German Academy of Science and Engineering

Acatech (styled acatech), founded in 2002 and established as the German Academy of Science and Engineering on 1 January 2008, represents the interests of German technical sciences independently, in self-determination and guided by the common good, at home and abroad. acatech is organized as a working academy that advises politicians and the public on forward-looking issues concerning the technical sciences and technology politics. The academy sees itself as an institution that provides neutral, fact and science-based assessments of technology-related questions and serves society with far-sighted recommendations of excellent quality. Also, acatech aims to facilitate the knowledge transfer between science and business and to promote new talent in the technical sciences. To further the acceptance of technical progress in Germany and demonstrate the potential of forward-looking technologies for the economy and for society, acatech organizes symposia, forums, panel discussions and workshops. acatech communicates with the public by publishing studies, recommendations and issue papers. Also, in the future, the “Three Academies”, acatech, the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities (BBAW) and the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina in Halle, which will act as the lead organization in this enterprise, are intended to undertake the functions of a national academy of science. acatech, whose name stands for the combination of academia and technology, is made up of three bodies: General Assembly, Executive Board and Senate. The executive board of acatech is chaired by its presidents, Karl-Heinz Streibich and Prof. Dr. Johann-Dietrich Wörner. The acatech head office is located in Munich. In addition the academy operates offices in Berlin and Brussels. Internationally, acatech plays its role in the European Council of Applied Sciences, Technologies and Engineering (Euro-CASE) and its global equivalent, the International Council of Academies of Engineering and Technological Sciences (CAETS). Operation The way acatech operates is characterized by its close interlinking between science and business. The paramount aim of acatech's work is to promote sustainable growth through more innovation in Germany. This entails the assessment of the potentials, chances and risks of new technical developments.