Message from the Federal President

Friends of the Deutscher Zukunftspreis,

The researchers, engineers and entrepreneurs who have been nominated for this year’s prize have once again demonstrated just how many inventive and enterprising people live among us, how much passion and drive can be found in our society.

Their projects embody the strengths and potential of our country – especially in this historic phase of structural change, in which we are making our energy supply, industry, agriculture, housing stock and transport climate-neutral. The projects all highlight the fact that environmental restructuring presents a huge opportunity – for our economy and for our society as a whole, and for each and every individual.

By making Germany a new industrial and export nation – climate-neutral, cutting-edge, globally connected and less vulnerable – we are preparing the ground for the jobs of tomorrow and the prosperity they will bring. In this way, we are creating the conditions to ensure that people will be able to live autonomous good, healthy lives today and in the future.

Our country can become a trailblazer for the worldwide restructuring that must follow. It is a scientific nation with excellent researchers, an inventive country with outstanding engineers, an industrial country with innovative business people and highly-skilled workers. A country of problem solvers, where time and again we succeed in transforming knowledge and ideas into new machines and products that make it easier, quicker and cheaper to green our lives.

The Deutscher Zukunftspreis reassures us that we do not need to fear change, but have every reason to be confident. With cutting-edge technology, a sense of responsibility, and self-confidence, we will successfully stride forth together towards a brighter future.

I would like to thank all the scientists, engineers and entrepreneurs whose projects were put forward this year. And my sincere congratulations go to the winners of this year’s award!