The “Research Campus – Public-Private Partnership for Innovation” funding initiative

The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) launched the “Research Campus – Public-Private Partnership for Innovation” funding initiative in August 2011. The initiative supports large-scale and long-term approaches towards single-site cooperation between science and industry under the Federal Government’s High-Tech Strategy.

The “Research Campus – Public-Private Partnership for Innovation” funding initiative sets out to open up and commercially develop new highly complex fields of research with a high research risk and particular potential for quantum leap innovations. This can give Germany the lead in various new technologies and fields of expertise because research on technologies and services of “the day after tomorrow” frequently provides new approaches, a high level of inter- and transdisciplinarity and early needs-orientation. The nine research campuses recommended by an independent jury will receive funding of up to two million euros per year for up to 15 years divided into several consecutive phases. This multi-phase model gives each research campus the opportunity to adapt its research strategy to meet latest developments within a potential funding period of up to fifteen years. The jury conducts an evaluation following each phase.

In addition to the funding provided by the BMBF, the partners in the research campuses also make significant contributions of their own to the running of the campus. These contributions are not only of a financial nature but also include the provision of infrastructures and staff, for example.

The topics of the R&D projects are determined by the specific research profile or research programme of the individual research campus, which are defined by the partners involved in its establishment (bottom-up approach).