The High-Tech Strategy 2025 defines the objectives and milestones of Germany's research and innovation policy. It focuses on three areas: addressing societal challenges, developing future competencies, and promoting an open innovation culture. A key part of this strategy is the Clusters4Future program, which aims to establish regional innovation networks to support high-risk research with potential for radical innovations through cross-disciplinary collaboration. These new clusters will complement existing R&D funding with additional support for open innovation, education, startups, and social innovations.

1. www.bmbf.de/en/index.html
Clusters4Future - Germany’s
next generation regional
innovation networks
Dr. Oliver Pieper
Federal Ministry of Education and Research
Antwerp, 10th October 2019
Source: ©metamorworks - stock.adobe.com

2. 2Antwerp, 10th October 2019
 ...defines the objectives and milestones
of the Federal Government’s research
and innovation policy.
 …is implemented in cooperation with
all ministries.
 ...strategically underpins Germany’s
objective to increase R&D expenditure
to 3.5 %.
 …defines three fields of action: societal
challenges, future competencies and
open innovation culture
 Federal Government investment under
the umbrella of the HTS 2025: more
than 15 billions of euros in 2018
The High-Tech Strategy (HTS) 2025…

3. 3Antwerp, 10th October 2019
The High-Tech Strategy (HTS) 2025: Three fields of action.
Societal challenges
 Healthcare
 Sustainability, climate and energy
 Mobility
 Cities and rural areas
 Safety and security
 Economy and work 4.0
Future competencies
 Technological base
 Base of skilled Labor
 Societal participation
Open innovation culture
 We support an open innovation
culture (e.g. new actors, new
knowledge, new types of
cooperation)
 We promote social innovations
 We promote breakthrough
innovations
 We strengthen the innovative
power of SMEs
 We encourage entrepreneurship
 We organize cooperation in
innovative networks
 We rely on European and
international partnerships

4. 4Antwerp, 10th October 2019
• “Zukunftscluster” (Clusters4Future) are the next generation of regional
innovation networks
• Based on successful German cluster funding (e.g. Spitzencluster-
Competition), but going significantly further
• Focus on results from top-level research that haven’t exceed application
threshold so far; Including risk taking research with high potential for radical
innovations
• expecting cross-disciplinary, cross-sectorial and cross-technological
cooperation; Dynamic and bold constellation of actors, frontier spirit and an
open innovation culture
• Complementing R&D Funding by innovation-supporting approaches, e. g.
Open Innovation, education and training, Start-up funding, social innovations
Germany‘s new cluster approach: the vision

5. 5Antwerp, 10th October 2019
Federal Ministry of Education and
Research
Referat 521 – Future of Work and Value
Creation; Innovation Support; Industry 4.0
Kapelle-Ufer 1
10117 Berlin
Dr. Oliver Piper
Tel.: +49 (0)30 1857-5140E-Mail:
Oliver.Pieper@bmbf.bund.de
Thank you very much for your attention.
Project Management Jülich,
Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH
Technological and Regional Innovations
Clusters
52425 Jülich
Dr. Florian Welter
Tel.: +49 (0)2461 61-9051
E-Mail: f.welter@fz-juelich.de
E-Mail: ptj-zukunftscluster@fz-juelich.de
Further Information: www.bmbf.de/zukunftscluster

6. 6Antwerp, 10th October 2019
Roadmap of the 1st Round of Competition
Source: © Projektträger Jülich, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH
3 yrs 3 yrs 3 yrs
Up to 5 Mio. €
per yr and cluster