(Re-)Searching for New Ideas – Germany’s Unique R&D Landscape

R&D in Germany has a long tradition. Its prestigious research institutes are known across the world. And no other European country invests more money in research and development – around 130 billion euros across all sectors in the last year for which figures are available. But part of Germany’s strength is its relatively decentralized, bottom-up orientation. A leader from Germany’s Ministry of Education and Research and a neurologist turned entrepreneur explain what makes R&D in Germany so special. Our guests: Professor Thomas Fritz leads the research group “Music Evoked Brain Plasticity“ at the Department of Neurology at the Max Planck Society. His research led him to the foundation of Jimmyn – a start-up based on a software that enables the conversion of bodily movements into music. Armin Reinartz is Head of the Directorate-General “European and International Cooperation” at the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research.