Concept for an integrated energy research program on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research
Projekt status: | Current | |
Project period: | Since 1/2009 | |
Project type: |
Energy, Construction, Infrastructure and Environment
Assignment
In autumn 2008, the Federal Minister of Education and Research, Dr. Annette Schavan, assigned acatech and the Leopoldina German Academy of Sciences with the development of a concept for an integrated energy research program for Germany. The academies were asked to identify the most important future research areas in the charged field of a safe, reliable and affordable energy supply, as well as those that are needed to achieve the climate protection goals of the Federal government. The project also addresses social, legal and economic factors as well as energy supply acceptance issues. For this reason, the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences was integrated as a representative of the Alliance Academies to help draw up the first draft concept, an endeavour in which around 100 scientists from universities, non-academic research institutes, industry and civil society took part. This draft was handed over to the Federal Minister on 24 June 2009.
Two phases
The concept work can be subdivided into two phases. Initially, the academies assigned four coordinators in November 2008 with the task of organising the first project phase from December 2008 to June 2009. These experts are Dr. Ferdi Schüth (Leopoldina, Max-Planck-Gesellschaft), Dr. Frank Behrendt (acatech, Berlin University of Technology), Dr. Eberhard Umbach (acatech, Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe) and Dr. Ortwin Renn (BBAW, University of Stuttgart). After a public presentation of the first concept draft, which is likely to occur at the beginning of October, the academy recommendations will be worked out in detail. This second phase represents an important component of the project as it will produce a materials volume and various technology reports that corroborate and complete the expert opinions previously made.The work results are scheduled to appear in 2010 in a detailed report with a time horizon of two decades, which will also contain recommendations for structural improvements in Germany's research landscape.The exact date of the public event at the close of the first project phase will appear on the acatech website in the near future.