The German landscape of foundations and think tanks.
The number of crises we face is rising, due to failing states, wars and armed conflicts, poverty and lack of good governance in many countries. State and society are constantly confronted with new challenges. These crises occur simultaneously and at an ever faster pace.
They also have effects on domestic politics, as the current refugee crisis and the terrorist threat by the so called Islamic State, for example, show. Government, Parliament, administration and their staff are therefore faced with many challenges and have to be well informed to make reflected decisions.
This policy paper intends to examine the existing consultancy services available to policy-makers. Its aim is to present the landscape of policy consultancy and its main actors in Germany, to note the ways of working and the subjects of choice, to specify what requirements a good consultancy service must satisfy in Germany, and finally emphasize which international challenges should receive priority attention. This study will be looking at think tanks in particular and trace back the historical development of foreign policy consultancy in Germany.
Nicole Renvert is Research associate at the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Auswärtige Politik (DGAP) and member of the board of the "Forum Ebenhausen" of the Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP) Berlin. She has been a scientific collaborator at the SWP and has worked as a transatlantic relations specialist for several business foundations.
This paper is published in French only - Nicole Renvert, « Le paysage allemand des fondations et think tanks. », Notes du Cerfa, n° 139, Ifri, juillet 2017.
Author(s)
Related centers and programs
Discover our other research centers and programs
The Study Committee on Franco-German Relations (Cerfa)
The Study Committee on Franco-German Relations (Cerfa) was created in 1954 by an inter-governmental agreement between the Federal Republic of Germany and France, in order to raise awareness of Germany in France and analyze Franco-German relations, including in their European and international dimensions. In its conferences and seminars, which bring together experts, political leaders, senior decision-makers and representatives of civil society from both countries, Cerfa develops the Franco-German debate and stimulates political proposals. It regularly publishes studies through two collections: Cerfa notes and studies as well as Franco-German visions.
Cerfa maintains close relations with the network of German foundations and think tanks. In addition to its research and debate activities, Cerfa promotes the emergence of a new Franco-German generation through original cooperation programs. This is how in 2021-2022, Cerfa led a program on multilateralism with the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Paris. This program is aimed at young professionals from both countries interested in the issues of multilateralism in the context of their activities. It covered a wide range of themes relating to multilateralism, such as international trade, health, human rights and migration, non-proliferation and disarmament. Previously, Cerfa had participated in the Franco-German future dialogue, co-led with the DGAP from 2007 to 2020, and supported by the Robert Bosch Foundation and the Daniel Vernet group (formerly the Franco-German Reflection Group) which was founded in 2014 upon the initiative of the Genshagen Foundation.
Find out more
Discover all our analyses
Bundeswehr: From Zeitenwende (historic turning point) to Epochenbruch (epochal shift)
The Zeitenwende (historic turning point) announced by Olaf Scholz on February 27, 2022, is shifting into high gear. Financially supported by the March 2025 reform of Germany’s “debt break” and backed by a broad political and societal consensus to strengthen and modernize the Bundeswehr, Germany's military capabilities are set to rapidly increase over the coming years. Expected to assume a central role in the defense of the European continent in the context of changing transatlantic relations, Berlin’s military-political position on the continent is being radically transformed.
Merz’ European Policy-making: The End of the ‘German Vote’?
Friedrich Merz’s European ambition is to turn Germany, long seen as hesitant into a leading actor within the European Union (EU). To that end, he has pledged to end the “German vote,” a phenomenon that epitomizes the paradox of a country both indispensable and frequently absent from European decision-making.
Securing critical raw material (CRM) value chains – a prerequisite for Europe’s technological resilience
At the heart of economic security, technological resilience is a backbone of the European Union’s (EU) competitiveness. The EU’s energy and digital transitions depend on critical raw materials (CRM).
Reconciling competitiveness and demographic change: a Franco-German imperative
France and Germany are facing parallel demographic shifts that could reshape the future of their economies and their social models. These shifts reflect broader European patterns but are magnified by the central role both nations play in EU governance and competitiveness.