Summit for Research
and Innovation 2025

Half a year after the formation of the new German government, the Gipfel für Forschung und Innovation 2025 (Summit for Research and Innovation) offers a forum for politics, science, and business to place current developments in research and innovation policy at the center of public debate. The challenges for Germany and Europe as hubs of research and innovation are not new. However, the pressure for change intensifies in an era of global upheavals, geopolitical tensions, and rapid technological progress.  

Global competitors such as China and the United States are investing massively and with greater dynamism than Germany and Europe in research and innovation, especially in key technologies such as artificial intelligence and quantum technologies. Europe is becoming increasingly dependent when it comes to many critical technologies and raw materials for digital products. Tariffs and unreliable supply chains heighten uncertainty for companies in Germany, Europe, and around the world. The international flow of knowledge is also coming under pressure: academic freedom is being curtailed in many countries, and international scientific cooperation is facing new barriers. Cross-border research is being re-examined through the lens of security concerns and must prove its resilience in times of geopolitical tension.

In this global environment, Germany and Europe must proactively set the course for greater innovation and growth. Under the theme “Time to act – For greater competitiveness in Germany and Europe,” the Summit poses critical questions and explores concrete solutions to the most pressing challenges of our time: transformation, cooperation, and security. 

9:00
Opening by speaker of the Falling Walls Science Summit and partners of the Summit for Research and Innovation 
 

9:10
Keynote
 

9:30
Exchange with Policymakers
moderated by Prof. Dr. Michael Kaschke, President of the Stifterverband 

• How does the government intend to enhance Germany’s competitiveness?  
• What should change regarding joint action at the European level?
• What priority does the government assign to research and innovation?  
• How will the fund dedicated to defence and infrastructure be deployed to advance this agenda?
• What effects on innovation capability does the Federal Government expect from the reorganization of central ministries?
• Which core elements – both in terms of content and organization – will the "High-Tech Agenda Germany" comprise to accelerate the country’s innovative capacity?
   

10:00
Panel 1: Structural Changes in the Research and Innovation System   
moderated by Prof. Dr. Irene Bertschek, Chairwoman of the Expert Commission for Research and Innovation (EFI)

• What structural changes in the research and innovation system are necessary to address new challenges and shifting priorities?  
• How can politics initiate and sustain these changes?
• How must the division of labor, cooperation structures, and existing funding models in research and innovation change so that research more effectively translates into innovation?
• What should companies – especially SMEs – do to position themselves strategically and thrive in an increasingly complex international market environment?
   

11:00
Panel 2: International Research Cooperation in a Fragmented World 
moderated by Prof. Dr. Bettina Rockenbach, President of the National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina 

• How can international scientific cooperation be sustained in an increasingly fragmented world order?
• What consequences does this have for research security, data flows, and knowledge exchange?
• How should Germany and Europe seize opportunities to attract top researchers and strengthen their position as a hub for open and free science?
• How does industrial research position itself within the new geopolitical context? 
   

12:00
Lunch Break
 

12:45
Panel 3: Innovation for Security – Innovation through Security
moderated by Dr. Georg Schütte, CEO of the Volkswagen Foundation

• How is Europe positioned with regard to security-relevant research?  
• How much cooperation between business and science currently exists in this area?  
• What hinders cooperation (from cultural factors and mindsets to infrastructure and regulation)?  
• What new structures and responsibilities are needed to advance cooperation? 
   

13:45
Concluding Remarks by the Partners of the Summit for Research and Innovation
 

14:00
End of the event

 
Updated August 18th, 2025