Science Ministers Adopted a Position Paper to Strengthen Security Research (Germany, June 2026)
The Conference of Science Ministers adopted a position paper calling for stronger security research in Germany. The paper frames security research as a task for universities, university hospitals and non-university research institutions while maintaining academic freedom and institutional autonomy.
The Conference of Science Ministers adopted a position paper calling for stronger security research in Germany. The paper frames security research as a task for universities, university hospitals and non-university research institutions while maintaining academic freedom and institutional autonomy.
What Changed?
The states called for stronger cooperation between science, government, security authorities, the Bundeswehr, business and start-ups, and for more reliable federal funding for security-related research, transfer, cybersecurity, research security and innovation structures.
Old System vs New System
Security-related research existed across institutions, but the states described a need for a more strategic framework and stronger use of research capacity in response to the changed international security environment.
The position paper sets a shared state-level science policy direction that treats security research broadly, including cybersecurity, critical infrastructure, civil protection, technological sovereignty, societal resilience and accompanying humanities and social science research.
Who Is Affected?
Student Impact
Students in higher education may see more research opportunities, programs or transfer projects connected to cybersecurity, resilience, dual-use technologies and security-related innovation.
Parent / Family Impact
There is limited direct parent impact, but the policy may affect future higher education and research opportunities for students entering security-relevant fields.
School / Institution Impact
Schools are not directly affected, though long-term outreach in STEM, cybersecurity or research careers could be influenced by stronger security research priorities.
Teacher / Staff Impact
Higher education teachers and researchers may face new opportunities and responsibilities in security-related research, including ethical review, research security and transfer.
Key Dates
- Position paper adopted: 2026-06-29.
What To Do
- Higher education institutions should monitor federal and European funding signals and review research-security
- transfer and ethics structures for security-related projects.
What To Watch Next
Watch for federal funding decisions, European program changes and state-level implementation structures for security research and dual-use research.
Global Context
The measure reflects a wider European shift toward linking higher education and research policy with resilience, cybersecurity, technological sovereignty and dual-use innovation.
Source Record
Source type: Official announcement
Source name: Wissenschaftsministerkonferenz / Kultusministerkonferenz (KMK)