• 03.08.2026

    Berlin gives deep tech a strategy: The Deep Tech Berlin Agenda has been adopted

What does it take to turn the visionary ideas coming out of Berlin's excellent research institutions into market-ready value created right here in the city? That question sits at the heart of the Deep Tech Berlin Agenda (DTBA), adopted by the Berlin Senate on 16 June 2026 on the initiative of Senator for Economic Affairs Franziska Giffey. The new strategic framework aims to consolidate Berlin's position as one of Europe's leading deep tech locations over the coming decade.

What the Agenda sets out to do

Under the guiding principle "Pioneering Tech for Freedom", the Agenda pursues three overarching goals:

  • to establish Berlin as a leading European hub for deep tech innovation;
  • to make it a more attractive location for transferring research into market-ready applications;
  • and to create better conditions for the scaling and growth of deep tech companies.

At its heart are five strategic technology fields, each linked to particularly promising application areas to form strong innovation ecosystems:

  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Biotechnology
  • Microelectronics, Photonics & Quantum Technologies
  • Advanced Materials & Manufacturing
  • Software Technologies.

The Deep Tech Berlin Awards were presented in precisely these five fields.

Senator Franziska Giffey said at the launch: "We must contribute to securing the competitiveness, prosperity, resilience and freedom of future European generations. With the Deep Tech Agenda, we are pooling Berlin's strengths in science, research and business, and creating the conditions for technological breakthroughs to be translated more swiftly into applications, companies and sustainable growth."

Concrete instruments

Alongside the thematic priorities, the Agenda contains a toolkit of strategic levers from which specific measures can be derived as needed. These include accelerating knowledge and technology transfer and ensuring appropriate funding along the entire innovation process.

The Berlin Transfer Bridge already provides an action framework for strengthening knowledge and technology transfer between science and business. Presented by the Berlin Senate in June 2026, it serves as a link between academic research and industry, helping new technologies become market-ready products more quickly. The initiative is being implemented together with the Berliner Transferrat, a strategic advisory body bringing together transfer actors from academia, business and intermediary organisations.

The new pre-seed fund #BSharp, which supports deep tech spin-offs, has already closed an important funding gap.

In addition, the Agenda aims to promote real-world laboratories, attract international talent and strengthen Berlin's visibility as a deep tech location.

Where Berlin stands today

Berlin's starting position is strong. In the Dealroom Tech Ecosystem Index 2026, the city ranks fourth in Europe and twenty-second worldwide. Deep tech solutions with impact far beyond Berlin's borders are already being developed here: from AI-powered fact-checking against disinformation (Gretchen AI) and resource-efficient 3D printing for fibre composites (Endless Industries) to non-invasive blood glucose measurement (DiaMonTech AG) and wireless underwater communication (EvoLogics GmbH).

The Agenda was developed by the Senate Department for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises in collaboration with other departments, while the Senate Department for Science, Health and Care was also involved in the Berlin Transfer Bridge. It is designed as a learning strategy to be continuously developed and refined.

Further reading:

The full Deep Tech Berlin Agenda and Berlin Transfer Bridge

Deep Tech Awards 2026

Interview with deep tech startup SOLYCO

Interview with deep tech startup LiveEO

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