At the Falling Walls Science Summit in Berlin, Group of Eight CE Vicki Thomson catches up with Dr Friederike Schröder, Manager Director of our counterpart organisation in Germany, German U15. Vicki and Friederike chat here about the value of and the close collaboration between our two organisations as well as the ongoing benefits of the very strong partnerships that Australian and German researchers – as well as industry – have forged over a long history.
And with Australia officially kicking off our associate membership of the world’s largest research and innovation programme, Horizon Europe, in January 2027 – and Germany being a powerhouse in Horizon Europe from the start – this was a great opportunity for Vicki to ask Friederike about the ongoing value of Horizon Europe to German universities. Spoiler alert: it’s vital. Friederike tells Vicki that the opportunities for international collaboration with associate members – like Australia (and a growing list of others including the UK, Switzerland and Japan) is also extremely important to German Universities. Recorded November 2026.