Research and Innovation
What do we need to achieve sustainable economic growth and a strong country that is resilient in times of crisis? More than anything, we need to be a global leader in research, development and innovation.
Shaping the future depends on a productive combination of research, innovation and drive, on a successful path leading from a good idea to its practical application.
Germany is innovative and is a leader in research. Expenditure on research and development (R&D) is one indicator of this. The Federal Government has set out the target that industry and government together should spend 3.5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) on R&D - here you can follow the development of this quota in Germany.
Germany regularly features as one of the world’s leading locations of innovation in international ranking exercises. Here you can see, for example, the number of patent applications in Germany (since 1991) or the number of scientific publications published in Germany (since 2005).
Research and innovation play a central role in overcoming current and future societal challenges. It is therefore important to further strengthen Germany's and Europe's position in international competition against the backdrop of rapid technological development and geopolitical changes. Research and innovation are the drivers for this and important levers for the transformation to sustainability.