German Digital Ministry awards funding for the Hertie School’s three-year research project, Plattform #Staatsmodernisierung. The project will be led by the school’s Centre for Digital Governance.
German Federal Minister Dr Karsten Wildberger officially launched the Plattform #Staatsmodernisierung (Platform on State Modernization) research project with the ceremonial presentation of the funding award to the Hertie School on Monday, 6 July. Funded by the Federal Ministry for Digital Affairs and State Modernisation (BMDS), the Hertie School’s research project will, over the next three years, provide scientific support for implementing both the federal government’s modernization agenda and the broader federal-state modernization agenda, while independently evaluating the effectiveness of the measures undertaken.
Federal Minister for State Modernisation, Dr Karsten Wildberger:
“A modern state has the confidence to open itself to scrutiny. The Hertie School’s Plattform #Staatsmodernisierung is our scientific partner in this effort: it will make transparent what is working and where improvements are needed. We want to demonstrate, with measurable evidence, that things are changing for the better.”
Former Federal Minister and Chair of the Board of the Hertie Foundation, Annette Schavan:
“We are proud to be making an important contribution to strengthening democracy and modernizing the German state, together with the Digital Ministry and a broad network of partners. Only a capable and effective state can secure long-term trust in our democracy. That is precisely what we aim to support through the Plattform #Staatsmodernisierung.”
Creating a knowledge hub for reform
The Plattform #Staatsmodernisierung will focus on researching success factors and best practices across the various fields of state modernization, as well as the systematic collection and integration of perspectives from key stakeholders in academia, business, civil society, and public administration. The Hertie School will work with a broad network of distinguished researchers, academic institutions, think tanks, foundations, NGOs, and representatives of Germany’s states and municipalities.
The project, anchored at the Hertie School's Centre for Digital Governance, will create a central hub for project-generated knowledge and relevant contacts. This will give all stakeholders involved in state modernization the opportunity to access the findings and incorporate them into their own modernization initiatives. The project is designed to make a direct contribution to the practical implementation of state modernization.
The Plattform #Staatsmodernisierung is scheduled to be established by early 2027. Initial findings, including recommendations on the key areas of the modernization agendas, are expected within one year. The final report is anticipated in summer 2029. The project is funded with approximately €3 million.
The project website can be found here: www.plattform-staatsmodernisierung.de.
Contact
- Gerhard Hammerschmid, Professor of Public and Financial Management
- Martin Klingst, Managing Director