On June 16, 2025, the 8th Forum on Franco-German Research Cooperation took place at the Museum of Natural History in Berlin. The Forum isa central platform for bilateral exchange on future-oriented topics in research and innovation.

The event was jointly organized by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, the French Ministry of National Education, Higher Education and Research, and the French Embassy in Berlin. It takes place every three years to take stock of cooperation to date and to develop a joint roadmap for the coming years.

German U15 was represented as the voice of research-intensive universities. Together with El Mouhoub Mouhoud, President of the Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL) and representative of our partner network Udice – French Research Universities, Friederike Schröder, Deputy Managing Director and Head of International Affairs at German U15, presented the strategic and complementary ideas developed jointly with the member universities of both networks for a strong AI ecosystem, for training and retaining talent, and for simplified data exchange.

In addition to artificial intelligence, the research forum focused on other key topics for the future, including:

• Hydrogen research
• Battery technologies
• Fusion research
• Research safety
• Disruptive innovations

Europe's role in the global race for technological sovreignity was particularly addressed Federal Minister Dorothee Bär and her French counterpart Philippe Baptiste: Both emphasized the strategic importance of the German-French partnership—not only as a driver of innovation, but also as a pillar of a sovereign and sustainable Europe.