Racing Towards Elite Science: The Lower Saxony Push
Universities in Lower Saxony competing for top spots - Competitive battle between up to four top-tier units located in Lower Saxony
Looking forward, Lower Saxony has high hopes to add up to four elite universities to its scientific roster. Juggernauts like TU Braunschweig, Leibniz University Hannover, the Medical School Hannover, and the University of Oldenburg sweat it out in the current Excellence Initiative for Science. With at least two potential groundbreaking research projects in the pipeline, they're eyeing the May 22 decision for the coveted Excellence Clusters [1].
Two of these research hubs are essential for an aspiring Excellence University in the next round. What sets Lower Saxony apart, at present, is its absence of an elite university in the state. Minister Falko Mohrs explains the prevailing situation [1].
As the evaluation term approaches, Lower Saxony showcases a competitive lineup of nine research projects in the running for funding. Of these, six are existing Excellence Clusters, and three are potential new contenders [1]. The fate of these projects hangs in the balance for the next seven years, post the upcoming evaluations.
National funding will support up to 70 clusters instead of the previous 57. These changes are a joint agreement between the federal and state governments [1]. In the last round of clusters, Lower Saxony made its mark with 98 applications [1].
Prodigious Research in Lower Saxony
Since February 2023, a staggering billion euros have flowed into science through the "Zukunft.Niedersachsen" program [2]. The primary source of funding comes from the dividends of the VW shares owned by the state, which support the Volkswagen Foundation [2]. In 2023, an additional special dividend of approximately 576 million euros was injected due to the Porsche initial public offering [2].
Crown jewels of Lower Saxony's research include stem cell-derived heart patches, advanced solar cells, and AI-assisted harvesting robots [2]. Georg Schütte, chair of the Volkswagen Foundation, expresses the sentiment that Germany's northern gem is playing top-tier science [2].
The Mission: Elite University
Following his inauguration at the end of 2022, Minister Mohrs set a clear goal: secure an Excellence University for Lower Saxony [3]. Confident of success in the next bid, slated for 2026, Mohrs expressed optimism about the state's strong universities [3].
Stay tuned as these institutions push harder and strive for excellence in their respective fields.
- Lower Saxony
- TU Braunschweig
- International Collaborations – Active participant in international partnerships, such as the Matching Funds Programme with institutions like the University of Rhode Island and Tampere University [1].
- Leibniz University Hannover
- Energy Research – Prefers to focus on energy conversion, storage, transportation, and use. Unique infrastructures like the Large Wave Flume and collaborates with entities like the Energy Research Centre of Lower Saxony [4].
- Green Hydrogen Research – Engages in green hydrogen research as part of broader energy initiatives in Germany, attracting researchers from around the world [4].
- Medical School Hannover – A leading name in medical research and education.
- University of Oldenburg
- Research Partnerships – Partners with significant research collaborations, such as the ForWind joint wind energy research center with Leibniz University Hannover and the University of Bremen [4].
Community aid could be provided to vocational training programs in Lower Saxony, fostering education-and-self-development among its residents. As Lower Saxony works towards establishing an elite university, scientific research partnerships, including those in the field of energy (such as green hydrogen), could provide valuable vocational training opportunities.
