German coalition puts research in spotlight

Incoming government presents ministerial candidate and pledges to boost R&D spending

The coalition agreement by the next German government includes a pledge to raise R&D spending to 3.5 per cent of the country’s GDP by 2025. 

The agreement was made public last week after the so-called traffic light coalition—comprising the social-democratic SPD, the Greens and the liberal FDP—was finalised. The coalition has proposed a number of reforms to Germany’s science policies, which research organisations have praised.