Germany has a robust research landscape, a high-performing industrial sector, and a highly skilled workforce. Nevertheless, the country often fails to translate technological innovations into marketable applications quickly enough – with noticeable consequences for competitiveness and value added. The transfer between research, development, and industrial scaling remains a key challenge for Germany as a business location. The Innovation Council is therefore calling for a reorientation of innovation policy: away from short-term thinking focused on legislative terms, and toward a long-term, evidence-based strategy.
Eight leading figures from science, business, and society will develop concrete recommendations for a more implementation-oriented innovation policy within the Innovation Council. While many debates take place at an abstract level, the Council consistently focuses on the practical realization of innovations. A decisive factor here is the technological, regulatory, and economic framework under which new solutions are actually put into practice. As an independent, interdisciplinary body, the Innovation Council contributes a technology-oriented perspective to the discourse on innovation policy.
5 Impulses for Germany as a Location for Innovation
In its impulses for Germany as a location for innovation, the Innovation Council calls for a holistic approach to the topic of innovation and its impact on Germany as a business location:
1. Establishishing a Long-Term Innovation Strategy
Innovation should not be viewed in terms of legislative cycles. Germany needs a fact-based, long-term strategy with clear priorities regarding key technologies, infrastructure, resources, and skilled workers.
2. Designing Regulation to Foster Innovation
Faster procedures, less bureaucracy, and greater trust are needed. Real-world testing grounds, experimental clauses, and the reduction of “gold-plating” should facilitate innovation – including through Germany playing a more active role at the EU level.
3. Strengthening Investment and Scaling
Key technologies require long-term investment and a willingness to take risks. The goal is not only to develop innovations but also to scale them up in Germany—by creating better conditions for companies, start-ups, and collaborations.
4. Reorienting Education and the Workforce
An innovation-oriented education and labor market system is essential. Lifelong learning, upskilling and reskilling, and the systematic development of talent are crucial to reducing skills shortages.
5. Targeted Advancement of Key Technologies
Germany needs to regain a leading role in technologies such as AI, microelectronics, biotechnology, and robotics. This requires competitive framework conditions, sufficient energy, and consistent industrial implementation.
The “Future of Germany 2050” initiative was launched by the Association of German Engineers (VDI). Since 2026, the German Informatics Society (Gesellschaft für Informatik) has also been involved, particularly in the field of AI. In this way, the Innovation Council brings together the expertise of two major technical and scientific communities with a combined membership of over 160,000 individuals. Independent of individual business interests, the initiators are pooling their strengths to bring a clear, fact-based voice to the discourse on innovation policy.
Further Members of the Innovation Council are:
Prof. Dr. Lutz Eckstein (RWTH Aaachen and President of the VDI)
Prof. Dr. Veronika Grimm (Nuremberg Technical University and Member of the German Council of Economic Experts)
Prof. Dr. Jürgen Kühling (University of Regensburg and Chair of the Monopolies Commission until 2024)
Dr. Anne Lamp (Founder and entrepreneur in the circular economy sector, traceless materials)
Dr. Melanie Maas-Brunner (Former member of the Executive Board and Chief Technology Officer at BASF, member of the Senate of the Max Planck Society, and, starting in June 2026, President of the Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft)
Adrian Willig (Aerospace engineer and Director and Executive Board Member of the VDI)
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Martin Wolf (Aachen University of Applied Sciences and President of the German Informatics Society)
More information:
To the Innovation Council for Germany (in German)
To the initiative „Future Germany 2050“
To the VDI