Hamburg Science Summit 2026

For decades, space exploration and research were driven by international partnerships and publicly funded space agencies. Today, this model is undergoing profound change. Europe has largely ended cooperation with Russia, technological ties with China have become more limited, and even cooperation with the United States has become more difficult. At the same time, commercial actors are transforming the sector. Reusable rockets and serial production have reduced costs significantly, while commercially operated space stations are expected to become a reality in the coming years. These developments are accompanied by a growing emphasis on dual use. While space has always been closely tied to defence, synergies between civilian and military technologies are increasingly being promoted – with expected benefits for both sides, but also concerns about the limits of such cooperation. From a European perspective, this raises difficult questions: Which international partnerships should Europe prioritise in the future? How can it close the technological gap to other leading space powers? And what opportunities and risks arise from the commercialisation and dual-use character of modern space technologies?

The geopolitical environment for science and innovation is changing rapidly and fundamentally. The increasingly disruptive role of the United States in science, technology and security policy, Russia’s war against Ukraine, and China’s growing research and innovation capacity are challenging established assumptions and structures. In response, Europe’s scientific communities are debating different strategic options: Should Europe continue to retreat from existing forms of openness and focus on bilateral relations with major scientific powers? Or should it reinforce scientific multilateralism based on openness, academic freedom, international cooperation and rules-based structures? The roundtable, jointly hosted by the Max Planck Society and the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, will discuss the future of scientific multilateralism as a strategic European option in times of geopolitical tension and growing pressure on democratic systems. Particular attention will be given to the role of science systems in the so-called Global South, the potential of intra-European alliances such as the Weimar Triangle, emerging strategic partnerships and middle powers in the global science system, and future criteria for the design of international mobility and research cooperation.

Peer review is at the core of scientific publishing and research funding, yet the system is under growing pressure: research output has expanded rapidly and become more geographically diverse, while generative AI allows manuscripts and grant proposals to be produced faster and at greater scale. At the same time, the peer review system has not yet adapted. Editorial boards and reviewer pools remain narrow, concentrating the reviewing burden on a limited number of researchers and institutions, and peer review itself still receives limited recognition. Hosted by Springer Nature, the roundtable brings together editors, funders, researchers and technology providers to discuss how the peer review system can remain sustainable under conditions of growing scale and technological change. Particular attention will be given to the future role of AI in peer review, new systems of recognition for reviewing activities, and the question of how reviewer pools can become more internationally diverse and representative.

Decision-makers have to make choices under uncertainty. Research organisations define research agendas, funding agencies develop programmes, governments establish regulatory frameworks, and companies make investment decisions. Yet the factors that shape the outcomes of these decisions are often uncertain. Will fusion energy ever become commercially viable? If so, which of the competing technological approaches will prevail? How will artificial intelligence develop, and what effects will it have on science, innovation and society more broadly? Which raw materials will be available in the coming decades, and at what cost? Hosted by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre, this roundtable will discuss how research organisations, funding bodies, governments and companies can incorporate uncertainty into decision-making. It will focus on how emerging developments can be identified before their implications become fully visible, what kinds of evidence can support decisions under conditions of incomplete knowledge, and how longer-term perspectives can be integrated into science and innovation policy.

Energy has long been discussed in terms of climate and sustainability policy. Today, it is once again at the centre of geopolitics. Russia’s war against Ukraine exposed the costs of external energy dependencies, while the conflict in the Middle East and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz have demonstrated how developments beyond Europe’s control can disrupt energy supplies and input prices, with immediate consequences for inflation rates, the economy – and, ultimately, social stability. At the same time, Europe is investing heavily in renewables and energy infrastructure. New technologies are also attracting growing attention, from advanced storage systems to fusion energy. In addition, Europe is seeking to diversify its international partnerships and reduce dependencies on individual suppliers. Will these policies be sufficient to mitigate future energy shocks? As public debt rises and borrowing costs increase, can Europe mobilise the capital needed to restructure its energy system? And what role can science and innovation play in strengthening Europe’s energy resilience?

Science systems worldwide are facing mounting pressures. Armed conflicts and geopolitical rivalry, political polarisation, disinformation, and the politicization of scientific knowledge are challenging science to operate in accordance with its own standards of quality and excellence. In several contexts, scientific institutions are subject to direct political interference, including attempts to delegitimize evidence, restrict academic freedom, and instrumentalize research for ideological purposes. Recent crises have underscored both the indispensable role of science for democratic societies and the vulnerability of scientific institutions under stress. Against this background, this roundtable – hosted by the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina – will explore how the resilience of science systems can be strengthened, with particular attention to the safeguards needed to protect scientific integrity, institutional autonomy, and academic freedom in times of disruption.

The global order is in a state of upheaval. Science and innovation have become strategic assets as geopolitical contestation intensifies. While countries such as the United States and China can leverage their scientific and technological capabilities to advance their security interests, other countries rely on coalitions and alliances. As Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney recently emphasised: “Middle powers must act together because if you are not at the table, you are on the menu.” Hosted by the German Science and Humanities Council, this roundtable explores how middle powers such as Germany, Canada, and the United Kingdom, together with smaller partners such as Estonia, can strengthen their capabilities in security-relevant research. Which areas are especially suitable for cooperation, and which risks and challenges are associated with such efforts? What role can EU funding and the European Union more broadly play in fostering security-relevant research? And what does a build-up of security-relevant research mean for individual countries and scientific organisations?

The German federal government’s Hightech Agenda Deutschland aims to accelerate the transfer of new technologies into application and strengthen Germany’s position in key fields of innovation. This ambition is accompanied by growing expectations regarding technological sovereignty, resilience and international competitiveness. What role can universities, research institutions and companies play in implementing the Hightech Agenda? How can regional innovation ecosystems position themselves successfully to attract funding under the Hightech Agenda? And how can innovation processes between science and industry be accelerated and better aligned? Organised by the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce and Körber-Stiftung, this invitation-only roundtable will bring together selected high-level representatives from academia, industry and research policy. The discussion will be held in German under the Chatham House Rule. Attendance is by personal invitation only.

Europe’s science and innovation landscape is changing. Security concerns, technological competition, geopolitical tensions, and changing funding and investment models are impacting research and innovation agendas across Europe. This creates new challenges, but also new opportunities. In this session, participants are invited to share what they believe should be the top priorities for the science and innovation community in the years ahead. Should greater emphasis be placed on technological innovation – perhaps at the expense of curiosity-driven research? On strengthening academic freedom and the resilience of science systems? On improving funding and regulatory frameworks? Or on something else entirely? This session aims to identify the questions, trade-offs and blind spots that should shape Europe’s science and innovation agenda. The discussion will be driven by contributions from the audience and aims to capture the issues that the community considers most urgent.

Innovation needs to scale up to bring substantial benefit. However, upscaling processes typically face challenges: commercial traction, industrialised production – and capital. Hosted by the European Innovation Council (EIC), this session focuses on energy innovation, where all three challenges are important: Commercial traction depends on industrial consumers, public procurement and, as in the case of batteries, end users. Industrialisation requires engineering and installation capabilities, supplier networks and broad value chains. Finally, scaling up innovation depends on investments, and capital requirements are often substantial. The roundtable will explore successes in meeting these challenges and the remaining issues in scaling up energy innovation in Europe. As energy is essential to Europe’s strategic autonomy, the discussion will also explore possible next steps for strengthening Europe’s capacity to scale up innovative energy technologies.

Europe produces excellent science, but too often the path from academic insight to innovation, uptake, and societal impact remains slow, fragmented, or overly dependent on individual initiative. This roundtable, hosted by the European Commission’s Scientific Advice Mechanism (SAM), explores how knowledge transfer and innovation from academia can be better organised across Europe, and what barriers still prevent researchers, universities, companies, and policymakers from working together effectively. We will discuss how to create the right incentives, institutional structures, partnerships, and policy frameworks to help academic knowledge move more rapidly and responsibly into practice. The aim will be to move beyond the familiar call for “more innovation” and ask what Europe actually needs to change in order to make innovation uptake easier, fairer, and more effective.

The changing security environment has brought new attention to the role of science and innovation in strengthening Germany’s civil and military security. At the same time, significant gaps remain between scientific capabilities and the needs of security policy. In response, the German Council of Science and Humanities has called for more structured exchange between academia, policymakers and security stakeholders in Germany. How should these new forms of cooperation be structured, and what mandate should they have? Which actors should be involved? And what organisational model would be best suited to support a regular, institutionalised and action-oriented dialogue? Organised by the Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft and the Körber-Stiftung, this invitation-only roundtable will bring together selected high-level representatives from science, policy, innovation and the security sector. The discussion will be held in German under Chatham House Rules. Attendance is by personal invitation only.

Open meet-ups are informal ad hoc discussions in small groups without moderation. They provide an opportunity to exchange ideas, discuss initiatives, and connect with peers who share similar interests. Based on participants’ suggestions during registration, up to five topics will be selected and announced here shortly before the Summit. Dedicated meeting points will be arranged on site for each selected topic.