International Cooperation : Germany

The promotion of international cooperation in the field of research is a major aspect of government policy. In addition to the promotion of exchanges and direct cooperation between German and foreign scientists, for instance via the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) or the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, there are many other forms of cooperation. Germany has concluded bilateral agreements on scientific and technological cooperation with over 30 countries. It plays an active part in joint research and technology programs within the European Union. Cooperation also extends beyond the territory of the Union, as reflected in the COST program (cooperation with third countries on applied research), the EU’s participation in the EUREKA and ESA projects, and the more recent EU-EFTA cooperation under the European Economic Area agreement.

Some of this work at the EU level is carried out by institutions with large-scale facilities beyond the means of individual countries. They include the high energy accelerator of the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) in Geneva, the very high flux reactor of the Max von Laue-Paul Langevin Institute (ILL) in Grenoble, and the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg.
The aim of all these programs is to coordinate national research, pool resources in joint projects and hence increase Europe’s competitiveness.