Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action launches reorientation of 8th Energy Research Programme for Applied Energy Research - Funding for innovative research to make the energy transition a success

The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action today published the new notice on the funding programme for applied energy research as part of its 8th Energy Research Programme. The Ministry is looking for innovative project ideas for research and development that could help achieve our climate targets and successfully implement the energy transition. This is the overarching goal of the 8th Energy Research Programme for Applied Energy Research sponsored by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action.

The objective is to make the German energy system climate-neutral by 2045 – and at the same time to ensure profitability and security of supply – by increasing energy efficiency and by integrating renewable energy. Companies, research institutes, universities and other institutions can now submit their applications for funding.

Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action Robert Habeck said:
“We need new technologies, processes and services in order for Germany to become climate- neutral by 2045. At the same time, we must also maintain and increase the resilience and security of the entire energy system. In light of this urgent need for action research findings and their quick practical transfer to the market will play an increasingly important role for energy policy. The new funding notice provides the right research and development framework to support scientists to the greatest extent possible, so that they can develop efficient, environmentally friendly, future-proof technologies that can be used to transform our energy system.”

Be it energy efficient insulating materials for residential buildings, electrolysers for green hydrogen or AI-based control tools for the electricity grids: the new funding programme is here to help. The programme pinpoints the need for research mentioned in the 8th Energy Research Programme of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action. In order to accelerate the transformation of the energy system, the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action has made a mission-based innovation policy the focus of its Energy Research Programme for the first time. The Ministry focusses on funding research that concentrates on five “missions” across a wide range of sectors and technical topics.

The five missions of the new Energy Research Programme are as follows:

• The Energy System Mission: research for a resilient and efficient energy system
• The Heat Transition Mission: research for climate-neutral heating and cooling
  methods
• The Electricity Transition Mission: research to switch electricity supply to renewable
  energies
• The Hydrogen Mission: research for a sustainable hydrogen economy
• The Transfer Mission: fast practical application of research results.

Further information on project funding from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action within the framework of the Energy Research Programme can be found on www.energieforschung.de (German only) or on our YouTube channel @Energieforschung (in German, English subtitles available for certain content).