Connecting For Tomorrow
The alliance unites the universities of Oldenburg and Bremen, which together have approximately 580 professorships, 6,400 staff members, 2,700 doctoral candidates, and 34,000 students. The alliance aims to combine excellent research with social responsibility and find innovative solutions to regional and global challenges. In the northwest region, the goal is to further develop an internationally visible research and knowledge transfer hub. Academic and non-academic institutions, such as the HWK – Institute for Advanced Study, the University of Groningen, and numerous non-university research institutes, play a central role in this effort. As the Northwest Alliance, we jointly submitted the “Connecting for Tomorrow” proposal to the Excellence Strategy competition.
The universities of Bremen and Oldenburg have a long-standing partnership. Since our founding in the 1970s, we have collaborated closely, particularly in marine, polar, and climate research; computer science; health sciences; and energy research. Due to our similar size and age, we are equal partners with a proven track record of excellence in research. We share common values, and our profiles intertwine and complement one another. Together, we can better address complex issues, such as the energy transition and healthcare challenges, from multiple specialized perspectives simultaneously. Through our collaboration, we overcome our structural limitations and achieve more together than we could as individual universities. It is in this context that we, the Northwest Alliance, have submitted a joint proposal titled "Connecting for Tomorrow."
By means of the Excellence Strategy, the federal and state governments provide support to cutting-edge research in Germany. The goal is to strengthen Germany's position as a center of science and improve its international competitiveness in the long term. The Excellence Strategy is the successor to the Excellence Initiative.
The Excellence Strategy has two funding lines: One supports Clusters of Excellence, which are international research projects, and the other supports Universities of Excellence, which are individual institutions or consortia. Approximately 70 Clusters of Excellence at around 40 German universities have already been selected for funding, and universities and university consortia are currently applying for funding under the University of Excellence line. Starting January 1, 2027, ten of the eleven institutions currently funded by the Excellence Strategy will receive seven years of further funding: RWTH Aachen University, the University of Bonn, the Berlin University Alliance (a consortium of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Technische Universität Berlin), Technische Universität Dresden, Universität Hamburg, Heidelberg University, the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU Munich), the Technical University of Munich, and Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen.
Up to five additional universities or university consortia can be funded for the 2027 to 2033 period. The universities of Bremen and Oldenburg are applying together as the Northwest Alliance. Alongside us, ten other universities or consortia are applying for the remaining five places. The decision regarding the new proposals will be made on October 2.
From April 27 to 29, 2026, an international panel of experts from the German Science and Humanities Council visited the University of Bremen campus. During the visit, the reviewers interviewed approximately 160 people, including researchers, students, and representatives from university committees, political offices, and partner institutions. The goal was to supplement our written proposal, "Connecting for Tomorrow," with further insights and personal contacts during the on-site visit, and to show the reviewers our dynamic cooperation.
Both universities will receive additional funding starting in 2027 to implement strategic measures in research, teaching, knowledge transfer, research infrastructure, internationalization, human resources, and diversity. Our goals are to re-anchor the university in society, expand international partnerships, and strengthen democratic resilience. To this end, we intend to increasingly shape research as an interactive dialogue with society, support equitable and long-term collaborations with our partners in the Global South, and prepare our graduates to become independent leaders.
Even without the title, the Northwest Alliance will continue to exist. The two universities have been collaborating for a long time and will continue to do so. The reasons that justified the joint proposal remain valid, as do do the goals we outlined in our "Connecting for Tomorrow" proposal. Therefore, we will continue to deepen our collaboration and explore new areas of cooperation.
