Statement by the Alliance of Science Organisations in Germany on the Coalition Agreement between the Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU), the Christian Social Union in Bavaria (CSU) and the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD)
The Alliance of Science Organisations in Germany strongly supports the coalition agreement between CDU/CSU and SPD with its clear commitment to Germany as a strong hub for research and innovation. The statements made therein on education, research and innovation are vital signals that highlight the importance of scientific freedom and the relevance of research in its entirety.
We welcome, in particular, the coalition’s plans to cut red tape, bring together the various strands of research funding at the federal level (from basic research to practical application), resolutely invest in research infrastructure and increase research and development funding to 3.5 percent of gross domestic product. The task now is to achieve this quota and to clear the investment and renovation backlog in Germany’s science landscape with additional funds from the infrastructure off-budget fund.
The focus on science, technology and investment in cutting-edge fields is an important step in the structural development of the German science landscape. In addition, the priorities of the high-tech agenda and the strategic focus on key technologies are a strong signal indicating a targeted innovation policy. The fact that the coalition agreement also names health, marine, climate, security and defense research, as well as the humanities and social sciences, as strategic research fields is also a very important sign. The same applies to the coalition’s plans for a fast-track initiative to modernize university infrastructure and for securing the Zukunftsvertrag Studium und Lehre stärken (Future Pact to Strengthen Higher Education and Teaching).
The new responsibilities of the planned Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) show that the incoming government aims to prioritize and advance the integration of science and innovation policy. We assume that the new ministry will also cover higher education and that research and teaching will be viewed as a unit.
In order to continue to deliver scientific excellence, we need conditions that are geared towards the challenges of our time. These challenges include geopolitical tensions, global competition for talent and rapid technological developments. Effective internationalization strategies, defending scientific freedom at home and abroad and strengthening the academic intermediary organizations, as well as attractive scholarship programs and protection schemes for students, doctoral candidates and researchers at risk, are of crucial importance in this regard. The Alliance also welcomes the establishment of the 1000 Minds program to attract international researchers as well as the statements in the coalition agreement on the autonomy of the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation and the independence of the European Research Council (ERC).
It is now important to promptly implement the plans outlined in the coalition agreement through effective and adequately funded measures that are well coordinated between the various ministries — in a trusting dialogue between science and government.
The Alliance of Science Organisations in Germany is an association of Germany’s most prestigious science organizations. It regularly issues statements on important issues of science policy. The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft is a member of the Alliance and has assumed the speaker role for 2025. Other members are the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the German Research Foundation (DFG), the Helmholtz Association, the German Rectors’ Conference, the Leibniz Association, the Max Planck Society, the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina and the German Science and Humanities Council.
Media contact
Monika Landgraf
Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft
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