Gdańsk Declaration: Alliance of German Science Organisations puts Emphasis on Education, Science and Technology
At this year’s Ukraine Recovery Conference in Gdańsk, Poland, the International Coalition for Science, Research and Innovation in Ukraine adopted the Gdańsk Declaration on 26 June 2026. The Coalition brings together national governments, international organisations including the EU and UNESCO, and stakeholders from the education, research and innovation sectors. As the largest representative of the research community, the Alliance of German Science Organisations is part of the Coalition.
With the Gdańsk Declaration, the Coalition underlines the vital role of education, research, innovation and technology in Ukraine’s recovery, modernisation and path towards European Union membership. By endorsing the Declaration, the Alliance reaffirms its solidarity with its Ukrainian partner organisations and calls for a coordinated international effort to strengthen a sector that is essential to Ukraine’s long-term development.
On this occasion, Professor Dr Walter Rosenthal, President of the German Rectors’ Conference and current Spokesperson of the Alliance states: “National governments, the European Commission, industry, donors, higher education institutions, innovators and start-ups must work even more closely together to strengthen Ukraine’s knowledge system – that is, higher education, research, innovation, technology development and knowledge transfer – as a key driver of sustainable, forward-looking recovery. Alongside rebuilding infrastructure damaged by the war, Ukraine must continue to strengthen its security, economy and public institutions. Investing in the talent and potential of the Ukrainian people – both at home and abroad – will be critical to this effort.”
One of the Coalition’s priorities is to secure additional investment for the modernisation of Ukraine’s research and innovation landscape, working in close partnership with German institutions. This includes support for basic research and major research infrastructures, such as the German-Swiss-Ukrainian-Polish “MAVKA” beamline project, as well as applied research, knowledge transfer, research excellence, the Ukrainian academic diaspora in Germany, around 400 German-Ukrainian university partnerships, and capacity building in science policy, research management and science diplomacy.
The Coalition’s partners see significant opportunities in areas including energy, resource efficiency, urban and regional development, healthcare, the knowledge economy, resilience, and protection against conventional and hybrid threats. They therefore call for political and investment decisions to direct funding strategically, prioritise key technologies and ensure that scientific expertise is systematically integrated into policymaking.
More information:
• Gdańsk Declaration on Science, Research and Innovation in Ukraine
• International Coalition for Science, Research and Innovation in Ukraine
Contact
Lucian Brujan, German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina
lucian.brujan@leopoldina.org
Welf Zöller, Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft
welf.zoeller@zv.fraunhofer.de
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Media contact
Dr Christoph Hilgert
Head of Communications Department and Press Spokesperson
German Rectors’ Conference (HRK)
Leipziger Platz 11
10117 Berlin
Germany
T: +49 30 206292-224
presse@hrk.de
www.hrk.de