International cooperation

European policy advice

Euro-CASE

acatech is a member of the European umbrella organisation Euro-CASE (European Council of Academies of Applied Sciences, Technologies and Engineering), which brings together 22 academies of science and technology with a total of 6,000 experts. Euro-CASE’s President is Tuula Teeri, former President of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences, while acatech President Jan Wörner sits on the Euro-CASE Board. In 2024, the organisation implemented a new communication strategy and published  a  Statement on the 10th European Framework Programme for Research and Innovation. It also carried out preparatory work on the topic of critical raw materials.

Hosted by the Hungarian Academy of Engineering (Magyar Mérnök Akadémia) in Budapest in September 2024, the Euro-CASE Annual Conference discussed “European Engineering for Sustainability – New Solutions for Environmental, Urban and Health Systems”.

Euro-CASE jointly organises the EU-US Frontiers of Engineering Symposium with the US National Academy of Engineering (NAE). The symposium provides young engineers from Europe and the US with an opportunity to discuss ways of optimising the use of innovative technologies for the benefit of society. In 2024, the focus was on preparations for the forthcoming Bordeaux symposium in 2025, which will address topics including crypto systems and future wireless communications.

SAPEA – Science Advice for Policy by European Academies

How can we ensure that scientific evidence plays a stronger role from the earliest stages of European policymaking? This is the question addressed by the SAPEA – Science Advice for Policy by European Academies project. Representing over 110 academies, SAPEA forms part of the European Commission’s Scientific Advice Mechanism (SAM). The European Commissioners send their questions directly to the Group of Chief Scientific Advisors. The academies’ role in this process is to bring together the available knowledge and formulate evidence-based policy options using an independent, interdisciplinary approach based on the best available scientific data. The SAPEA Evidence Review Reports provide the scientific basis for the Opinions presented to the European Commission by the Group of Chief Scientific Advisors. The SAPEA project is funded through Horizon Europe and was coordinated by acatech from 2016 until the end of 2024.

2024 saw the publication of the SAPEA Evidence Review Report “Successful and timely uptake of artificial intelligence in science in the EU”, requested by Executive Vice President Margrethe Vestager. Together with the Opinion presented by the Group of Chief Scientific Advisors, the report’s recommendations helped to support the European Commission’s overall strategy for AI in research and innovation. SAPEA also published Evidence Review Reports on “One Health” at the request of European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Stella Kyriakides, and “Solar radiation modification” at the request of Executive Vice President of the European Commission, Frans Timmermans.

acatech’s Brussels office

In 2024, acatech’s Brussels office took on a new role as a knowledge-sharing hub when it hosted a meeting of German research attachés on 20 June. acatech President Jan Wörner chaired a discussion on developments in the EU and the central role played by Germany, highlighting the importance of strategic sovereignty, resilience and sustainability over the coming years. The discussion with representatives of Germany’s federal and state governments and research organisations covered a range of topics including dual use, the framework for the successor to the Horizon Europe programme, and skills and education.

Global cooperation

If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.

This African proverb highlights the benefits of cooperation in a connected world. In 2024, acatech continued to strengthen its global partnerships and promote an international, interdisciplinary innovation policy dialogue.

acatech’s involvement in the academies’ association CAETS

The International Council of Academies of Engineering and Technological Sciences (CAETS) is a global umbrella organisation that brings together 31 academies of engineering and technological sciences. acatech has been a member since 2005. The network’s 8,000 or so experts develop solutions to global challenges, formulate evidence-based policy options and work to promote acceptance of technology and advance the education of engineers. The academies participate in working groups on themes such as energy, diversity, education, communication and sustainability. The theme of the CAETS 2024 Annual Meetings, which were hosted by the Finnish Academy of Technical Sciences, was “Carbon Neutral Technologies and Society”. The event in Helsinki was attended by over 150 experts from 26 countries. The CAETS E-Mobility Working Group, which includes acatech Members Ulrich Wagner and Frank Behrendt, published an initial overview report in October 2024.

It will be acatech’s turn to assume the presidency of CAETS as of 1 January 2026. During its presidency, the Academy will be responsible for the network’s strategic direction and for organising the Annual Meetings, which will take place in Munich on 14-17 September 2026. The chosen theme is “Earth Observation for Monitoring, Comprehension, and Change”, and acatech shared the first details about the event at the CAETS Council Meeting in 2024.

Cooperation with sister academies

acatech maintains an extensive network of partnerships with sister academies and other organisations around the world. In 2024, there was a particular focus on cooperation with the Japanese, Chinese, Swiss and Australian academies of engineering  

Engineering Academy of Japan
acatech is working with the Engineering Academy of Japan (EAJ), the Humboldt Foundation, the Volkswagen Foundation and the DAAD Tokyo office to establish researcher networks and develop leaders through exchanges between young researchers in Japan and Germany. To this end, the partners are supporting the Japanese-German Frontiers of Engineering Symposium (JAGFOE), which is being organised by outstanding young researchers chosen through a comprehensive selection process in 2024. The meeting of young researchers will be held in Japan on 26-28 November 2025.

Chinese Academy of Engineering
The ninth Sino-German workshop, which was devoted to the “Industrial Metaverse”, took place in Munich in November 2024. The event was organised in partnership with the MÜNCHNER KREIS and the Chinese Academy of Engineering. The workshop highlighted the importance of the bilateral dialogue that acatech has maintained with CAE since 2012. It covered a wide range of topics, from technological opportunities to ethical challenges and concrete applications, demonstrating the transformational power of international cooperation and networking.

Participants in the “Industrial Metaverse” workshop in Munich, © acatech

Discussion about the key aspects of the industrial metaverse. Left to right: Weiming Shen, Jan Wörner, Christina Dienhart, Michael Lechner, © acatech

Visit to SAP Labs Munich Campus, © acatech

Swiss Academy of Engineering Sciences
This is also exemplified by acatech’s cooperation with the Swiss Academy of Engineering Sciences (SATW) in 2024. The President of the Swiss Academy continues to engage in acatech’s Impulskreis Europe/International. There is also a regular, in-depth dialogue with Swiss colleagues on the subject of foresight, and acatech has fed some of the key outputs of these discussions into the process for determining which topics it works on. Presidents Jan Wörner (acatech) and Benoît Dubuis (SATW) underlined the excellent cooperation between the two academies through their collaboration on the SATW annual congress, held on 13 May 2024 in Lausanne.

Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering
acatech maintains close relations with the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE). Both academies are members of the global umbrella organisation CAETS, and the regular meetings between them were particularly focused on education. Especially productive discussions with ATSE President Katherine Woodthorpe explored how the two academies can learn from each other, not least regarding preparations for the CAETS Annual Meetings in 2025 and 2026 and the associated CAETS presidencies.

Shaping the future together

The Impulskreis Europe/International
How can acatech strengthen its international activities? This question was addressed by the members of the Impulskreis Europe/International at a meeting chaired by Jan Wörner in spring 2024. The participants discussed potential partners and identified key topics. acatech is already implementing many of their suggestions, including the Sino-German workshop and the establishment of a network of young researchers.

Tackling global challenges together
Since numerous institutions, enterprises and stakeholders around the world are working on similar cutting-edge questions, it makes sense for them to compare notes and talk to, question and learn from each other. An excellent example of this approach is the Franco-German Innovation Dialogue, hosted at the French Embassy in Berlin on 21 February 2024 by the French Ambassador François Delattre and Dominic Kurtaz, Managing Director EUROCENTRAL of Dassault Systèmes, where experts from science, industry and government discussed the “infrastructure of the future”.

The Innovation Day on 6 June 2024 was devoted to the promotion of STEM subjects. The event was initiated by the scientific coordinator of the Network of Argentinian Scientists and acatech Member, Andrés Lasagni, and hosted by the Ambassador of the Argentine Republic to Germany, Fernando Brun.

At a meeting in Berlin on 24 June 2024, Chair of the acatech Board of Trustees, Henning Kagermann, and scientists from Jiangxi province in China had the opportunity to discuss facts about Industrie 4.0 and to question and learn from each other.

At another meeting on 11 September 2024 in Berlin, Jan Wörner and Wan Gang, President of the Chinese Association for Science and Technology (CAST), underlined the need to strengthen cooperation on technological solutions for the energy and mobility transitions. They discussed how to achieve the common goal of net zero through innovation and international cooperation, and highlighted the importance of sharing knowledge in order to enable progress on decarbonisation and sustainability.  

Jan Wörner spoke about the infrastructure of the future at the Franco-German Innovation Dialogue. © Ambassade de France en Allemagne/M. Ulrich

Katharina Hölzle summarised the key findings of the Franco-German Innovation Dialogue. © Ambassade de France en Allemagne/M. Ulrich

Jan Wörner discussed ways of promoting the STEM subjects with (left to right) Andrés Lasagni, Verónica Oelsner and Simon Kapitza. © acatech

Henning Kagermann hosted a meeting with scientists from Jiangxi province. © acatech

Jan Wörner met with CAST President Wan Gang. © acatech

Jan Wörner hosted a meeting with Wan Gang and his delegation. © acatech

Science and Technology in Society forum
acatech President Jan Wörner, acatech Member and Chairman of the Management Board of MÜNCHNER KREIS, Michael Dowling, and acatech Member Dieter Kranzlmüller once again took part in the Science and Technology in Society forum held on 6-8 October 2024 in Kyoto, Japan. In his session on “Countering Disinformation in the Digital Age”, Michael Dowling highlighted the role of AI, media literacy and global cooperation in combatting disinformation. At the 13^th meeting of engineering academy presidents, Jan Wörner underlined the importance of integrating AI as a core component of engineering education. During the forum, acatech also signed a declaration of intent regarding the Japanese-German Frontiers of Engineering Symposium (JAGFOE) to be held in Japan in November 2025.