Study Science Metropolis Hamburg
In a comparison of the 50 most important European metropolitan regions, Hamburg’s economy and thus the city’s competitiveness is falling continuously. In order to counteract this development, a consistent increase in research and innovation intensity in Hamburg is necessary.
To this end, the study recommends that Hamburg’s science policymakers develop a long-term, non-partisan and binding overall concept. Higher Education Institutions should be systematically expanded and given greater financial support. Cooperation between scientific institutions and with companies should be strengthened. Research funding should concentrate on clusters that promise economic success. In principle, Hamburg must understand and present itself as a city of science. This could be achieved if the city had the political courage and prioritisation of science to counteract the impending structural change.
The comparison of the metropolitan regions of Hamburg, Berlin, Copenhagen, Munich and Rhine-Main takes into account not only economic data, but also criteria such as research cooperations, patent applications, land policy, university start-ups, etc. and shows that determined science policy can significantly increase the competitiveness of metropolitan regions. As a city once dominated by its port, trade and logistics, Hamburg is one of the most deindustrialised metropolitan regions in Europe.
It is precisely against this background that the importance of science is increasing for Hamburg’s economic power and for securing the city’s prosperity, according to the authors of the study. Hamburg has already taken important steps in recent years and has achieved great success in the Excellence Initiative. However, in order for science to make a decisive contribution to Hamburg’s competitiveness, much more must be invested and the general conditions must be improved. In contrast to comparable regions, the general importance of science has not yet been sufficiently recognised by politics and society in Hamburg.
The study was made possible by funding from the Kühne Foundation, the Joachim Herz Foundation, the Körber Foundation, the Zeit Foundation, the German Chemical Industry Association, Joh. Berenberg, Gossler & Co. KG as well as the corporate association AGA. The study was initiated by Klaus von Dohnanyi, Wilfried Mayer and Wolfgang Peiner.
