High-Tech Strategy 2020 for Germany

The High-Tech Strategy, which was launched in August 2006, was the first national concept to rally the key stakeholders involved in innovation around a common idea. On 14 July 2010, the Federal Cabinet decided to continue along this successful path. The new High-Tech Strategy 2020 will ensure the continuity of the overall approach and, at the same time, set new priorities.

The aim of the High-Tech Strategy (HTS) is to create lead markets, intensify cooperation between science and industry, and continue to improve the general conditions for innovation.

• We want to make Germany the leading provider of science- and technology-based solutions in the areas of climate/energy, health/nutrition, mobility, security, and communication. The HTS focuses on these areas, and this is also creating growth and employment in Germany.
• Forward-looking projects in selected areas will be the focus of future research and innovation policy. These projects pursue specific objectives related to scientific and technological development over a period of ten to fifteen years. Strategies for innovation are being developed and steps towards their realization planned in concrete cases.

The High-Tech Strategy has formulated the following central examples of forward-looking projects:

• CO₂-neutral, energy-efficient and climate-adapted cities
• The intelligent restructuring of the energy supply system
• Renewable resources as an alternative to oil
• Treating illnesses more effectively with the help of individualized medicine
• Better health through an optimized diet
• Living an independent life well into old age
• A million electric vehicles in Germany by 2020
• More effective protection of communication networks
• Increasing Internet use whilst making it less energy consuming
• Making global knowledge digitally available and accessible
• Tomorrow's working world and its structure
• • National and European research and innovation policies are being closely linked. Europe 2020 is an ambitious process started by the European Commission and the European Council with the aim of putting education, research and innovation at the centre of European growth policy. On this basis, Germany will contribute to a coherent research and innovation policy in Europe.
  • The general conditions for innovation in Germany are being improved even further. In particular, this refers to the conditions for setting up businesses, the special circumstances of SMEs, sufficient funding for innovations, and the provision of venture capital.
  • Not least, research and innovation depend on an intensive dialogue with society. To this end, new dialogue platforms are being created so that the general population can become more involved and bring its own ideas into the debate about emerging technologies and research results that can contribute to meeting the great global and societal challenges of our time.

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  Germany is gaining more profile as a location for science

  The Federal Government has introduced important steps towards modernizing the German science system with the Excellence Initiative, the Higher Education Pact 2020 and the Joint Initiative for Research and Innovation. The science scene has gained considerable profile and Germany has become more attractive as a science nation.
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  Science and business

  Innovations can realise their full potential only if they are transferred rapidly from research into products and released onto the market. Only in a joint effort, adopting cross-sector approaches and exploiting synergies, can this objective be achieved. Recognising this, the Federal Government intends to strengthen collaboration between business and science in order in particular to harness the vast potential of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
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  Focusing on tomorrow's lead markets today

  Germany is preparing for the future: to be able to meet the great challenges of the 21st century, the Federal Government has launched the "High-Tech Strategy for Germany". Thanks to this strategy, pathbreaking research projects are being initiated, innovations are being financed, and state-of-the-art technologies are being developed to market maturity. This is creating markets with great potential for growth as well as international competitive advantages. We want cutting-edge technology "made in Germany" to continue to enjoy an excellent reputation across the world!
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• Industry-Science Research Alliance

  High-technology products are the lifeblood of the German economy. That is why innovations are a basic prerequisite for economic and social prosperity in our country. The good framework conditions and the transfer opportunities from science to industry make Germany a successful high-tech location. In order to maintain this status and increase Germany's innovativeness, Federal Research Minister Annette Schavan initiated the "Industry-Science Research Alliance" in 2006. It is a forum in which leading representatives from science and industry propose strategies for strengthening Germany as a high-tech location.
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