Mission

The National Academy provides a venue for exchanges between both science und enterprise, and policymakers and society, for which it draws upon its members, who form a network of outstanding scientists. Coming not only from the engineering sciences and the applied natural sciences, but also from the arts and social sciences, acatech members work together on cross-disciplinary projects – added to which is practical expertise from the business community and society in general. This enables acatech, as an internationally-oriented academy, to solve global challenges while incorporating added value creation for Germany.
acatech contributes through studies, recommendations and advice, to the factual and focussed discussion of socially-relevant and technologically-based questions relating to the future, as well as to weighing up their opportunities and risks in equal measure. As a working academy, acatech wants to provide benefits – with a long-term perspective for society. The Academy gives its endorsement to the notion that in Germany innovations arise from ideas and opportunities for prosperity from innovations. In its advisory capacity, acatech stands for independence and transparency: every result is published and the Academy explains how the findings were achieved and which experts were involved.

Our vision

Germany is world class in its innovative strength and technological capabilities. Science and engineering enjoy wide public recognition as a guarantee for sustainable growth and prosperity; technology is understood to be an integral component of the culture of our country; technology-related questions are discussed in politics and society candidly and with the most up-to-date facts and then answered.

Committees / Main working groups

Working groups

Committees

acatech is composed of three organs: the Executive Board, the General Assembly and the Senate. The General Assembly determines the objectives and working methods of the academy. It sends five representatives to the Executive Board. The Senate consists of well-known personalities from the economy, science and the world of politics. The Senate advises the academy on strategic matters and, in particular, garners input from the business sector. The Senate Committee provides two members of the Executive Board. The Presidents and the Chairman of the Senate. The Presidents of acatech are Reinhard Hüttl and Henning Kagermann. The Chairman of the Senate is Roman Herzog, former President of the Federal Republic of Germany.

The Executive Board of acatech represents the two pillars of the academy

The Executive Board steers and represents the interests of the National Academy of Science and Engineering. Its members are elected from the members of the General Assembly and the Senate Committee. The Presidents of acatech are Reinhard Hüttl and Henning Kagermann. They are elected by the 14 members of the Executive Board. The Executive Board consists of four representatives from the Senate and ten representatives from the General Assembly.

Well-known scientists with an excellent reputation

The members of acatech are admitted into the organisation on the basis of their outstanding scientific achievements and excellent reputation. Since acatech deals with a broad spectrum of interdisciplinary issues in science and technology, members are drawn from engineering and the natural sciences, from the humanities and the social sciences. Membership is determined by a decision of the General Assembly to confirm the nominations put forward by the Executive Board.

Senate Committee

The Senate Committee represents the Senate of the German Academy of Science and Engineering. Each member of the Senate Committee is elected for a term of three years.

Senate

The Senate consists of well-known personalities from the economy, science and the world of politics. The Senate advises the academy on strategic matters and, in particular, garners input from the business sector. The Chairman of the Senate is Roman Herzog, former Federal President of the Federal Republic of Germany.