The evaluation of the 7th Energy Research Programme (EFP) "Innovations for the Energy Transition" confirms the high effectiveness of German energy research funding. The consortium comprising AIT Austrian Institute of Technology, Kerlen Evaluation and KMU Forschung Austria examined funding activities from 2018 to the end of 2023. A total of 6,499 sub-projects received funding. The results demonstrate significant contributions to innovation, technology transfer and the transformation of the energy system.

Key findings

The programme bolstered the development of new energy technologies and supported them on their path to practical application. On average, the funded projects were able to increase their technological maturity by more than two levels. Over 80 % of the projects published their results, and around half see potential for commercialisation in Germany and on international markets. In total, investments of €4.9 billion in research and development were catalysed, of which €3.3 billion came from funding. A further €1.6 billion in additional investments was also catalysed. 70 % of the projects would not have been implemented without funding.

Significance for the economy, politics or society

Small and medium-sized enterprises benefited in particular from the funding. Their share of the research and development expenditure generated by the programme stood at 36 %. The evaluation also shows that real-world laboratories accelerate the transfer of knowledge into practice and strengthen cooperation between the scientific community, industry and the political sphere. The programme thus makes an important contribution to decarbonisation, security of supply and Germany’s competitiveness.