- Funding the Cooperation
- Political Framework
- Focus of the German-Polish Cooperation
- Cooperation in the Context of the EU
Funding the Cooperation
In 2016, the BMBF and the Polish Ministry of Science MNiSW agreed on a joint funding programme for the digitisation of the economy. The key players here are in particular small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and startups. The focus of the first 2+2 call for proposals in 2018 was 'Digitisation of medical technology / health research.' The 5 selected projects ran between 2019 and 2022. In March 2021, a second call for proposals called 'Digital Green Tech' focusing on 'Smart Villages' was published. 4 projects have been funded since mid-2022.
In view of the eastern enlargement of the EU, the BMBF launched the funding programme 'International Cooperation in Education and Research: Central, Eastern, and South Eastern European Region' ('regional call for proposals') in 2004 with the aim of promoting research projects between German scientists and partners from Central and Eastern Europe. Currently, a similar successor programme is underway under the name 'Integration of the Central Eastern and South Eastern European Region into the European Research Area' (Bridge2ERA2021). The goal is to submit a joint project proposal within the framework of funding programmes of the BMBF or in the framework of Horizon Europe.
Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian institutions participated together with partners from Poland and the Nordic countries in numerous projects under the funding programme 'Ideas competition to establish and expand innovative R&D networks with partners in the Baltic Sea Region - Circum Mare Balticum' – ('Baltic Sea - call for proposals'), for which the BMBF had published several calls for proposals between 2010 and 2015. The programme was designed to initiate interdisciplinary, innovative R&D networks in the Baltic Sea region with the participation of all Baltic States.
Political Framework
Poland is Germany's most important partner among the Central and Eastern European countries due to its economic and political ties to Germany. The German-Polish research cooperation is based on the Agreement for Scientific and Technological Cooperation (STC) of 10 November 1989 and has developed dynamically over the last few years. For the BMBF, the current cooperation partner at government level is the Ministry of Science and Higher Education (MNiSW).
On the occasion of the 16th German-Polish intergovernmental consultations in Warsaw, Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk signed a joint action plan on 2 July 2024. Germany and Poland reaffirm their intention to continue and deepen their close and trusting relations.
The action plan shows that science and research are central pillars of German-Polish cooperation. This cooperation is to be intensified and further expanded - both bilaterally and at European level. Both countries want to create a strong basis for science, research and innovation through joint investments and thus secure the prosperity, competitiveness and technological sovereignty of Poland, Germany and Europe.
Focus of the German-Polish Cooperation
German-Polish Science Foundation DPWS
In June 2008, an intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in the German-Polish Science Foundation was signed. The foundation is jointly funded by the Federal Government, the State of Brandenburg and the Republic of Poland. It supports projects primarily in the humanities, cultural studies, law, social sciences and economics, which are developed and implemented in German-Polish cooperation by students and scientists from both countries. The foundation's capital amounts to around 50 million euros. Poland's endowment currently amounts to 10 million euros. Since the beginning of its activities, the DPWS has supported more than 440 projects with a funding volume of around 12.6 million euros (November 2023). Within the framework of a special call for proposals on the topic of 'Stability and Change in Communication in Contemporary German-Polish Relations', the foundation is currently funding two research projects. The agreement of 21 June 2023 enables the Foundation to launch special calls for proposals dedicated to German-Polish relations in the past and present.
Dioscuri
The BMBF promotes the development of scientific excellence in Poland (and in the Czech Republic) with the Dioscuri funding programme for outstanding researchers implemented by the Max Planck Society. DioscuriI is intended to establish innovative fields of research and international standards of excellence. It is also meant to contribute to 'brain circulation' in Europe and strengthen the European Research Area (ERA) as a whole. Since the start of the programme in 2017, eight Dioscuri centres have been established in Poland, five in Warsaw and three in Krakow in 2023.
Clinical Neurosciences
Joint calls for proposals in the neurosciences by the BMBF and the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education (MNiSW) took place in 2002 and 2006, resulting in more than 20 German-Polish projects. The bilateral activities have been continuing within the framework of the European coordination measures ERA-Net NEURON ERA-NET NEURON II as well as Neuron Cofund and Neuron Cofund2 (until 2025).
Research in Germany
The BMBF participated in the POLECO / POL-ECO-SYSTEM trade fair in Poznan from 2005 to 2018 (except 2015). The Ministry presented around 25 selected German research institutions, multipliers and funding organisations at its booth each time. As a follow-up event for the trade fair participations, a scientific symposium was held in Warsaw in September 2019 on occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Science and Technology Cooperation (STC).
Research for Sustainability
In May 2008, the '1st German-Polish Conference on Research for Sustainability' took place in Warsaw. On this occasion an agreement was signed between BMBF and MNiSW on cooperation in the field of sustainability. German-Polish call for proposals were published in 2011 and 2016. 16 bilateral projects were funded. In September 2019, a workshop dedicated to these projects was held in Warsaw as part of the 30th anniversary of the STC.
German-Polish Research Forum | Science Platforms
In April 2008, the German-Polish Research Forum took place in Leipzig in the presence of the then Ministers Schavan and Kudrycka. In October 2016, the German-Polish Science Platform 'On the road to innovative Europe' took place in Poznan as a follow-up event to the Research Forum. A German-Polish-Czech Science Platform was held in Dresden in October 2021. The central topics of this high-level event were structural change in the border triangle and the new EU research framework programme Horizon Europe.
Cooperation in the context of the EU
In line with the importance attributed to research and technology in the two countries, cooperation under the European Framework Programmes has developed dynamically over the last few years. Poland was involved in 1,894 projects within Horizon 2020; 1,254 of these projects ran with German participation. Poland's participation focused on information and communication technologies, energy and transport. For Poland, Germany was the most important cooperation partner in Horizon 2020 after Spain and Italy. Intensive German-Polish cooperation also continues in Horizon Europe (In March 2024, the number of projects with Polish participation was 902, of which 628 had German participation.). The internationalisation and advancing European integration represent opportunities for Germany's science and research landscape and for the private sector.
