Results of the RIS monitoring 2023/24: Thuringia continues to invest in its future.

The new factsheet from the monitoring of the Regional Innovation Strategy (RIS Thuringia) shows which research and development (R&D) projects were initiated by companies, universities, and research institutions in the Free State of Thuringia in 2023 and 2024, which topics were the focus, and which funding at the state, federal, and EU levels made these projects possible. From microelectronics to the hydrogen economy, ideas were generated here that extended far beyond the borders of Thuringia. 

Background on RIS monitoring

The Thuringian Innovation Strategy (RIS Thüringen) in the 2021–2027 funding period is accompanied by a monitoring program that makes the projects in the specialization areas visible and provides a sound basis for decision-making for the steering committee. This strategy monitoring is coordinated by Innovativ Thüringen in partnership with the Thuringian Ministry for Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Rural Development (TMWLLR), the Thuringian Development Bank (TAB), and the Thuringian State Office for Statistics (TLS).

Results

Between 2023 and 2024, 849 R&D projects were carried out in Thuringia with the participation of at least 319 stakeholders. A total of approximately €382.8 million in funding flowed into projects relevant to the specialization areas of RIS Thuringia. Companies were particularly active: an above-average number (266) participated in the projects. These companies implemented 427 projects with grants totaling approximately €184 million. 

Evaluations according to funding programs 

Particularly striking is the increase in state-level R&D funding: in 2024, with 248 projects recorded and €90.4 million in funding, almost twice as many projects were launched as in 2023 (79). Federal programs, on the other hand, saw a decline in 2024 (184 projects with €250.9 million) compared to 2023 (336 projects).

Thuringia maintains a consistently strong presence at the EU level: 80 projects were funded through Horizon Europe with €42.2 million. These projects focused primarily on the cluster of "Digitalization, Industry and Space". 

Evaluations by specialization field

The activities in the specialization field of "Information and Communication Technologies" are particularly visible (see Figure 1). Of the €74.46 million in subsidies, €47.9 million alone went to Thuringian projects within the framework of the European project IPCEI Microelectronics and Communication Technologies (IPCEI ME/KT) , which is funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK).

In terms of the number of projects, the specialization area "Sustainable Energy and Resource Use" leads with 269 projects. In 2023, more than 100 projects in this area emerged from the "Innovation & Structural Change" programs and the "Future Cluster Initiative" of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) – with approximately €34 million in funding. A prime example is the Thuringian Water Innovation Cluster (ThWIC) in Jena. In 2023, it launched 44 R&D projects with around €13.7 million in funding.

Positive Trends

The results indicators of the RIS monitoring also show a positive development:

• The number of participating companies increased from 163 (2023) to 266 (2024).
• More and more companies are participating in multiple projects – in 2024, there were 86 companies with at least two projects. That is more than twice as many as in the previous year.
• Patent intensity rose from 24 to 25 applications per 100,000 inhabitants. This puts Thuringia in 5th place nationwide and at the top of the ranking of the eastern German states.

You can find the detailed factsheet here: