For free exchange across borders

A joint position paper formulates concrete recommendations and explains why free, open, internationally-connected science is a core precondition for a resilient democracy, innovation and economic progress.

The paper in its entirety:

Free Science – Successful Business – Strong Germany

Germany needs an excellent science landscape and strong, innovative companies. Together, they are the foundation for our country’s prosperity, competitiveness and technological sovereignty. Research, development and industrial applications are indispensable for defending and expanding Germany’s innovative energy. But our country is facing a test: international competition for technologies, talents and value creation is increasing whilst, at the same time, our open society and its institutions are coming under pressure. Anti-science and anti-democracy forces are trying to de-legitimise, restrict or ideologically influence the results, topics and areas of research. This endangers the freedom of science, the resilience of our democracy, the innovativeness of business and the future of our country. The undersigned organisations strongly urge for the freedom of science to be protected. 

Science is the systematic, methodologically sound exploration of the world. New insights are continually acquired that expand, confirm, question or refute previous knowledge. Scientific findings are never final: they are published, checked, questioned and developed further. In this way, reliable knowledge is created as a basis for political decision-making, for progress and innovation. Science thrives on the verifiability of its results, the soundness of its methods, on transparency, responsibility and freedom. Research often produces completely new knowledge and lays the foundations for new fields of application as well as value creation fields in which products are developed that expand the location’s competitiveness.

Collaborations between science and business, patents and spin-offs have spawned many technologies and processes that form the basis of our economic success in Germany today. The economic benefits of research are measurable: every euro invested in university locations alone generates many times its value in economic benefits. Current and future examples of research-generated value creation include models for AI-optimised work processes for small and medium-sized enterprises, microprocessor design, functional materials for efficient hydrogen and energy technologies, mRNA-based drugs to fight infections and cancer, sensors for climate-smart agriculture, quantum computers able to operate at room temperature and AI-based automation software for call and process handling in the health sector. The examples could be continued endlessly.

Science knows no national borders. Roughly half of all German publications involve international co-authors. Some 400,000 international students and doctoral candidates at our universities make Germany one of the most popular study destinations worldwide. Moreover, foreign nationals account for approximately 70,000 scientific and artistic staff, driving teaching, research and transfer at our universities and research institutions. Scientific progress is a product of international networks whilst cross-border cooperation is an important element of outstanding research. In particular, this benefits Germany’s research-intensive sectors, which are dependent on the global exchange of knowledge, talents and technologies, and – given the growing skills shortage – on the availability of students and highly-qualified researchers from abroad to drive innovation, open up international markets and secure quality jobs in Germany. Xenophobic tendencies make it harder or even prevent the recruitment of international talents. That is just one of the reasons why xenophobia should have no place in our country.

Science is an irreplaceable part of our society. It facilitates evidence-based and, therefore, sound democratic decision-making. And it opens up additional solution spaces to maintain prosperity. Scientific freedom is guaranteed by the constitution. Education, research and innovation are our biggest assets, underpinning our economic bases and our cultural achievements. This is why we should not allow an anti-science worldview to establish itself. Anyone who de-legitimises scientific findings, discredits researchers or politically manipulates research weakens the science system, threatens the foundations of our society and endangers our prosperity.

The undersigned organisations campaign for the following:

• to answer research questions according to scientific standards
• to protect scientific methods and findings, and actively oppose attempts to discredit research and researchers
• to respect and reinforce independent review and self-governance structures in science and academia
• to encourage trust in evidence-based findings
• to live and protect an open society with a culture of welcome 

Science and research need freedom. A forward-looking, resilient democracy and a modern, internationally competitive economy need free research. Anyone who tries to instrumentalise science robs a free society of its future.

The Berlin Research Network

The Berlin Research Network is composed of representatives of various science and research organisations’ Berlin offices as well as trade associations/businesses. They focus on research and innovation policy.