Hannover Science Initiative
About the Science Initiative Hannover
Dialogue, cooperation, and transfer between science, industry, and society are the hallmarks of the Science Hannover initiative.
All eight universities in Hanover (Leibniz University Hannover | University of Applied Sciences Hannover | Hannover Medical School | University of Veterinary Medicine Foundation Hannover | University of Music, Drama and Media Hannover | University of Applied Sciences for Economics Hannover | Leibniz University of Applied Sciences | Nds. University of Applied Sciences for Municipal Administration) as well as the ITEM Institute for Energy, Technology, and Materials (Fraunhofer), the LIAG Institute for Applied Geophysics, the Student Services Association (Studierendenwerk) Hannover, the Volkswagen Foundation, the regional economic development agency hannoverimpuls GmbH, and the state capital Hannover.
Strengthening the science location together
The Science Initiative Hannover has set itself the goal of jointly strengthening and internationalizing Hannover as a center of higher education and science. The aim is to improve the framework conditions for students, teachers, and researchers and to attract third-party funding for the location. Research and business are being networked, and science communication in the city and society is being promoted.
Hannover With 47,169 students (fall semester 2024/25) – including around 7,329 international students (15 percent) – and around 21,000 employees at its universities, it is one of Germany's most important centers of science. (Source: State Statistical Offices, StLA Lower Saxony, as of September 2, 2025)
Universities, research institutions, and the student services organization Hannover are involved in urban development projects and strategic processes. The focus is on Hannover, a climate-resilient city, a welcoming culture for international students, and the promotion of extracurricular STEM activities.
Lighthouse project for young talent
Free, open, and accessible to all—at the new TUMO + MINT Center (working title), young people will be able to acquire digital skills for the future starting in spring 2027. The city, business community, and universities are working together to bring the globally successful TUMO learning concept to Hannover and combine it with the established STEM programs offered by Hanover's universities. HannoverUniversity (HsH) is expanding its range of workshops for all ages and school types with its Zukunftshaus MINT (Future House MINT). Leibniz University Hannover (LUH) wants to enable school students to benefit directly from cutting-edge research and is participating with the PROTOYS and foeXlab laboratories.
The anchor investor for the extracurricular STEM program in the city center, An der Börse 7, is the GETEC Foundation. Additional partners and sponsors are being sought to ensure the program's long-term sustainability. The founding partners are the Entrepreneurs' Associations of Lower Saxony (UVN), the state capital Hannover, the GETEC Foundation, and HsH, which represents the state in TUMO + MINT Hannover gGmbH. The project is also supported by LUH, the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW), the Medical University of Hanover (MHH) Hannover, and numerous partners from business and education. Several Lower Saxony ministries have signaled their support.
The cooperation at the university and science location Hannover and the activities of the science initiative Hannover have received multiple awards nationwide and internationally as examples of best practice. The network and most of the projects are coordinated in the office of the mayor of the state capital Hannover - in the "Science City Hannover" department.
Leibniz in Hannover
The year 2026 marks the 350th anniversary of Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz's (*1646, + 1716) arrival in Hannover, where he lived and worked for 40 years until his death. Lectures and discussions, geocaching, and Actionbound invite visitors to explore the intellectual world of what is probably the last universal scholar in this anniversary year. Program overview for "Leibniz checks in": www.hannover.de/leibniz.
Many institutions in Hannover preserve, research, or communicate the life and work of the polymath. A highlight for all geocachers is the Leibniz' Ge(o)heimnisse (Leibniz's Ge(o)secrets) tour. Another digital garden rally in the Leibniz Gardens (Royal Gardens of Herrenhausen) using the Actionbound app invites you to explore and solve puzzles – the "Leibniz Tour: In Search of Leibniz's Legacy" (suitable for young people aged 14 and above). Current information and events can be found at: www.hannover.de/leibniz
Online: Daily news and media library wissen.hannover.de
On the science pages of the city portal hannover.de under the short link www.science-hannover.de The most important press releases from the university and scientific community are compiled daily.
The media library wissen.hannover.de provides students and researchers with insights into scientific projects and everyday student life through numerous video clips. International students are a particular target group. The media library has been online since 2013 and has won several awards, including the Foxaward Gold for efficient communication and marketing solutions and as an "impressive pioneering achievement." At Instagram and with a Newsletter informs the initiative about videos and events at the university and science location.
November of science - #knowember
The Science Initiative Hannover has developed and introduced a format for science communication called November der Wissenschaft (November of Science), which has been inspiring tens of thousands of people far beyond Hannover every two years since 2008. For up to three weeks, schoolchildren, students, and the interested public can get to know Hannover's research and university landscape. Many experts use the opportunities to network. The next #knowember will take place in 2027.
Trailer #knowember 2025: www.wissen.hannover.de/knowember. Program page: www.hannover.de/knowember
Welcoming culture for international students
In 2026, various projects for the integration of international students will be implemented in cooperation with the International Offices and the Student Services Organization Hannover The focus is on recruiting skilled workers by arranging internships in the city administration. Service videos for international students on the topic of housing (www.wissen.hannover.de/wohnen), odd jobs (www.wissen.hannover.de/jobbben) and social counseling are produced in cooperation with the student services organization and used nationwide.
The Science Initiative Hannover is involved in projects and strategic processes for urban development, such as "WIR 2.0 – We are – Living together in the city. Strategies for migration and participation." As part of a 'pilot region of the Bertelsmann Foundation', a joint action program was developed by the city, universities, and civil society. The successful measure "Housing Campaign for International Students" (2016-2019) was included in the shortlist for the 2019 Policy Award. The state capital of Hannover works closely with the 'Round Table for International Students in Hannover'.
innover.city and AUFHOF
In 2023-2024, a vacant department store in downtown Hanover became a meeting place for science, society, and urban culture. Over a period of 13 months, Hanover's universities, the company hannoverimpuls GmbH, and the state capital worked with innover.city to create a special place for developing innovative solutions to current challenges. Innovercity was developed by the University of Applied Sciences and Arts (Hannover) with its entrepreneurship center NEXSTER in cooperation with the science initiative Hannover and funded by the Lower Saxony Ministry of Science and Culture. The project was an integral part of AUFHOF, the temporary use of the former Kaufhof department store at the Marktkirche.
European cooperation
The European Union facilitates and promotes science, research, and exchange programs—including in Hannover. The Science Hannover initiative has launched a social media campaign that has reached 60,000 accounts on Instagram to promote European elections 2024 committed. Videos in the media library also show examples of how European research projects Hannover, what happens in exchange programs, and what Solidarity projects with Ukrainian researchers take place.
Hausmarke
With the Hausmarke discount card Students at Hanover's universities receive discounts in shops, restaurants, at the Sprengel Museum, and at the International Fireworks Competition, among other places.
Dual Career Network
The Dual Career Network was founded with the support of the Science Initiative Hannover and assists dual-career couples in restarting their careers in and around Hannover. The service is aimed at the partners of newly appointed professors and young executives from science and industry. The service is managed by the Leibniz University Hannover coordinated.