Competition

The Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft primarily aims at promoting regional networks between science, business and society in general with its annual contest. It also aims at making people aware of the potential available here. An award of €125,000 is presented to the place chosen as the City of Science (Stadt der Wissenschaft).

Selection Criteria of the Stifterverband

• The city´s active role in creating a network
• Orientation of dialogues, i.e. a broad spectrum of different activities and formats, reaching the widest possible range of target groups and sections of the general public
• Originality of the concepts
• Interdisciplinary approach
• Co-operation between institutes of higher education and non-university partners
• Co-operation between science and business (e.g. technology parks, setting up new businesses)
• Co-operation of science with art and culture
• Sustainability
• Importance of science for urban development

In the following section you can download the application documents submitted to the Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft in Essen on 31.10.2005 along with all the appendices:

• Letter of Application Part 1 (pdf, 1.3 MB)
• Letter of Application Part 2 (pdf, 1.9 MB)
•  Appendix 1: Eurostat Statistics (pdf, 485 KB)
• Appendix 2: DB Research (pdf, 282 KB)
• Appendix 4: Ranking of Cities (pdf, 301 KB)

On 9th January 2006 the jury nominated Braunschweig, Aachen and Freiburg i.Br. to be in the final round. On 28th March 2006 the three finalists led by their Lord Mayors with representatives of science, business, culture and the media gave detailed presentations of their concepts to the jury appointed by the Stifterverband in Dresden. Braunschweig was selected to be the "City of Science 2007".
 
The jury positively stressed the fact that Braunschweig´s application stood out as being original and comprehensible when it gave its reasons for the selection. The large number of partners co-operating and the diversity of the forms of events were also impressive. Braunschweig´s concept gets its vitality from the idea of using original formats and unusual locations to build a bridge to the people of the city, who have no contact with science as a rule.

The selection of the "City of Science 2007" was made by high-ranking, widely-acclaimed committee members. Apart from science journalists and representatives of industry, institutions such as the Deutsche Städtetag (German Association of Cities), the Deutsche Industrie- und Handelskammertag (German Chamber of Industry and Commerce), the Hochschulrektorenkonferenz (German Rectors´ Conference) and science were involved in the dialogue.
 
You can find more information about the competition in the German version.