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Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space

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Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space
Bundesministerium für Forschung, Technologie und Raumfahrt
Map
Agency overview
Formed20 October 1955 (71 years ago) (1955-10-20) as the Federal Ministry for Atomic Affairs
JurisdictionGovernment of Germany
Headquarters
Minister responsible
Agency executive
Websitewww.bmftr.bund.de

The Federal Ministry for Research, Technology and Space (German: Bundesministerium für Forschung, Technologie und Raumfahrt[1] (BMFTR)) is a government ministry and supreme federal authority of the Federal Republic of Germany. Its headquarters, or primary office, is located in the so-called Kreuzbauten [de] (Cross Buildings) in the federal city of Bonn, and its secondary office is in Berlin. Dorothee Bär from the Christian Social Union (CSU) has been the Federal Minister for Research, Technology and Space in the Merz cabinet since 6 May 2025.

History

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The origins of the Federal Ministry for Research, Technology and Space dated back to 20 October 1955, when the Federal Ministry for Atomic Affairs (BMAt) was founded under Chancellor Konrad Adenauer. Franz Josef Strauss, who later served as Minister-President of Bavaria, was appointed its first Federal Minister.[2]

The Federal Ministry for Atomic Affairs was tasked with promoting the peaceful use of nuclear energy [de] and was located in the former Hotel Godesberger Hof [de] in Bad Godesberg, which had been converted into an office building. In 1957, it was renamed the Federal Ministry for Nuclear Energy and Water Management (BMAtW) and in 1961 the Federal Ministry for Nuclear Energy (BMAt). With its renaming in 1962 to the Federal Ministry for Scientific Research (BMwF), it also became responsible for general scientific promotion and the promotion of space research. A constitutional amendment in 1969 expanded the federal government's powers in educational planning and research funding, and the ministry was therefore renamed the Federal Ministry of Education and Science (BMBW), a name it retained until 1994.

In 1972, the Federal Ministry for Research and Technology (BMFT) was founded to promote basic research, applied research, and technological development. The head of the central department from 1971 to 1982 was Friedrich Bischoff, who had previously served as the chief administrative officer of the Hanover district [de]. For more than two decades, the two ministries remained separate. After the 1994 German federal election, the two ministries were merged, and the new ministry was named the Federal Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Technology (BMBF). With this expanded scope of responsibilities, it was sometimes referred to as the "Ministry of the Future". Following the change of government in 1998, the BMBF transferred the Technology Policy division to the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Technology and therefore bore the name Federal Ministry of Education and Research until 2025. In the Merz cabinet, the education portfolio was transferred to the former Ministry for Family Affairs, the technology portfolio was reintegrated, and responsibility for space travel was explicitly named, so that the ministry is now called the Federal Ministry for Research, Technology and Space.[1]

Between 1999 and 2014, the ministry's Berlin office was located in the former building of the Permanent Mission of the Federal Republic of Germany to the GDR, before it opened its building on Kapelle-Ufer in November 2014.[3] This provides sufficient space to concentrate the entire ministry at this location.[4]

Construction

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The BMFTR headquarters are located in the so-called Kreuzbauten buildings in Bonn.
Berlin office of the BMFTR on Kapelle-Ufer

The BMFTR consists of nine departments. These are, in addition to the management department and the central department (Zentralabteilung [de]), which is responsible for administrative tasks:[5]

  • Department S: Strategies and Fundamental Issues
  • Department I: International and Europe
  • Department R: Space and Security
  • Department W: Science and Research System; Talents
  • Department T: Technological Sovereignty and Innovation
  • Department G: Health and Life Sciences
  • Department F: Future Planning – Research for Fundamental and Sustainable Development

Each department consists of two or three sub-departments and between 10 and 15 sections (Department [de]). Most of the sections are located at the Bonn office, and fewer at the Berlin office. The BMFTR employs approximately 1,500 people in total.[6] In addition, two Parliamentary State Secretaries are part of the management staff.[7]

Duties

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On the one hand, the BMFTR is primarily responsible for legislation in various areas. On the other hand, the BMFTR promotes research in all areas of science through financial resources. It also promotes international exchange in research, technology and space exploration, and higher education.[8] The core budget of the BMFTR (budget line 30) amounts to approximately € 21.8 billion in 2026. An additional €1.6 billion is provided from two special funds.[9] The core budget is the sixth largest budget line in the 2026 federal budget. It is thus about twice the size of that of the Federal Ministry of Finance.[10]

Science Year

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The Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space has been organizing the Science Years [de] since 2000. Each Science Year focuses on a specific scientific discipline or current scientific topic. The Science Years serve to stimulate public debate about developments in science and research. The Science Year 2026, themed "Medicine of the Future," was co-designed by departments within the Ministry.[11] The Science Year aims to demonstrate how research can improve medicine. In particular, it seeks to highlight the impact of medical innovations on patients' daily lives and how AI can contribute to the early detection of diseases [de].[12]

Funding for research projects

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The Federal Ministry for Digital and Economic Affairs (BMFTR) initially provides the basic funding for the German Research Foundation and the Helmholtz Association, as well as a portion of the basic funding for the Max Planck Society and the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft. In addition, it funds research projects through grant programs for which applicants must apply. Examples of such grant programs include:

The Federal Ministry for Research and Technology (BMFTR) entrusts the technical and administrative support of research projects to so-called project management agencies [de], such as the DLR Project Management Agency [de], the Jülich Project Management Agency [de], or the VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik [de]. Public relations activities are funded alongside such funding programs. One example is the NanoTruck [de], which aims to inform the general public about nanotechnology . Together with the Federal Ministry of Health, the BMFTR is responsible, among other things, for the German Federal Government's health research program.[19]

Furthermore, the BMFTR, together with the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, commissions the Health Research Programme [de].[20]

German Centers for Health Research

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Since 2007, the BMFTR has established a number of German Centers for Health Research [de], which aim to achieve progress in addressing major widespread diseases through collaborations between numerous research institutions.[21] These are:

In 2021, the construction of two further centers began:[22]

Federal Ministers since 1955

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No. name Life dates party Start of term of office End of term of office Cabinet(s)
Federal Minister for Nuclear Issues
1 Franz Josef Strauß 1915–1988 CSU 20. October 1955 16 October 1956 Adenauer II
2 Siegfried Balke 1902–1984 CSU 16 October 1956 29 October 1957
Federal Minister for Nuclear Energy and Water Management
2 Siegfried Balke 1902–1984 CSU 29 October 1957 14 November 1961 Adenauer III
Federal Minister for Nuclear Energy
2 Siegfried Balke 1902–1984 CSU 14 November 1961 14 December 1962 Adenauer IV
Federal Minister for Scientific Research
3 Hans Lenz 1907–1968 FDP 14 December 1962 26 October 1965 Adenauer V

Erhard I
4 Gerhard Stoltenberg 1928–2001 CDU 26 October 1965 22 October 1969 Erhard II

Kiesinger
Federal Minister for Education and Science
5 Hans Leussink 1912–2008 non-partisan 22 October 1969 15 March 1972 Brandt I
6 Klaus von Dohnanyi * 1928 SPD 15 March 1972 17 May 1974 Brandt I

Brandt II
7 Helmut Rohde 1925–2016 SPD 17 May 1974 16 February 1978 Schmidt I

Schmidt II
8 Jürgen Schmude 1936–2025 SPD 16 February 1978 28 January 1981 Schmidt II

Schmidt III
9 Björn Engholm * 1939 SPD 28 January 1981 4 October 1982 Schmidt III
10 Dorothee Wilms * 1929 CDU 4 October 1982 12 March 1987 Kohl I

Kohl II
11 Jürgen Möllemann 1945–2003 FDP 12 March 1987 18 January 1991 Kohl III
12 Rainer Ortleb * 1944 FDP 18 January 1991 4 February 1994 Kohl IV
13 Karl-Hans Laermann 1929–2024 FDP 4 February 1994 17 November 1994
Federal Minister for Research and Technology
1 Horst Ehmke 1927–2017 SPD 15 December 1972 17 May 1974 Brandt II
2 Hans Matthöfer 1925–2009 SPD 17 May 1974 16 February 1978 Schmidt I

Schmidt II
3 Volker Hauff * 1940 SPD 16 February 1978 5 November 1980 Schmidt II
4 Andreas von Bülow * 1937 SPD 5 November 1980 4 October 1982 Schmidt III
5 Heinz Riesenhuber * 1935 CDU 4 October 1982 21 January 1993 Kohl I

Kohl II

Kohl III

Kohl IV
6 Matthias Wissmann * 1949 CDU 21 January 1993 13 May 1993 Kohl IV
7 Paul Krüger * 1950 CDU 13 May 1993 17 November 1994
Federal Minister for Education, Science, Research and Technology
14/8 Jürgen Rüttgers * 1951 CDU 17 November 1994 27 October 1998 Kohl V
Federal Minister of Education and Research
15/9 Edelgard Bulmahn * 1951 SPD 27 October 1998 22 November 2005 Schröder I

Schröder II
16/10 Annette Schavan * 1955 CDU 22 November 2005 14 February 2013 Merkel I

Merkel II
17/11 Johanna Wanka * 1951 CDU 14 February 2013 14 March 2018 Merkel II

Merkel III
18/12 Anja Karliczek * 1971 CDU 14 March 2018 8 December 2021 Merkel IV
19/13 Bettina Stark-Watzinger * 1968 FDP 8 December 2021 7 November 2024 Scholz
20/14 Cem Özdemir * 1965 Grüne 7 November 2024 6 May 2025
Federal Minister for Research, Technology and Space
15 Dorothee Bär * 1978 CSU 6 May 2025 Incumbent Merz

Parliamentary State Secretaries

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Civil servants, state secretaries

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Literature

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  • Thomas Raithel [de], Niels Weise: Für die Zukunft des deutschen Volkes – Das bundesdeutsche Atom- und Forschungsministerium zwischen Vergangenheit und Neubeginn 1955–1972. Wallstein, Göttingen 2022, ISBN 978-3-8353-5075-5.
  • Peter Weingart, Niels C. Taubert (Hrsg.): Das Wissensministerium. Ein halbes Jahrhundert Forschungs- und Bildungspolitik in Deutschland. Velbrück, Weilerswist 2006, ISBN 978-3-938808-18-4.
  • Matthias Kölbel: Das Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF) als wissenschaftspolitischer Akteur. In: Handbuch Wissenschaftspolitik. VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften, Wiesbaden 2016, ISBN 978-3-658-14058-8.

See also

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References

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  1. 1 2 Friedrich Merz (2025-05-09). "Organisationserlass des Bundeskanzlers". Bundesgesetzblatt (in German). Bundesministerium der Justiz und für Verbraucherschutz. Archived from the original on 2025-05-09. Retrieved 2025-05-11.
  2. ↑ Trimborn, Harry (1988-10-04). "Volatile Bavarian State Premier Often Sparked Controversy : Franz Josef Strauss, 73; West German Politician". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2026-09-04.
  3. ↑ Archived (Date missing) at bmbf.de (Error: unknown archive URL) BMBF, vom 26. November 2014.
  4. ↑ "Regierungsviertel: In Berlin gibt es viel Platz für die Bonner" (in German). 2014-04-21. Retrieved 2025-05-11.
  5. ↑ "Organisation des Hauses" (in German). BMFTR – Bundesministerium für Forschung, Technologie und Raumfahrt. 2026-01-12. Retrieved 2026-01-24.
  6. ↑ "Karriere und Ausbildung" (in German). BMFTR – Bundesministerium für Forschung, Technologie und Raumfahrt. Retrieved 2026-01-24.
  7. ↑ "Hausleitung". BMFTR. Retrieved 2025-05-11.
  8. ↑ "Aufgaben und Aufbau" (in German). BMFTR – Bundesministerium für Forschung, Technologie und Raumfahrt. Retrieved 2026-01-24.
  9. ↑ "Rekordhaushalt für Forschung und Innovation" (in German). BMFTR – Bundesministerium für Forschung, Technologie und Raumfahrt. 2025-11-28. Retrieved 2026-01-24.
  10. ↑ "Bundeshaushalt digital – Bundeshaushalt –" (in German). Retrieved 2026-01-24.
  11. ↑ "Wissenschaftsjahr 2026 – Medizin der Zukunft" (in German). Retrieved 2026-01-24.
  12. ↑ "Bär: „Die Medizin der Zukunft voranbringen"" (in German). BMFTR – Bundesministerium für Forschung, Technologie und Raumfahrt. Retrieved 2026-01-24.
  13. ↑ "Forschung für Nachhaltigkeit (FONA)" (in German). Retrieved 2025-05-11.
  14. ↑ "Industrie 4.0 – BMBF" (in German). BMFTR – Bundesministerium für Forschung, Technologie und Raumfahrt. Archived from the original on 2021-07-06. Retrieved 2025-05-11."Industrie 4.0 – BMBF" (in German). BMFTR – Bundesministerium für Forschung, Technologie und Raumfahrt. Archived from the original on 2021-07-06. Retrieved 2025-05-11.
  15. ↑ Archived (Date missing) at bmbf.de (Error: unknown archive URL)
  16. ↑ "Forschungsprogramm „Zukunft der Wertschöpfung" des BMBF" (in German). Retrieved 2025-05-11.
  17. ↑ Archived (Date missing) at bmbf.de (Error: unknown archive URL)
  18. ↑ "Kopernikus Projekte: Startseite". Retrieved 2018-12-22.
  19. ↑ "Startseite – BMFTR Gesundheitsforschung" (in German). BMFTR – Bundesministerium für Forschung, Technologie und Raumfahrt. Retrieved 2026-01-24.
  20. ↑ "Bundesagentur für Sprunginnovationen (SPRIND)" (in German). BMFTR – Bundesministerium für Forschung, Technologie und Raumfahrt. Retrieved 2026-01-24.
  21. ↑ Archived (Date missing) at bmbf.de (Error: unknown archive URL)
  22. ↑ "Karliczek: Neue Impulse für die Forschung zur psychischen Gesundheit und zur Kinder- und Jugendgesundheit – BMBF" (in German). 2021-03-10. Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  23. ↑ "DZKJ – Deutsches Zentrum für Kinder- und Jugendgesundheit" (in German). 2024-12-04. Retrieved 2025-05-11.
  24. ↑ "Das Deutsche Zentrum für Psychische Gesundheit". Retrieved 2025-12-28.
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