Science for Society
How can science be strengthened as an indispensable resource for a more just, well-informed society and for evidence-based action? And how can it be aligned even more closely with society’s actual needs? These questions lie at the heart of the annual topic for 2026 of the global network of German Centers for Research and Innovation (DWIH): Science for Society.
Science requires openness. Only when it is free from external constraints can it fully unfold its potential as a driver of innovation. At the same time, science bears a responsibility toward society. Ideally, it does not take place in an “ivory tower,” but instead responds to the concrete needs of a global community facing increasingly complex challenges and seeking to base its decisions on sound evidence. To make this possible, it is essential to place greater emphasis than ever before on the audiences science serves. The major questions of our time cannot be answered merely in and for society, but above all with society. This can only succeed if research becomes more participatory.
International networking plays a crucial role in this context. Science is a global team effort that benefits enormously from multicultural and multi-perspective frameworks. With its broad expertise and worldwide presence, the network of German Centers for Research and Innovation both reflects the reality of today’s globally interconnected research landscape and serves as an important platform for sustaining urgently needed international cooperation, even in times of challenging geopolitical shifts.
Science in the Service of Society
The DWIH network connects local expertise with global exchange. Through a diverse program of events and interdisciplinary collaborations, it makes an important contribution to the question of how science can be aligned more clearly than ever with socially relevant issues. Science communication plays a key role here, alongside engagement with local knowledge systems and the development of participatory research approaches.
Further information on the work of the network and the 2026 thematic focus can be found on the DWIH network website.
India regards science and innovation as key drivers for sustainable economic development and improved living conditions. With the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, the Government of India is pursuing the goal of a technologically driven, knowledge-based and socially balanced policy. This approach highlights how strongly science is valued in India as a key societal resource – influencing sectors from healthcare and energy to agriculture, education, and digital inclusion.
Science communication plays a crucial role in this, and in India it is intentionally designed to be broad, inclusive, and multilingual. Science galleries and museums, national programmes that strengthen public participation, and major science festivals, such as the India International Science Festival (IISF) make research accessible to broad segments of the population, especially children and young people. Digital initiatives like the language platform ‘Bhashini’ address the country’s enormous linguistic diversity and facilitate access to knowledge through AI-powered translation. At the same time, open access initiatives like “One Nation, One Subscription” (ONOS) ensure that 18 million students and researchers nationwide have free access to high-quality scientific publications.
High interest in participatory research
In terms of innovation policy, India relies on strong networks that connect universities, industry, startups, and civil society, driving socially relevant innovations in areas such as health research, e-mobility, agriculture, and electronics. Startups, incubators, and funding programmes, including initiatives for socially impactful, affordable health innovations and a new fund for private-sector driven deep-tech research, strengthen technology-oriented entrepreneurship on a broad scale. At the same time, interest in participatory research is growing. Indigenous and local communities are increasingly seen as active partners in research processes. One example is PRIA (Participatory Research in Asia), an organisation founded in 1982 and based in New Delhi. The organisation supports local, national, and international stakeholders in incorporating knowledge from local communities and shaping community-based development processes.
For the DWIH New Delhi, this opens numerous points of connection for the 2026 annual theme, “Science for Society”: exchange on multilingual and inclusive science communication, impulses for participatory research and equitable partnerships, dialogue with Indian innovation clusters, and stronger international networking in the field of socially impactful technology development. This theme was already addressed during a panel on “Decolonising Research” as part of the “Indo-German Research Day” and is set to be explored in depth in 2026. The DWIH New Delhi aims to increase the visibility of scientific knowledge, strengthen the dialogue on research from the Global South, and further deepen Indo-German exchange on shared global challenges.