R&D Expenditure
R&I projects
R&I projects by STRIA Roadmap
Evolution of daily funding by mode (Eur)
Top 5 beneficiaries
Distribution of R&I projects by transport mode
Number of projects by funding origin
Distribution of EU funding by transport mode
More data and details can be found in the TRIMIS DASHBOARD
Transport research is high on the Government Agenda. The objectives of research policy are defined in the Federal High-Tech Strategy 2025 (HTS 2025), which outlines the national research and innovation policy.
- It shows perspectives on how Germany can successfully shape its future through research and innovation. At the same time, it offers orientation to all actors in innovation. It aims to encourage a variety of actors to actively shape progress. This also applies beyond Germany: the HTS 2025 is an offer for cooperation and can serve as an orientation for the cooperation of the innovation forces in Europe.
- It focuses the promotion of research and innovation on people's needs, such as health and care, sustainability, climate change and energy, mobility, city and countryside, security and the economy. It should help to place Germany at the forefront of the next technological revolutions in order to keep jobs in Germany and to secure prosperity. The promotion of new technologies goes hand in hand with investment in education and training and the involvement of society to prepare people for upcoming changes.
The German government have published the 2030 Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan, which outlines the strategic plans concerning transport and transport infrastructure up to 2030, as well as the German Maritime Strategy 2025 and the National Master Plan Maritime Technologies (NMMT) providing policy and industry recommendations.
In addition, Energy and Climate Change Policy is an integral part of Federal Government policy. This policy is used and evaluated by the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure to derive its own strategies.
(Last updated: 31/08/2023)
The research landscape in Germany is complex, with responsibilities shared across Federal level and the 16 German states (Länder). At Federal level:
- The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) is largely responsible for research policy;
- The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) is responsible for innovation and technology policy, and some areas of R&D policy;
- The Joint Science Conference is the main body coordinating research policies of the federal government and state governments;
- The Commission of Experts for Research and Innovation (EFI) provides scientific advice to the Federal Government on the German innovation system by delivering reports on research, innovation and technological productivity in Germany.
- The Council of Science and Humanities (WR) evaluates and advises on development of science, research and higher education.
The Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres (HGF) is Germany's largest scientific research community. It performs top-rate research in strategic programmes in the fields of Energy, Earth and Environment, Health, Key Technologies, Structure of Matter, Transport and Space. The German Centre for Research on Higher Education and Science Studies (DZHW) provides research-based services to academia and scientific policy makers and is responsible for providing research infrastructure.
For developing and implementing national transport policy, The Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMVI) is mainly responsible. The Ministry’s Research Department provides the scientific foundation for the work of the Ministry and coordinates its research programmes. This covers all aspects of mobility and transport, spatial and urban development, building and housing. To ensure a sustainable energy supply, the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure is also key player in the National Programme of Innovation for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology.
The Federal Ministry is supported by several executive agencies including:
- Federal Motor Transport Authority;
- Federal Office for Goods Transport;
- Federal Railway Authority;
- Federal Railway Property Agency;
- Federal Waterways and Shipping Administration.
(Last updated: 31/08/2023)
In Germany, transport research is funded through dedicated programmes and through the general scheme for research funding (for which the German Research Foundation plays a central role.)
At Federal level, research is mainly funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, which finances large research organisations jointly with the Länder governments.
Organisations responsible for institutional framework and funding are:
- Federal Aviation Office
- Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation
- Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy
- KfW Group
- Institute of Transport Research
Current transport research funding programmes include:
- Road Safety Programme 2021-2030
- Bringing technology to the people (2016-2020)
- Marine Research Programme (KDM)
Other regional funding programmes with links to transport include:
- Lower Saxony 2021-2027 ERDF-ESF+
- Programme ERDF 2021-2027 Hesse
- Programme ERDF 2021-2027 Schleswig-Holstein
- Programme ERDF 2021-2027 Thuringia
- Programme ERDF/JTF 2021-2027 Brandenburg
- Programme ERDF/JTF 2021-2027 North Rhine-Westphalia
- Programme ERDF/JTF 2021-2027 Saxony
- Programme ERDF/JTF 2021-2027 Saxony-Anhalt
(Last updated: 31/08/2023)
Latest projects
Sci-Bi: Digitalization in Logistics and Transport
German Mobility Panel (MOP) - Survey of everyday mobility as well as car driving performance and fuel consumption for the cohort 2018
EMPHASE
Digital Motorway Test Bed
Mobility Trends in Cutting Edge Cities
Safe High Energy Ithium-Ion Cells for Electric Vehicles
Real-time services for maritime safety
maritime simulation network
TRIMIS Search Hub
Latest funding programmes
Real-time Technologies for Maritime Security - MaFo
Maritime Research Programme - MaFo
Research Programme Urban Transport 2017/2018
Department Research Programme of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Preservation, Construction and Nuclear Safety (BMUB)
Department Research Programme of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Preser-vation, Construction and Nuclear Safety 2016
Bringing Technology to the People
Bringing Technology to the People
Department Research Programme of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Preser-vation, Construction and Nuclear Safety 2015
