Hightech Agenda Bavaria
The Hightech Agenda Bavaria forms a major advancement in innovation with an investment of approximately 5.5 billion euro, which is one-of-a-kind in Germany. The initiative invests in the brightest minds and aims to create and maintain 3,800 positions across Bavarian universities. Among these positions, 1,000 new professorships will be established in key future fields such as artificial intelligence, clean tech and aerospace.
Milestones
The Most Important Steps Taken In The Hightech Agenda So Far
Which developments have there been in the past years? The following overview offers the highlights of the Hightech Agenda Bavaria, from the declaration by the government up until now.
Flagship Projects
Bavaria is rigorously investing in state-of-the-art research and career prospects with regards to innovative future technologies.
The Leibniz Supercomputing Centre
The Leibniz Supercomputing Centre (LRZ) is a world-class supercomputing center enabling academics and researchers to perform the most complex calculations with one of the world’s most powerful supercomputers.
The recent decision of the European High-Performance joint Undertaking (EuroHPC JU) to integrate quantum processors into a classical supercomputer at the Leibniz Supercomputing Centre illustrates Bavaria’s impressive top position in this emerging field.

Munich Quantum Valley
Tomorrow’s supercomputer is currently under construction in Munich Quantum Valley (MQV). As a collaborative project between academia, industry, research and public organisations, the joint platform offers state-of-the-art framework conditions for the emergence and further research of quantum technologies and quantum computing throughout Bavaria. The MQV forms a crucial part of the Bavarian quantum technology ecosystem, and further development of these advanced technologies promises to give rise to a phenomenal quantum industry in the region.
The Munich Center for Machine Learning (MCML) and The Munich Institute of Robotics and Machine Learning (MIRMI) stand for world-class research and development in the field of Artificial Intelligence.
Hyperloop
The high-speed transport system of the future Hyperloop is being researched and developed in Munich. The leading role is held by The Department of Aerospace and Geodesy of the Technical University of Munich (TUM). With an outstanding team of 25 professors and research chairs, the department belongs to the cutting edge of the international research community. According to the Shanghai Subject Ranking, TUM’s Geodesy & Remote-Sensing department currently ranks at an impressive 5th place worldwide, whereas the Aerospace department ranks 17th worldwide (TUM Hyperloop | Engineering A World Without The Limits Of Distance And Time).
Bavarian Artificial Intelligence Network
Last but not least, The Bavarian Artificial Intelligence Network is centered in Munich (with a focus on intelligent robotics) and numerous centers of excellence have been established in Würzburg (data science), Erlangen-Nürnberg (health sciences) and Ingolstadt (mobility). The centers connect over 100 artificial intelligence professors throughout the region. The Artificial Intelligence Network offers Bavaria a one-of-a-kind ecosystem in the emerging field of artificial intelligence.
The Brightest Minds for Bavaria
Innovation starts with an idea. Vision is equally important as knowledge when it comes to progress. Through the Hightech Agenda Bavaria, renowned researchers, as well as upcoming talents, are brought to Bavaria. In a joint collaboration, Bavaria continues to improve on a daily basis, proving a hub conducive to innovation in order to continuously improve daily life in the Free State.
Thanks to being home to Germany’s most modern appointment law, professors with particularly high academic qualifications can be appointed even more quickly and easily than ever before through the instrument of excellence appointments.
With the Distinguished Professorship Program as an integral part of the Hightech Agenda, Bavaria’s scientific landscape seeks to attract internationally renowned professors in the long term, conducting high-level research in multidisciplinary, pioneering scientific exploration. In the event of a successful appointment, the program grants the corresponding Bavarian state university a financial sum of up to €5 million throughout a five-year period post-appointment.
In the following overview, we present a selection of professors appointed in the context of the Hightech Agenda with a focus on research and education. The overview will be continuously expanded throughout the initiative.
As part of the Bavarian Distinguished Professorship Program, Prof. Dr. Marcel Hülsbeck, Transformation and Innovation in Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and Family Businesses, has been appointed to Munich University of Applied Sciences. In the video Q&A, Prof. Dr. Hülsbeck introduces himself and his research.
The internationally renowned computer scientist Prof. Dr.-Ing. Robert Wille has been appointed to the Technical University of Munich (TUM) as part of the Bavarian Distinguished Professorship Program. In the video Q&A, Professor Wille introduces himself and his research.
With Prof. Dr. Wolfram Burgard, one of the internationally most renowned robotics experts is now conducting research at Nuremberg University of Technology as part of the Bavarian Distinguished Professorship Program In the video Q&A, Professor Burgard introduces himself and his research.

The Free State of Bavaria is investing 5.5 billion euros in the future viability of our state!

1,000 new professorships will be created by the Hightech Agenda!

An additional 13,000 university places will be created – many of those in AI and SuperTech!

98% of all government-services will be offered digitally!

By 2025 the Free State of Bavaria will have invested 3.1 million euros in fiber-optic technology and over 8,400 5G technology extension and expansion measures!

The Free State of Bavaria is investing over 50 million euros in hydrogen stations and in the 300 stakeholders in the newly established Bavarian Hydrogen Alliance!

100 million euros will be allocated to Air Mobility and the development of innovative transport solutions!

The Free State provides 250 million euros for 19 digital start-up centres across 28 locations!
Study and work in Bavaria
The Hightech Agenda offers a pristine environment for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) study programs, leading to limitless career prospects throughout Bavaria.
With a newly announced capacity for an additional 3,800 academic positions, including a further 1,000 additional professorships, the Hightech Agenda has substantially increased Bavaria’s already impressive educational offering. In particular, 100 chairs have been newly established in the field of artificial intelligence.
One thing is certain: Great academic careers begin in Bavaria! The region is home to several internationally renowned universities. Due to the Hightech Agenda’s billions worth of educational investments and Bavaria being home to one of the most modern higher education laws in Germany, internationally renowned universities are destined to maintain their top position in the international rankings. In 2022, the Technical University of Munich (TUM) further improved its international ranking by scoring 5th worldwide in the field of robotics according to the CSRankings. TUM has consolidated its position as a leading high-tech university, being the only European university to score within the top ten of the ranking. Furthermore, in the year 2022 alone, 13 European Research Council (ERC) grants were awarded to young Bavarian scientists. The ERC grant thereby offered up to €1.5 million to Bavaria’s leading scientists with a passion for innovation.
The Hightech Agenda Strengthens Knowledge and Technology Transfer
The establishment of 15 new Technology Transfer Centers (TTZ) will further enhance collaboration between companies and higher education institutions throughout the region, especially regarding high technology. This creates an excellent environment for the transfer of scientific knowledge into marketable products, therefore propelling the innovative power and competitiveness of the Bavarian economy. There are already 26 Technology Transfer Centers in all regions of Bavaria, which could also benefit from extra funding by the Hightech Agenda recently. Four more centers are currently under construction.
Distinguished Careers and Quality of Life

In Bavaria, one can find the best educational opportunities in combination with a particularly high quality of life. According to a recent study regarding the industrial quality of location, Bavaria ranked second in a world ranking of industrial regions. In addition to leading educational programs, Bavaria offers outstanding career prospects in both the business and technology sectors. Bavaria brings about the unique opportunity to excel in your career while living in a cosmopolitan society with excellent living conditions in a technology-driven country.
Exceptional Conditions for Founders and Start-ups
Higher education institutions play a central role in the creation and “levelling-up” of newly established businesses in the Bavarian start-up ecosystem. Both medium- and large sized institutions stood out in Stifterverband’s annual ranking “Gründungsradar 2022“, where they are ranked based on entrepreneurial merit. With the Bavarian Higher Education Innovation Act (BayHIG), which came into effect on 1st January 2023, this ecosystem will be even further strengthened. To illustrate Bavaria’s entrepreneurial ambition, the promotion of innovative start-ups and entrepreneurial ventures has been expressly declared a key objective of higher education institutions.
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