Arms research: universities receive less money from the Ministry of Defense

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"Less military research and more peace research urgently needed": research object drone (archive image)

Photo: Arne Immanuel Bänsch / dpa

Last year the Bundeswehr spent around 47 million euros on arms research projects at German universities and research institutions.

The total has decreased for the second year in a row.

This emerges from the previously unpublished answer by the federal government to a small question from the left in the Bundestag.

According to this, spending on research projects by the Ministry of Defense in Germany in 2017 was 42 million euros; In 2018 it was 63 million euros, in 2019 it was 53 million euros. In addition, there was eight million euros annually for collaborations between the defense science institutes of the ministry and individual universities or institutions such as the Fraunhofer institutes.

Further expenditure by the Ministry of Defense relates to so-called departmental research.

This is the name given to the ministries' scientific activities that serve to prepare, support and implement political decisions.

Here, too, expenditure fell, from a good 3.3 million euros in 2018 to a good 1.8 million euros last year.

In contrast, the sum that goes to foreign universities for arms research projects is relatively small: last year it was just under 260,000 euros.

"A good sign"

It is "a good sign that apparently more tax money is not being pumped into military research contracts at institutes and universities," said Nicole Gohlke, spokeswoman for university and science policy for the Left in the Bundestag, the SPIEGEL.

Nevertheless, the sums that have now become known should also be viewed critically: "Some research institutions such as the Fraunhofer Institutes depend on the drip from the Ministry of Defense."

more on the subject

• Defense Ministry: How much money German universities receive for arms research remains a secret by Armin Himmelrath

• New university law: NRW allows military research again

Non-profit science should not serve the armament and military logic, said Gohlke.

She pointed out that, in addition to armaments research for the Federal Ministry of Defense, other states are also doing research at German universities: “I am very concerned that the large German institutes work for the US Pentagon.

Nobody can guarantee that the findings will not cause harm. "

Gohlke called for more transparency in such research projects.

In addition to regular publication of armaments research expenditures, Germany needs more civil clauses at universities and research institutions - i.e. voluntary commitments to forego military-relevant research.

In view of the increasing number of conflicts in the world, "less military research and more peace research are urgently needed".

Study places for members of the armed forces

In addition to insights into the overall budget for armaments research in the Ministry of Defense, the Federal Government's answer also provides information on other forms of cooperation between the Bundeswehr and universities.

405 soldiers are currently studying in contingents of study places that have been specially reserved for the German Armed Forces.

Prospective doctors make up the largest proportion: 264 medical courses at public universities are currently occupied by members of the armed forces nationwide.

Five soldiers are also enrolled in the “International Women's Computer Science Course” in Bremen - and one soldier completed his music studies at the Robert Schumann University in Düsseldorf between 2019 and 2020.