Mayor Andreas Bovenschulte: “The University of Bremen is of central importance for the future of our state; it is the anchor of innovation and growth in our city. With the 2030 Science Strategy, Bremen has secured the long-term financial future of the University of Bremen; unlike in other federal states, there will be no cuts to research and higher education budgets.”

Jutta Günther, President of the University of Bremen: “The University of Bremen addresses key issues across nearly all sectors – from innovation and business start-ups to the training of urgently needed skilled workers and the international visibility of our region. For a city-state like Bremen in particular, this connection between science, business, and society is of great importance. Our university and the state’s higher education institutions contribute to Bremen’s appeal as a place to live and work – for example, through international collaborations, cultural openness, and the attraction of young talent. At the same time, we see ourselves as a driving force and as an institution that stands for democracy, diversity, and open-mindedness.

The university’s academic expertise is impressive and vital for the state, the mayor emphasized. He congratulated the university on the selection of the two clusters “The Ocean Floor” and “The Martian Mindset” under the federal and state Excellence Strategy. Bovenschulte: “We are doing an excellent job, from the deep sea to deep space.” In cooperation with Oldenburg's Carl von Ossietzky University as part of the Northwest Alliance, “there is a good chance of receiving University of Excellence recognition again starting in fall 2026.”

At the same time, the university has been exceptionally successful in acquiring so-called third-party funding for research – that is, convincing external donors that the university’s projects are worthy of support. The university raises 126 million euros annually in this way – an unusually high figure. Bremen is thus a true “research powerhouse,” according to the mayor.