Three foundations are supporting digitalisation research at HIIG: With a focus on democratic change, the future of law, entrepreneurship and society

Berlin, 15 October 2025 – The Joachim Herz Foundation, Stiftung Mercator and the Foundation Science and Democracy have granted the Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society (HIIG) four million euros of funding. This is the first time HIIG has received joint institutional support from three foundations. The funding will enable it to realign its research focus areas, focusing on Democratic Change and Knowledge, New Technologies and the Future of Law, and Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Society. HIIG’s research profile is rounded out by its existing focus on AI and Society. Together, these four research focus areas enable the institute to contribute its scientific expertise to digitalisation research effectively. The aim is to develop an agile research approach that can identify social changes at an early stage, critically assess technological developments and encourage their democratic design. These insights will serve as a sound basis for decisions relating to digital transformation in politics, business and society.

Whether we’re talking about artificial intelligence or quantum computers: with the ongoing development of disruptive technologies, it is becoming increasingly urgent to debate their social dimensions and responsible use. This makes it all the more important to collaborate with relevant stakeholders to develop viable solutions for digital transformation. HIIG is therefore realigning its work strategically and will focus on four areas in future.

• Democratic Change and Knowledge:  In the wake of far-reaching digitalisation, how is trust in facts and democratic decision-making processes changing, and what significance does scientifically produced knowledge have in democratic discourse?
• AI and Society: How can AI systems be designed and evaluated in a transparent, regulated and public-interest-oriented manner? How can social responsibility, for example, with regard to sustainability, be implemented in this context?
• New Technologies and the Future of Law: What are the implications of the complex interactions between technological innovations and the legal system, for example, in AI systems or in the regulation of quantum technologies?
• Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Society: How can entrepreneurial activity be more closely integrated into society, and how can companies take responsibility for a sustainable digital transformation?

HIIG is continuously developing new projects and adapting its research questions within its main areas of research in order to respond directly to social developments and technological innovations. Through dialogue with politics, business and civil society, the institute seeks to create a sound basis for forward-looking decisions. To this end, the HIIG team is developing new methods that combine co-creative work, social interaction and interdisciplinary collaboration. These include future workshops, multi-stakeholder dialogues and living labs. These formats make complex issues tangible and promote interaction between practice and research. In this way, the research team combines scientific depth with concrete social impact.

Voices on funding

Astrid Kuhn, chair of the Foundation Science and Democracy: “Digital technologies are shaping our everyday lives and increasingly influencing our political actions. For example, digital structural change is putting pressure on our representatives. We are also currently witnessing the vulnerability of our critical infrastructure. By funding HIIG, we are creating spaces for independent digitalisation research while also contributing to collaboration between social science disciplines in this field. I look forward to working with the consortium and to new ideas that will enrich and strengthen our democracy in the long term.”

Wolfgang Rohe, chair of the Executive Board of Stiftung Mercator: “The democratic shaping of the digital transformation requires intelligent concepts and robust implementation proposals. That is what HIIG stands for. The digital transformation not only raises new questions for research but is also changing science itself and the role of knowledge in the democratic process. I am delighted that HIIG will now be focusing even more closely on these interrelationships.

Sabine Kunst, chair of the Joachim Herz Foundation: “HIIG brings together research and corporate responsibility. For a sustainable digital transformation, we need technological solutions and a social spirit that enables innovation. Politics, business and civil society must think more entrepreneurially — with foresight and responsibility.”

Wolfgang Schulz, research director at HIIG: “We would like to express our sincere thanks to the Foundation Science and Democracy, Stiftung Mercator and the Joachim Herz Foundation for their trust. This support not only gives us stability but also the freedom to address new issues – especially when technologies are undergoing disruptive change. We can respond flexibly, try out new formats and actively guide social developments.”

Background: Pioneering work in digitalisation research

Founded in 2011, HIIG was the first German research institution to take an interdisciplinary approach to the effects of digitalisation on society, politics, the economy and the law. Until 2023, it was primarily funded by Google. From 2025 onwards, several public-benefit foundations will support its development for the first time. Additionally, HIIG raises around three million euros annually in third-party funding for national and international research projects.

Through its publication of over 500 scientific articles, 60 books and the open access journal Internet Policy Review, which is recognised throughout Europe, HIIG is playing a key role in shaping the digital discourse. Formats such as the AI Compass card game, data governance guides and interactive exhibitions bring research directly to different target groups. The institute brings together representatives from politics, business, civil society and academia at over 60 events each year. Over 300 alumni are currently playing an active role in shaping digital change in ministries, NGOs, start-ups and universities.

Press contact

Frederik Efferenn | Tel. +49 30 200 760 82 | presse@hiig.de

Foundation Science and Democracy

To promote science, research and political education, Prof. Dr. Eberhard Schütt-Wetschky established the Foundation Science and Democracy (SW&D) in 1992 as an independent, non-profit foundation. It supports scientific projects that are suitable for promoting liberal democracy in accordance with the Basic Law of the Federal Republic of Germany. This primarily concerns political science and its related disciplines, but also – depending on the subject matter and problem at hand – the so-called “policy sciences”. Like its founder, the Science and Democracy Foundation sees political science as a partner of democracy. Political science should therefore be promoted where it can contribute to solving practical and normative problems of democracy.

Stiftung Mercator

Stiftung Mercator is a private, independent, non-profit foundation that acts on the basis of scientific expertise and practical project experience. Since 1996, it has been advocating for a society based on solidarity and participation. To this end, it promotes and develops projects that improve opportunities for participation and cohesion in an increasingly diverse community. Stiftung Mercator is committed to a cosmopolitan, democratic Europe, a digital transformation of the state and society based on fundamental rights and socially just climate protection. It is active in Germany, Europe and across the world but cultivates a particular connection to the Ruhr region, home of the founding family and the foundation’s headquarters. 

Joachim Herz Foundation

The Joachim Herz Foundation is committed to innovation and transfer from cutting-edge research so that more research results are put into practice and generate social benefits. The foundation strengthens start-up ecosystems and supports a new generation of entrepreneurial talent in developing radical innovation and sustainable business models. By promoting young professionals in a world of work that is changing due to AI and digitalisation, the foundation is helping to renew vocational training. The aim is to enable effective solutions to current challenges such as climate protection, greater resource efficiency and securing skilled workers. The foundation’s activities draw on ideas from the USA and strengthen German-American dialogue. The Joachim Herz Foundation was established in Hamburg in 2008 and is one of Germany’s largest foundations.