Federal Level
Germany’s 16 federal states have launched numerous measures to support the development of efficient clusters. These measures take into account the individual strengths of the regions – across technology, business or innovation – and are also designed around present structures and other features specific to the region.
The individual measures at federal level provide financial support for areas ranging from cluster management, to innovation projects, to educational activities and joint public relations initiatives, right across the federal state. For information and enquiries concerning the activities in the federal states, the POCs responsible for the respective initiatives are available to help.
To view the cluster programme please choose a federal state.
The state government of Baden-Wuerttemberg systematically supports the development of clusters, cluster initiatives and state-wide networks, which are visible on a regional, national, as well as international level. The “Regional Cluster Atlas Baden-Württemberg” and the cluster database (available on the website of Clusterportal BW) promote transparency. Relevant information is provided through several events and the website "Clusterportal BW".
The Free State of Bavaria supports the formation of networks both within science or industry and between science and industry.
The Joint Innovation Strategy of the States of Berlin and Brandenburg (innoBB 2025) was adopted by the two state governments in January 2019. It is the foundation for the continuation of the close economic policy cooperation between the two states in the capital region, which began with innoBB in 2011 as the first interstate innovation strategy.
For many years, Brandenburg's economic policy has focused on research, development and innovation. With its regional innovation strategy "innoBB 2025 plus," the state is building on its tried-and-tested innovation policy of recent years and is creating a framework to make Brandenburg's innovation system fit for the major structural economic challenges of the future.
The Keys to Innovation 2030 - Strategy for Innovation, Services and Industry in the State of Bremen (in short: Innovation Strategy for the State of Bremen 2030) represents Bremen's updated regional innovation strategy for intelligent specialization (RIS3).
Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg
The Senate's innovation policy is based on the InnovationsAllianz Hamburg, which is run jointly by Hamburg's government, industry and science. The goal of this initiative is to continuously improve the framework conditions for innovation and to establish Hamburg and the metropolitan region in the top group of European innovation regions.
The goals of research, innovation and technology promotion are to protect the natural basis of life, to secure competitiveness through innovation and to create and maintain future-proof jobs. Hessen Trade & Invest GmbH (HTAI) oversees approximately 40 networks and clusters located in the state.
In the past years, viable cluster- and network structures have formed in the most important economic branches and technology sectors in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. In part, these have been initiated by network promotion of the federal state and oftentimes not only businesses are involved as partners but also universities and other research institutions.
Research and innovation networks are instruments available to the state to link research and development. An essential component of calls for proposals is that they are open to partners from industry - which leads to networking and cooperation between industry and science.
In its innovation strategy focused on the lead markets of the future, North Rhine-Westphalia is pursuing the goal of identifying new innovation potential early on, developing existing strengths and creating a social climate that is more conducive to innovation by closely networking all players along the value chain.
The bundling of knowledge and competencies through thematic and regional networks and clusters is of particular importance for the innovative strength of the state. For this reason, their initiation, monitoring and support are elementary components of Rhineland-Palatinate's innovation policy. The focus is on small and medium-sized enterprises and their role in promising value-added structures.
The services offered by the regional clusters and networks in the Saarland enhance the exchange of knowledge, know-how and knowledge transfer in key areas in regional economic policy contexts and contribute to strengthening the economic performance of the region.
Europe's leading microelectronics cluster Silicon Saxony, a strong automotive and supplier industry with its Automobile Suppliers Network (AMZ) and a, for the state’s size, considerable number of other networks contribute to keeping Saxony's economy fit for the future by offering new products.
The cluster policy of Saxony-Anhalt focuses on the development of the best possible framework conditions for the activation of clusters and networks.
Through participation in the excellence strategy of the federal and state governments and in the coordinated funding programs of Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation), Schleswig-Holstein's universities and non-university research institutions are represented in numerous networks.
With optics in Jena, Thuringia has a cluster that has grown historically since the 19th century and is internationally significant. For the Free State of Thuringia, the established clusters as well as those under development are important in terms of economic and regional policy, as they promote the growth of value creation and employment.