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Technological Sovereignty

Emerging Technologies

The world is on the brink of technological milestones which will radically change our future. Germany and the EU must be able to understand, apply and even produce key technologies like AIthemselves.

Opportunities

  • Technological sovereignty means being part of the scientific development of digital andindustrial key technologies. Higher education and research institutions thereby strengthentheir international attractiveness.
  • Technological sovereignty reduces unilateral dependencies on foreign expertise and imports of critical supply chain technologies. This makes industry in Germany and the EUmore resilient to crises and internationally competitive.
  • Digital and technological sovereignty contribute to securing society's prosperity, skilledjobs and our free and democratic order in the long term.

Germany and the EU must hold their ground in the global technology competition in order not tofall behind in security-critical technologies.

Technological sovereignty means:

  • understanding and mastering key technologies,
  • translating them into applications and innovations,
  • formulating requirements of technologies, products and services in line with free and democraticvalues,
  • participating in the definition of standards on the global markets,
  • building up the necessary skills base and own production capacities if required for maintaining the state’s ability to act or to avoid unilateral dependencies on foreign expertise and imports.

The Research and Innovation for Technological Sovereignty Framework Programme

Technological sovereignty is relevant for Germany’s future prosperity. That is why the Federal Government has stressed the topic in its Future Research and Innovation Strategy. The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) will implement the strategy up to 2030 under the Research and Innovation for Technological Sovereignty (FITS2030) framework programme. The BMBF’s funding programmes and the linkage to institutional research funding put the framework programme into effect.

The targets of framework programme are:

Cross-cutting topic: education

New technologies and innovations can only be implemented by skilled professionals withthe appropriate training. Young professionals in vocational and academic training in the STEM areaare valuable enablers for technological sovereignty. That is why the BMBF funds research in keytechnologies as well as the German education system on all levels. The STEM area in particular isfunded with measures like the MINT Action Plan 2.0.

Cross-cutting topic: environmental and climate friendliness

Consistent consideration of the recyclability of materials and products and the organization of a circular economy saves resources, protects the environment and the climate and reduces dependency on global supply chains. Providers will then emerge in Germany for sustainable products, processes and services. The BMBF has therefore set up a strategy for research for sustainability.

Cross-cutting topic: European and international cooperation

Cooperation in research and innovation policy within the EU reduces unilateral dependencies on third countries and strengthens the competitiveness of industry in Germany and the EU. The BMBF also expands its bilateral and multilateral research and innovation cooperation with third countries to tap existing knowledge.

Cross-cutting topic: start-ups

Theoretical knowledge on new technologies alone is not enough. Innovations must always be delivered at grass-roots level. Start-ups are important drivers in this process since they rapidly take up new ideas and develop innovative products. With initiatives such as StartUpSecure and StartUpConnect the BMBF supports young, innovative companies making their first steps. Well-established companies can also receive support under the KMU-innovativ programme if they want to contribute to technological progress.

Cross-cutting topic: standardization

The standardization which keeps pace with development is an effective lever with which to quickly scale up innovations while taking into account technological solutions that result from R&D done by German players. The BMBF supports the active involvement of science in the standardization processes accompanying development at national, European and international level.

The Council for Technological Sovereignty

The BMBF appointed the Council for Technological Sovereignty in late 2021 to support its research and innovation policy work. The Council for Technological Sovereignty is independent. Its members are experts from science and industry. The Council for Technological Sovereignty advises the BMBF continually in its cross-technology foresight and in identifying fields of technology of lasting strategic importance. It analyses the potential of science and industry in different fields of technology as well as the interactions of different technologies. On the basis of its analyses, the Council develops recommendations for action for the BMBF which aim at strengthening the most relevant technologies and cross-cutting topics over the long term and at securing the technological sovereignty of Germany and Europe.

Editorial deadline for this text: 01.11.2024

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