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Germany as a research location: opportunities, challenges and possible solutions!
The UNI Wübben Foundation supports research and career opportunities at TUM and promotes international collaborations and innovations in Germany.
Germany as a research location: opportunities, challenges and possible solutions!
The research scene in Germany is facing major challenges, but also promising prospects. Many international researchers are not aware of the opportunities Germany offers. This ignorance can lead to highly qualified scientists choosing careers in other countries. As the Wübben Foundation reports, talent often prefers the attractive salaries in the USA, where researchers are paid up to $250,000 annually. While US universities also have interesting offerings in medicine, a lot depends on third-party funding.
The Technical University of Munich (TUM), on the other hand, offers a convincing research environment that is supported by the Wübben Foundation. It offers excellent conditions and is part of Munich's lively ecosystem, which is focused on research and innovation. This is particularly important for international talent who are looking for solid training and career opportunities.
Career opportunities and research funding
In Germany, the need for a stronger connection between science and industry was recognized. Loud Deutschland.de The aim is to increase spending on research and development (R&D) to 3.5 percent of gross domestic product by 2025. In 2022, the R&D rate was already at 3.13 percent, which places Germany among the highest values in Europe.
The Agency for Transfer and Innovation (DATI) is being set up to quickly apply research results and strengthen the transfer culture. It should cooperate closely with existing structures of the transfer and innovation system and focus on successful examples, such as the development of an mRNA vaccine by Biontech. The federal government is also pursuing a comprehensive startup strategy that encourages innovative start-ups from the science system.
Challenges and potential for improvement
Although the German research landscape has a lot to offer, there are also challenges. The Agency Deutschland.de highlights the lack of courage among founders in Germany. Despite solid social security, many find it difficult to take the step into self-employment. One suggestion is to introduce more “trial” formats that could support dynamic teams.
In addition, improvements in the communication of offers by German universities are crucial. Often the structures are more informal, which facilitates access to modern equipment, but there is still a need for permanent staff in central facilities to optimize the use of high-end infrastructure.
TUM recently announced a professorship in the field of “AI-guided protein design,” a field with diverse applications in drug development and industrial biotechnology. Nevertheless, international researchers often show ignorance about available positions in Germany, which can slow down the application process. At TUM, for example, the application takes place in June, an interview follows in October and feedback takes place in May of the following year.
In summary, despite the challenges in technology transfer and communication, Germany offers many career opportunities for international researchers. With the right support and improved structures, the attractiveness of the German research location could be further strengthened. Initiated through programs like those of the Wübben Foundation, Germany can gain international reputation as one of the leading nations for research and development.