Funding Atlas and Funding Priorities

To overcome Thuringia's existing structural weaknesses, strengthening research, technological development and innovation, as well as expanding research and innovation capacities, remains necessary. 

To achieve this, the Thuringian research landscape must be further developed, existing knowledge must be made available to companies in a cooperative manner, and the absorption of know-how and the adaptation of technological developments must be facilitated for them. 

In particular, networking between businesses and with science offers development potential that specifically addresses existing structural deficits and helps to overcome them.

To overcome Thuringia's existing structural weaknesses in growth and competitiveness, to stimulate growth, to promote the creation of future jobs, and to effectively support the recovery process following the COVID-19 pandemic, the support of young, knowledge- and technology-intensive companies is essential. At the same time, promoting investments for the smart growth of established companies should serve the productivity growth of Thuringian SMEs. Furthermore, it should support resource-efficient and effective economic development.

Approximately 40% of total CO₂ emissions originate in the building sector, including public properties and buildings. Therefore, primary energy demand in these buildings must be reduced to a minimum, and the share of renewable energy used in energy consumption in public buildings and infrastructure must be substantially increased.

At the same time, public heating networks play a central role in Thuringia's heat supply, a role that is expected to increase in the future. Heating networks contribute to a resource-efficient and climate-friendly heat supply. The heat to be distributed should be produced with low CO₂ emissions or contain an appropriate proportion of renewable energies or waste heat. 

Existing district heating networks must be prepared and adapted for this purpose. At the same time, new and existing district heating networks should be newly constructed, converted, expanded, and densified using intelligent storage devices and sector coupling.

In the past, flooding has caused considerable damage in Thuringia. As a consequence of climate change, a further increase in extreme weather events is to be expected. 

These consequences must be countered through measures to improve flood protection and hazard mitigation, measures to restore and connect near-natural watercourses, and measures to renaturalize and connect habitats in the vicinity of watercourses. Furthermore, structures for municipal flood hazard mitigation must be established.

Climate goals cannot be achieved without a successful transport revolution. To sustainably reduce CO₂ emissions, public transport must be strengthened in particular so that private car use can be reduced. 

The modernization of public transport, in particular through the use of innovative and low-CO₂ drive systems in urban areas and user-friendly urban-rural networking, is an indispensable component in the implementation of a sustainable climate policy.

The spatially balanced and sustainable development of cities and regions is of central importance for cohesion within the European Union. Cities are home and urban environments for those who live there. They are centers of social, cultural, and economic life and thus contribute to the formation of people's identities. This applies regardless of their size. 

As centers of social, economic, and cultural life, functioning, attractive cities are also the foundation and cornerstone of regional development. Cities must increasingly address new challenges in improving ecological quality of life, conserving resources, and coping with the consequences of climate change.

Regulation (EU) 2024/795 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 February 2024 establishes the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP) to support critical and emerging strategic technologies and their respective value chains in selected sectors.

The STEP Regulation supports the objectives of "supporting the development or manufacturing of critical technologies," "safeguarding and strengthening their respective value chains in the Union," and "addressing shortages of labor and skills critical to high-quality jobs of all kinds."

Technologies in three sectors are considered critical: Digital technologies and deep tech innovations, Clean and resource-efficient technologies, Biotechnologies

STEP also supports projects that develop the skills necessary for the development of these critical technologies. In addition, STEP introduces a new STEP Seal for high-quality projects, which gives visibility to STEP projects and facilitates their access to other potential sources of funding.

Further overarching information on STEP can be found on the European Union’s Sovereignty Portal: Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform - European Union (STEP)

Regulation (EU) 2024/795 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 February 2024 establishes the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP) to support critical and emerging strategic technologies and their respective value chains in selected sectors.

The STEP Regulation supports the objectives of "supporting the development or manufacturing of critical technologies," "safeguarding and strengthening their respective value chains in the Union," and "addressing shortages of labor and skills critical to high-quality jobs of all kinds."

Technologies in three sectors are considered critical: Digital technologies and deep tech innovations, Clean and resource-efficient technologies, Biotechnologies

STEP also supports projects that develop the skills necessary for the development of these critical technologies. In addition, STEP introduces a new STEP Seal for high-quality projects, which gives visibility to STEP projects and facilitates their access to other potential sources of funding.

Further overarching information on STEP can be found on the European Union’s Sovereignty Portal: Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform - European Union (STEP)

Climate change is leading to a decline in water availability in Thuringia. This also negatively affects the availability of water of suitable quality and purity for human consumption in sufficient quantities for the public water supply. The resilience of the public water supply is to be increased to address this issue. To achieve this, funding will be provided for, among other things, the development of new water resources and the expansion of treatment and storage capacities.

By creating new or modernizing existing student housing at the state's university locations, this initiative contributes to providing students with affordable and sustainable housing at reasonable rental costs. At the same time, it enhances the overall attractiveness of living and studying conditions.

Promotion of Energy Interconnectors and Associated Transmission, Distribution, Storage, and Support Infrastructure, as well as the Protection of Critical Energy Infrastructures and the Expansion of Charging Infrastructure

A essential key to the success of the mobility transition - and thus to a climate-friendly transformation of the transport sector - lies in establishing a comprehensive charging infrastructure for businesses, particularly for commercial vehicles. Supporting the installation of battery storage systems helps advance this goal while also contributing to grid stability and reducing the need for additional grid expansion.