New leader at the helm of the Leibniz Association

The General Assembly of the Leibniz Association has elected Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Christoph M. Schmidt as its eighth president. His four-year term begins on 1 July 2026. The economic researcher follows Prof. Dr. Martina Brockmeier and brings an impressive CV to the role – from his PhD at Princeton to his leadership of the Leibniz Institute for Economic Research (RWI) in Essen. His vision: to position the 96 Leibniz Institutes across Germany as strong partners for key technologies and social progress, and to raise the visibility of science even further.

“Being elected President of the Leibniz Association is a great honour for me. In my new role, I intend to highlight even more clearly the strength of the Leibniz Institutes in combining excellence in research with direct relevance to business, politics and society,” said Schmidt. The designated president of the Leibniz Association announced his intention to work with his management team to further develop the research network as a reliable partner for innovation and key technologies. At the same time, he emphasised the importance of communicating scientific findings more effectively to the public, which he described as a condition for social progress. Science must not only generate knowledge, but also provide guidance and inspiration for the future, said the soon-to-be president.

In addition to Schmidt, three new members were elected to the Executive Board:

• Prof. Dr. Alexandra W. Busch (Leibniz Centre for Archaeology (LEIZA), Mainz)

• Prof. Dr. Albert Sickmann (Leibniz Institute for Analytical Sciences (ISAS), Dortmund)

• Prof. Dr. Barbara Sturm (Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy (ATB), Potsdam)

Together with the existing members, Prof. Dr. Sebastian Lentz and Dr. Martin Mittelbach, they form the six-member leadership team of the Leibniz Association.