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The Ministry of Finance and Science's press release states:
The following text has been machine translated from the German with no human editing.
The target and performance agreement places great emphasis on excellence in research and teaching and on contributing to the transformation of the Saarland economy in order to further strengthen Saarland as a centre of science and to further expand the role of the university and the University Medical Centre as a driving force for research, innovation and the development of skilled workers.
To this end, the state is providing a total of more than €1 billion over the four-year term of the agreement – more than ever before and a strong signal for the future of Saarland as a centre of science. In addition to a continuously increasing basic funding of around €875 million in total, an additional €25 million will flow into a performance budget, with a further €115 million going to the University Hospital for research and teaching. The new performance budget will be used specifically to increase graduate numbers, provide greater support for start-ups and generate additional third-party funding. In addition, there is support for science and research from the transformation fund. All this gives the university the opportunity to further expand its strengths and make Saarland even more successful in the competition between science regions.
"With this agreement, the state and the university are pursuing their common goal of enabling the dynamic development of Saarland as a centre of science for the future," said Finance and Science Minister Jakob von Weizsäcker. "Excellent research, excellence in teaching and a strong contribution to the transformation of our state: the agreement creates the conditions for this by providing planning security for the next four years and anchoring joint development goals with corresponding agreements and incentives."
"At Saarland University, we attach particular importance to high-quality, innovative and practice-oriented teaching. In addition, we focus our research activities on four strong areas of expertise that are internationally recognised. At the same time, we also aim for high quality and relevance in other areas of research. In this way, we want to support the social and economic transformation of the Saarland and drive forward forward-looking developments. The financial resources laid down in the target and performance agreement provide a solid basis for this and demonstrate the state government's appreciation of the Saarland University's strong performance," emphasises University President Ludger Santen.
The success of a university is measured in particular by its ability to inspire talented individuals and give them the opportunity to develop their potential. This applies equally to students and scientists. That is why this is a central focus of the agreement. In future, study conditions are to be further improved, the welcoming culture strengthened and career paths in science made more attractive. "This will strengthen the competitiveness of our university, both in research and in training and recruiting skilled workers for the Saarland," says Minister von Weizsäcker.
Furthermore, the university is already a key partner for transformation in Saarland. The new agreement will further expand this role: research priorities will be developed in a targeted manner, international partnerships will be deepened and start-up activities will be strengthened. Research results are to be transferred into practice even more consistently so that the university can continue to bring innovation to the region and far beyond.
A third focus concerns the infrastructural requirements. The state and the university are jointly investing in modern campus and research infrastructures, driving forward digitalisation and thus improving the framework conditions for teaching and research. This will further increase the attractiveness and competitiveness of the university, which is already an attractive location for students and scientists from all over the world.
The agreement is the result of a constructive and trusting dialogue between the state and the university. The agreement combines reliable basic funding with additional performance-based incentives and sets standards for future-oriented university development.
Publication (pdf):
Target and Performance Agreement VII between Saarland University and the Ministry of Finance and Science 2026-2029
