Innovation Council Lower Saxony

How can Lower Saxony promote innovation and support the transfer of research findings to the economy? The Innovation Council Lower Saxony advises the state government on how to advance the innovation system and support policies in the state. The committee was appointed by the state of Lower Saxony for a term of 18-months. In September 2026, the final report, ‘A Plan for the Future of Lower Saxony’ (in German, Download PDF), was published. It sets out recommendations on how Lower Saxony can create an attractive environment for innovation and new entrepreneurship. 

A Plan for the Future of Lower Saxony

The aim: an “era of rapid renewal” – accelerating progress towards a strong, adaptable and liveable Lower Saxony. Here you will find the report by the Lower Saxony Innovation Council dated September 2026.

read more on the plan (german)
Coverbild des Berichts "Zukunftsplan für Niedersachsen", viele Menschen von oben fotografiert und durch Linien verbunden

Tasks and areas of focus of the Innovation Council Lower Saxony

The members of the Innovation Council analyse existing structures, stakeholders, and funding instruments within Lower Saxony’s innovation system. Building on this, they develop strategic recommendations for action and identify levers to accelerate change processes and better coordinate existing activities and programmes. In doing so, they focus on the following five areas of focus:

Logo Innovationsrat Niedersachsen
  • Modern industrial policy and disruptive innovations
    The state’s economic structure and innovation landscape are characterised by traditional large-scale industries. Research and innovation funding currently follows a broad approach: ranging from support for production-oriented research and collaborative research projects to the funding of new technologies with as yet undefined, but widely anticipated, innovation potential.
  • Lower Saxony’s higher education and research system
    Within the higher education and research system – one of the key foundations for innovation – the aim is to highlight strengths and systematically expand collaboration between universities, non-university institutions, businesses and other stakeholders.
  • Technology transfer and spin-offs
    Cooperation between industry and academia, as well as with the public sector, must be further improved as a core element of a functioning innovation system.
  • Funding
    Access to risk and growth capital for start-ups, as well as the acquisition of federal and EU funding, must be simplified and supported in order to provide Lower Saxony, as a centre of innovation, with a sustainable financial basis for the future.
  • Skills development and ‘future skills’
    To enable innovation, modern skills profiles are required that are closely aligned with the needs of businesses and public institutions. Future skills play a key role in imparting entrepreneurial competencies and fostering a spirit of initiative.
  • Governance
    An effective innovation system requires clear objectives and coordinated processes. To tackle major future challenges such as decarbonisation or digitalisation strategically, we need a governance framework that operates in a mission-oriented manner, better integrates funding structures and strengthens cross-sector and cross-departmental cooperation.
Eine Gruppe von Menschen steht in einem Treppenhaus und schaut nach oben in die Kamera

Franziska Gilli für VolkswagenStiftung

Met for the first meeting in July 2025: Dr Melanie Maas-Brunner (front); Prof. Dr. Anke Kaysser-Pyzalla, Prof. Dr. Joachim Schachtner, Dr Georg Schütte, Prof. Dr. Dr. h. c. mult. August-Wilhelm Scheer, Uwe Ilgenfritz-Donné (middle row from left to right); Andrea Frank, Robert-Jan Smits, Prof. Dr. Cornelia Denz, Dr Nikolai Ardey, Marco Janezic (back row from left to right).

The members of the Innovation Council Lower Saxony

  • Dr Georg Schütte (Chair), CEO, Volkswagen Foundation 
  • Dr Nikolai Ardey, Head of Group Innovation, Volkswagen AG
  • Prof. Dr Cornelia Denz, President, Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt
  • Andrea Frank, Deputy Secretary General and Member of the Executive Board, Stifterverband
  • Marco Janezic, Founder & Managing Partner, Blue Ribbon Partners  
  • Prof. Dr Anke Kaysser-Pyzalla, Chair of the Executive Board,  German Aerospace Centre
  • Dr Melanie Maas-Brunner, President, Stifterverband
  • Dr Andreas Poensgen, Partner and Managing Partner, Turgot Ventures
  • Prof. Dr Robert-Jan Smits, former Director-General for Research and Innovation, European Commission; President Emeritus, Eindhoven University of Technology
  • Prof. Dr Dr h. c. mult. August-Wilhelm Scheer, August-Wilhelm-Scheer Institute
  • Prof. Dr. Sylvia Schwaag Serger, President, Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences

Permanent guests: 

  • Prof. Dr. Joachim Schachtner, State Secretary, Lower Saxony Ministry of Science and Culture
  • Uwe Ilgenfritz-Donné, Managing Director, Niedersachsen.next

The committee was supported by a sounding board comprising various stakeholders from Lower Saxony. The secretariat is based at the Volkswagen Foundation.