Germany hosted its second Enhanced Dialogue with the European Commission in Berlin on 2–3 March, bringing together Secretary of State Marcus Pleyer of the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) and Marc Lemaître, Director-General for Research and Innovation. The meeting provided an opportunity for an in-depth exchange on Germany’s research and innovation (R&I) policy, priorities under the European Research Area (ERA), and the future direction of European R&I funding in the run-up to the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF).
The analysis of Germany’s R&I system under the European Semester set the scene for discussions, underlining its many strengths — including strong industrial leadership, world-class research institutions and sustained public investment — while also identifying persisting challenges such as scaling up breakthrough innovation and accelerating technology transfer. The exchange highlighted how Germany’s ambitious High-Tech Agenda is addressing these gaps by aligning research excellence with industrial competitiveness in key enabling technologies.
Against this backdrop, participants discussed the implementation of the ERA Policy Agenda 2025–2027, the central role of Member States in delivering reforms and investments, and how ERA actions can best support national strategic priorities. The Dialogue also looked ahead to the preparation of the next Framework Programme (FP10) and its place within the future MFF, underlining the importance of a strong and impact-oriented EU R&I budget that complements national efforts and leverages private investment. A dedicated session focused on Trust in Science, including in the context of Germany’s forthcoming ‘Science Year 2026’, examining concrete measures to reinforce transparency, counter disinformation and strengthen public engagement with research and evidence-based policymaking.
Day one concluded with a reception at the Futurium, a venue dedicated to dialogue on science, research and the future. The event underscored the importance of effective science communication and the protection of academic freedom as essential conditions for scientific creativity, critical debate and societal trust, with strong participation from universities, research organisations and other R&I stakeholders.
On the second day, discussions turned to technology transfer, innovation agencies and the broader innovation landscape. Participants explored complementarities between the European Innovation Council (EIC) and Germany’s Agency for Disruptive Innovation, SPRIND, with a view to creating clearer pipelines from high-risk research to scalable companies. The dialogue stressed the need for better alignment between EU and national instruments to close the scale-up gap and accelerate the commercial uptake of breakthrough technologies.
Biotechnology and health research were also high on the agenda. Exchanges focused on Germany’s national strategies, the integration of biotechnology into industrial and health policy frameworks, and how EU-level initiatives and national programmes can more effectively combine regulatory support, funding and infrastructure to speed up clinical translation and strengthen Europe’s global competitiveness in life sciences.
A particular highlight of the Enhanced Dialogue was a visit to the Berlin Institute of Health, a leading institution in health sciences and medical research. The delegation received an overview of Germany’s Strategy for Gene- and Cell-based Therapies, as well as concrete examples of how gene therapy approaches are advancing treatment options for rheumatological diseases.
Background
Enhanced dialogues with EU countries are a new, bottom-up channel of cooperation with the European Commission. These dialogues aim at creating a country-tailored approach to foster Research and Innovation in the participating EU country. They are organised on a voluntary basis and built around topics matching the interests of the country. Germany is one of the 18 countries having an enhanced dialogue with DG research & Innovation.
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Enhanced dialogue with EU countries