisation of
Science and Research
 High-Tech Strategy
 Excellence Initiative
 Joint Initiative for Research and Innovation
 Higher Education Pact
 Seventh Framework Programme,
European Research Council
 Horizon 2020 – EU-Programme
for Research and Innovation
Strategy for the Internationalisation
of Science and Research
The strategy pursues four main goals:
 Strengthening cooperation between the best researchers
 Gaining access to international innovation potentials
 Sustainably strengthening cooperation with developing
countries in the fields of education, research and
developmen
 Assuming international responsibility to overcome global
challenges
Source: Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)
The High-Tech Strategy
Initiative launched by the federal
government to encourage the
development of lead markets, enhance
cooperation between science and industry,
and improve framework conditions for
innovations
Definition of 5 lead markets and priorities
 Climate and Energy
 Health and Nutrition
 Mobility
 Security
 Communications
Source: Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)
Excellence Initiative
An initiative by the Federal Government and the Länder
Aims of the Excellence Initiative:
 Promote top-level research
 Improve the quality of German universities
and research institutions
 Increase Germany’s international
competitiveness
Two programme phases:
 1.9 billion euros in the first programme phase between 2006 and
2012
 2.7 billion euros in the second programme phase between 2012 and
2017
Source: German Research Foundation (DFG)
Excellence Initiative
Three funding lines:
1) Graduate Schools to promote young academics
2) Clusters of Excellence to promote top-level research
3) Institutional strategies to promote top-level university research
First Phase 2006 - 2012:
Second Phase 2012 - 2017:
 39 graduate schools
 45 graduate schools
 37 clusters of excellence
 43 clusters of excellence
 9 institutional strategies
 11 institutional strategies
Source: German Research Foundation (DFG)
Excellence Initiative
11 German universities with excellent future concepts
(new projects italicized)
 Aachen University of Technology
 Free University of Berlin
 Humboldt University of Berlin
 University of Bremen
 Dresden University of Technology
 Ruprecht-Karl University of Heidelberg
 University of Cologne
 University of Constance
 Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich
 Technical University of Munich
 Eberhard-Karls University of Tübingen
Source: German Research Foundation (DFG)
Excellence Initiative
Funding decisions in the
second programme phase:
99 projects at 39 universities
Source: German Research Foundation (DFG)
Joint Initiative for Research and
Innovation
Financial planning
security to research institutions
Research policy goals:

Trigger dynamic developments in the science system through an
annual increase of funding by 5% from 2011-2015

Create dynamic and performance-enhancing networks in the science
system

Develop and implement new international cooperation strategies

Establish sustainable partnerships between science and industry

Recruit the best and persuading them to stay in Germany long-term
Source: Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)
Higher Education Pact
Initiative of the Federal Government and the “Länder” to provide the
universities with additional resources for admitting more students
Background:
 First programme phase 2007-2010: a total of 91,370 additional new
university entrants by 2010 (compared to the number in 2005); actual
number of new entrants 185,024
 Second programme phase 2010-2015: 275,000 additional university
entrants
Source: Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)
Seventh Framework Programme –
European Research Council (ERC)
The 7th Framework Programme for Research has
two main strategic objectives:
 to strengthen the scientific and technological
base of European industry
 to encourage its international competitiveness,
while promoting research that supports EU
policies.
Duration: 2007-2013
Total budget: over 50 billion euros
Source: European Commission – Research and Innovation
Seventh Framework Programme –
European Research Council (ERC)
Specific programmes:
 Cooperation (to foster
collaborative research
across Europe)
 Ideas (to support “frontier
research”)
 People (to support
researcher mobility)
 Capacities (strengthen
research infrastructures)
 Nuclear Research
Source: European Commission – Research and Innovation
Horizon 2020
 EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation
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2014 – 2020
Combines 3 individual projects/initiatives*
Total budget: 80 billion euros
Three priorities:
 Excellent research
 Industrial leadership
 Societal challenges
*The 7th Research Framework Programme (FP7), innovation aspects of
Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme (CIP), EU contribution to the
European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT)
Thank you for your attention!
Contact:
DAAD
Tel.:
E-mail:
www.research-in-germany.de