The Bavarian State Minister for Science and Art, Bernd Sibler and University President Prof. Michael Braun signed the Agreed Objectives between the Free State of Bavaria and Nuremberg Institute of Technology at the Pinakothek der Moderne museum on 8 July 2019. In the Agreed Objectives, the Free State of Bavaria assures the state universities of reliable financial framework conditions, thereby providing planning security for the term of the Agreed Objectives from 2019 to 2022. The Innovationsbündnis 4.0 (Innovation Alliance 4.0) serves as the basis for this.

“The signing of the Agreed Objectives is a revolutionary step for all universities in Bavaria!” declared State Minister Sibler. “Today, the future of each individual university has been defined. This constitutes unprecedented development of such a clear vision in the Agreed Objectives – based on our development plan in the Innovationsbündnis 4.0 – regarding how our universities can strategically position themselves for the future and continue to define their profiles. What was especially important for me was that all parties commit to facilitating opportunities for women.” He expressed his delight regarding the successful partnership between the university and the Free State that is reflected in the shared Agreed Objectives. “It was a genuine honour for me to work together with Prof. Michael Braun. We had, and still have, the shared goal of continuing to develop Nuremberg Institute of Technology and therefore the entire sciences community of Bavaria.”

“An additional budget has now been made available to Nuremberg Tech, which we will be using to raise the profile of our university, to initiate new projects, and to create new areas of research,” added Prof. Michael Braun, President of Nuremberg Institute of Technology. In addition to a mandatory objective for all universities to increase the number of women in professorships, Nuremberg Tech has also selected objectives in the areas of strategic development: these include the implementation of special issues in Nuremberg Tech’s digitalization and research strategy, and conducting a pilot project to test out new spatial concepts.  A further aim that was embedded in the Agreed Objectives is the launch of the design stage for the creation of a new organizational unit for health sciences in Nuremberg Tech. In cooperation with Klinikum Nuremberg hospital, Nuremberg Tech will identify new, trendsetting career profiles and provide degree programmes as the foundation for them. 

During the term of the Agreed Objectives between 2019 and 2022, 17 million euros will be made available annually to the 17 state universities of applied sciences from the innovation fund.

Education task

In accordance with Article 2 of the Bavarian State Universities Act, the universities for applied sciences provide application-based teaching in order to deliver education that enables students to apply scientific methods and use creative activities independently in professional practice. Within the scope of the existing infrastructure, universities of applied sciences are able to undertake application-based research and development plans where predominantly third-party funding is available.