Programme

In the coalition agreement, the German government has set itself the goal of positioning Germany as a leading location for digital technologies of the future, thereby strengthening its competitiveness and digital sovereignty. The coalition agreement also provides for the pragmatic implementation of the national circular economy strategy (NKWS) with the aim of reducing the consumption of primary raw materials as much as possible. To this end, a digitalisation initiative is to be launched to close material cycles.

The NKWS and its goals of securing the supply of raw materials, increasing the resilience of the economy and strengthening competitiveness form a key starting point for this technology programme.

The German government is also endeavouring to make a significant contribution to sustainable development in line with the 2030 Agenda, which addresses the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Another important point of reference is the Federal Government's "High-Tech Agenda Germany", which defines competitiveness, value creation and sovereignty through research and technology as goals. To this end, the promotion of research, technology and innovation in the lead market of the circular economy is to be expanded, in particular through flagship projects from business and science that develop digital technologies and business models.

Objective of the technology programme:

The technology programme "GreenTech Innovation Competition - Digital Technologies as a Lever for the Circular Economy" aims to reduce or overcome obstacles on the way to a circular economy with the help of digital technologies. Solutions are to be developed for challenges such as product design or product development as well as for greater economic efficiency and better data availability. The aim here is to test prototype digital solutions that can remove the key hurdles in the circular economy, for example through AI systems, digital twins or the integration of the digital product passport. The use of innovative digital technologies in circular production systems offers the potential to make products and services more circular, increase longevity, strengthen reuse, close loops and act ecologically and economically at the same time. It is also about using the potential of digitalisation to promote and strengthen regional economic cycles in particular.

Funding is provided for outstanding cross-company and cross-institutional joint projects by consortia from business and science with a lighthouse character. The projects are primarily intended to facilitate the transfer of knowledge and technology from research to industry, in particular to SMEs, and to promote spillover effects and imitation effects in industry and society.

The "GreenTech Innovation Competition - Digital Technologies as a Lever for the Circular Economy" thus aims to provide innovative impetus for the digital transformation towards a functioning digital circular economy. This funding measure contributes directly to achieving the above-mentioned funding policy objectives.

Number of projects: 20

Number of project partners: 98

Duration: 36 months, start February 2026

Funding amount: approx. 47 million euros