The United Kingdom and Germany are among the world’s leading science nations — and they are each other’s most important research partners in Europe. Their relationship is close, institutionally well established, and built on mutual trust. However, over recent years the relationship faced a number of obstacles: Brexit, prolonged uncertainty around the UK’s participation in Horizon Europe, and geopolitical tensions have all left their mark. This makes it all the more important to actively build on the positive momentum created by the UK’s association with Horizon Europe and to deepen strategic collaboration.

A strong signal in this spirit was sent by the delegation meeting of Universities UK International (UUKi) at the British Embassy in Berlin on 14 May 2025. High-level representatives of leading British and German universities and research institutions came together to discuss bilateral relations and cooperation within Horizon Europe. Among the participants were many universities from German U15 and our partner association in the UK, the Russell Group.

The meeting focused on the current challenges and opportunities in bilateral cooperation — particularly in the context of the UK’s association with Horizon Europe. The discussions centred on how to further develop this strategic partnership.

Three key themes shaped the dialogue:

☑ Strengthening collaboration within the current Horizon Europe framework
☑ Networking and initiating joint research projects
☑ Shaping the successor to Horizon Europe: advocating for an open and strong European Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (FP10)

There was a clear sense of commitment on both sides to reinvigorate the partnership after years of uncertainty. The impact of Brexit and the prolonged debate around the UK’s association with Horizon Europe did not leave the scientific relationship between Germany and the UK unscathed.

Yet despite political turbulence, the substance of the research relationship was never lost. Its strong resilience is a result of long-standing partnerships—such as the one between German U15 and the Russell Group — which helped maintain stable levels of cooperation and mutual trust. These now serve as a solid foundation for new joint initiatives.

With the UK’s successful association to Horizon Europe and the changing geopolitical context, now is the time to seize the momentum: the number of UK-German bilateral projects is visibly increasing, and new initiatives are underway. Participants also agreed on the importance of a strong and independent EU Framework Programme 10 (FP10), that enables the broad participation of long-standing and trusted partners like the UK and Switzerland.

One thing is clear: Only in an open European Research Area can science reach its full potential—across borders, innovative, and globally connected.

The UK's participation as a fully-fledged partner is of strategic importance—not only for bilateral projects, but for the European Research Area as a whole.

We thank UUKi, the British Embassy, and the Wellcome Trust for an inspiring and forward-looking meeting that sent a clear message: British-German cooperation is back as a driver of European research .

Date & Venue:
14 May 2025
British Embassy, Berlin