SAECHSISCHES STAATSMINISTERIUM FUR WISSENSCHAFT, KULTUR UND TOURISMUS

Their core work

SMWK is the Saxon State Ministry for Science, Culture and Tourism — a regional government body in Saxony, Germany, responsible for research and innovation policy and funding at the state level. In H2020, it acts as a funding agency participating in ERA-NET Cofund actions, pooling Saxon regional funds with other European agencies to launch joint transnational research calls. Its role is not to perform research but to align regional funding strategies with European priorities and co-finance cross-border research in areas like personalised medicine, biotechnology, and advanced materials. It also engages in interregional policy coordination to accelerate the uptake of research results into regional smart specialisation strategies.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

SMWK's early H2020 involvement (2016-2017) focused on building the infrastructure for transnational funding — aligning funding agencies, launching joint calls in biotechnology and personalised medicine. From 2018 onward, the focus shifted toward practical regional implementation: interregional coordination, smart specialisation, structural funds integration, and a significant pivot into materials and battery technologies tied to the Green Deal. The trajectory shows a move from pure funding coordination toward strategic alignment of regional innovation policy with EU green and industrial priorities.

SMWK is increasingly aligning Saxon research funding with EU Green Deal priorities, particularly in advanced materials and battery technologies, while strengthening the link between structural funds and smart specialisation.

How they like to work

SMWK always participates as a partner, never as a coordinator — consistent with its role as a regional funding body joining larger pan-European funding networks. Its 84 unique partners across 40 countries reflect the inherently broad consortia of ERA-NET actions, where dozens of funding agencies from different countries pool resources. Working with SMWK means gaining access to Saxon regional funding streams and policy-level support, rather than technical research capacity.

With 84 consortium partners across 40 countries, SMWK has an exceptionally wide geographic network — a direct result of participating in large ERA-NET Cofund actions that bring together funding agencies from across Europe and beyond. The network spans well beyond EU borders, reflecting the international cooperation dimension of their most recent projects.

What sets them apart

SMWK brings something most research partners cannot: direct access to regional government funding and policy-making in Saxony, one of Germany's strongest research regions (home to Dresden's semiconductor and materials clusters). For consortium builders, partnering with SMWK means having a regional authority at the table that can align public funding, structural funds, and smart specialisation strategies with the project's goals. This is especially valuable for projects that need to demonstrate policy impact or bridge the gap between EU research and regional implementation.

Highlights from their portfolio

• M-ERA.NET3
  Their largest project by far (EUR 919K), running until 2026, focused on materials and battery technologies aligned with the Green Deal — signals their current strategic priority.
• REGIONS4PERMED
  A coordination action specifically designed to bridge EU research with regional policy through smart specialisation and structural funds — showcases SMWK's unique role as a policy implementer, not just a funder.