Emerging Technologies
Research
From AI to circular materials to biotechnology – supporting research into emerging technologies plays a key role in ensuring Germany’s and the EU’s technological sovereignty and competitiveness.
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Opportunities
- Using German research results to play an active role in developing future and key technologies ensures that high environmental and data privacy standards can be incorporated into global technology development. This has the potential to improve everybody’s lives.
- The scientific and scholarly mastery of digital and industrial key technologies is central to achieving technological sovereignty. Competence and research in these cutting-edge fields is what makes German society fit for the future.
- Innovation and the commercial application of key technologies in Germany and the EU reduce one-sided dependence on imports and foreign expertise. This, in turn, also creates jobs, increases prosperity and improves the country’s prospects for the future.
Emerging technologies are the key for tomorrow’s world
Emerging technologies have the potential to make our daily lives easier and increase our quality of life. Technological innovations have already made our lives today more comfortable and convenient in many ways: GPS navigation, autonomous parking assistants, breathable waterproof jackets and robotic vacuum cleaners are just a few examples.
Key technologies are also used in industry to continuously improve products, production processes and services. To this end, various new technologies are increasingly being combined with one another and can no longer be viewed in isolation from each other.
Furthermore, future-oriented technologies also help us to tackle societal challenges such as large-scale decarbonization, digitalization and demographic change. Combining new future-oriented technologies is particularly conducive to innovation.
Over the next few years, significant new key technologies will permeate all areas of our lives. A broad foundation of skills in these new technology fields is required in order to further ensure competitiveness, a strong economy and high-value jobs. This is why the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) supports research and innovation in emerging technologies.
What are emerging technologies?
Emerging technologies are of central importance for Germany’s economic competitiveness. They can be used in a wide range of cross-technology, cross-sector practical applications and have great potential for producing innovation. At the same time, the extensive research required ensures that these new technologies remain viable for many years to come.
Why does the BMBF fund emerging technologies?
Key technologies are a core element of technological sovereignty. Without scientific, technical and practical expertise in these fields, Germany will not retain its competitive edge and would become vulnerable to one-sided dependencies. We want to avoid this.
Which emerging technologies are supported by the BMBF?
We fund technological innovations in biotechnology, artificial intelligence, quantum systems, cyber security, supercomputing, microelectronics, digital networking, photonics, materials research, battery research and robotics.
Editorial deadline for this text: 01.11.2024