Interview with Hendrik Wüst

“Cutting-edge research is the driver”

Hendrik Wüst, minister-president of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, is viewed as a potential candidate for chancellor. In this interview, the 48-year-old calls for reliable prospects for science, research, and industry.

Let’s talk about the future. What qualities does the next German chancellor need to have to lead Germany out of the multiple crises it is currently facing?

A rational mind, determination, and strong leadership. They also have to keep their promises. There are too many examples in which the sitting chancellor has been slow to act or hasn’t shown the necessary political will − take the pact aimed at accelerating planning and approval procedures, for example, or the power plant strategy. The biggest political challenge facing us right now, migration, is also being approached much too timidly. Current studies show all our officeholders that many people in Germany have lost trust in the state and its ability to get things done. I’m sure the ongoing squabbling within the German federal government hasn’t helped.

Let’s turn to the present, then. Is it worth asking whether you would be interested in running for chancellor as a CDU candidate in 2025?

People can always ask.

I see. It’s tough. Let’s talk specifics. Here’s a question for you as a lawyer: Can you put together an argument for Germany as an industrial hub in three sentences?

Germany is distinguished by a highly innovative economy, top-notch research landscapes, and a strong industrial base. With its central location in Europe, it offers companies incomparable access to the markets in the EU, reinforced by a robust legal system that protects and fosters investment and innovation, and a well-educated populace. To continue to play to these strengths in the future, we need a fast-acting growth program that includes tax reform, cutting red tape, action to counteract the shortage of skilled workers, and lower energy costs.

Are growth and climate action contradictory?

We need to show that we can both protect the climate and unleash economic growth. That forms the basis for well-paying jobs, prosperity, and a stable society. That’s the only way we will be able to protect our climate effectively in the long term. Otherwise, we won’t have the buy-in we need for climate action − not just here in Germany, but worldwide. We can’t convince other countries that climate action is needed unless we also show that we can stay strong, economically and industrially. What we need for that is a political framework that drives innovation in climate action and attracts investment in clean technologies.

Those two aspects overlap in your state. You have big chemical, steel, and coal industries. And you’re in a coalition government with the Green party. How are you navigating that?

North Rhine-Westphalia has set out to be the first climate-neutral industrial state in Europe − and we're making good progress. In Duisburg, for example, there are plans to produce green steel with hydrogen instead of coke in the future. At the state government level, we supported this investment with the biggest single grant in our state’s history to show how growth and climate action can be reconciled with an eye to the future and long value chains can be kept right here in-state.

Where does the research sector fit in?

It has a very important role to play. Cutting-edge research is the driver of the innovation we need to overcome key challenges − whether that’s the energy transition, the digital transformation, or, in medicine, the fight against widespread diseases like cancer and dementia.

What can be done to bolster the research sector?

We’re making sure there are dependable overall conditions and investing in our higher education and research institutions so research can proceed freely, and we remain attractive as a location of cutting-edge research. And we’re especially cultivating interdisciplinary networks, like EIN Quantum NRW and KI.NRW [Editor’s note: central organizations focusing on quantum technologies and artificial intelligence, respectively].

Hydrogen is viewed as the energy source of the future, especially for the steel industry. Fraunhofer and Salzgitter AG are already working on a project to make this a reality. What do policymakers need to do to advance the decarbonization of heavy industry?

Hydrogen will play a key role in putting heavy industry on a sustainable and climate-friendly path. There are three key measures that should be taken there. First, providing targeted support for research and development is crucial. The project you mention is a good example of that. In North Rhine-Westphalia, we’ve created a platform called IN4climate.NRW that is unique in Germany. It brings industry, the science and research sectors, and the policy level together to craft innovative strategies for climate neutrality in industry. Second, we need to create a clear legal and regulatory framework that makes it easier to use hydrogen technologies. Third, it’s important to create economic incentives that make the transition to decarbonization attractive for business. That means things like tax incentives, but also accelerating planning and approval procedures for new and climate-friendly investments.

The German federal government cut the funding available for battery research by 75 percent. What do these reductions mean for battery research in Germany?

Research and development involving high-performance battery storage is key to the success of the energy and transportation transformation. We need to strengthen this area for the long term. It requires ongoing, dependable funding. The federal government is facing calls to restore the research funding that had originally been planned as part of the climate and transformation fund. Both the science and industrial sectors need a reliable vision of the way forward.
 

The German federal government cut the funding available for battery research by 75 percent. What do these reductions mean for battery research in Germany?

Research and development involving high-performance battery storage is key to the success of the energy and transportation transformation. We need to strengthen this area for the long term. It requires ongoing, dependable funding. The federal government is facing calls to restore the research funding that had originally been planned as part of the climate and transformation fund. Both the science and industrial sectors need a reliable vision of the way forward.

What can be done to scale up alternative battery technologies faster?

Partnerships between research and industry are key here, too, when it comes to accelerating technology transfer and bringing innovations to market fast. The Fraunhofer Research Fab Battery Cells FFB in Münster is a good example. The FFB PreFab, which is due to open shortly, is to set up a sample line for small-scale production of complete battery cells as an important intermediate step toward the industrial scale. The FFB Fab will then make it possible to harness plant technologies on an industrial scale to produce complete battery cells. The projects illustrate how targeted investments in research, development, and the creation of prototype facilities can bridge the gap between research and mass production.

Your state is viewed as one of the centers of AI research in Germany. How can Europe hold its own as it competes with others, like the U.S. and China?

Within the North Rhine-Westphalia state government, we have a clear goal of bringing cutting-edge research, innovative spirit, and entrepreneurship together with our push for AI made in NRW. One key there is forging even better connections among our existing quality players. The KI.NRW expertise platform will help with that. It is being headed by the Fraunhofer Institute for Intelligent Analysis and Information Systems IAIS, located in Sankt Augustin, near Bonn, which is one of Europe’s leading research institutes in the fields of artificial intelligence and machine learning.

You’ve pointed to what you call an “oppressive lack of speed” at the federal level that is causing people to doubt whether the state is capable of action. Where do you get things done fast in NRW?

We’ve passed a number of packages specifically aimed at unleashing activity and cutting through bureaucracy. But we keep running into legal hurdles at the federal and European levels. That’s why I’m extra happy we managed to negotiate a substantial pact between the German federal and state governments aimed at accelerating planning, approvals, and implementation. Now it needs to be put into action, and quickly. Of course, we’re taking action wherever we can as a single state. We’re the nationwide leader in approving wind turbines, for example. We ramped up hiring at the district government level to expand the electricity grid. And in terms of the digital transformation, our Wirtschafts-Service-Portal.NRW business platform is considered a role model for the whole country. One specific example where we really got things done fast was the FFB PreFab in Münster. Construction was done in just nine months. The property was turned over to Fraunhofer at the end of last year and is going into operation at the end of March. And the second section of construction is also making great strides. But it’s clear that we still have our work cut out for us, including in North Rhine-Westphalia − and we’re pushing ahead with it.

What areas of focus in research activity would you fight for in a German federal government led by the CDU?

From North Rhine-Westphalia to the federal level, innovation is one of the pillars of an economy and society that is viable for the future. Research policy should be geared toward that, regardless of the political level.

You’ve called the AfD party your main political opposition. Aren’t real solutions for people’s anxieties about the future the best way to defang populism?

Yes. Truly robust solutions to problems can only be found in the democratic center. But they also have to be tackled. In recent weeks, we’ve also seen huge public opposition to the AfD, to right-wing extremism, and huge public support for cohesion across our society and for democracy. That shows that the AfD doesn’t speak for a silent majority, as it has always claimed. We need to face down the AfD on the issues and take clear positions. Above all, that means showing people what consequences and impact AfD policies would have in terms of their daily lives − for workers, for example, or the social safety net. When you dig a little deeper, you can see that the AfD poses a risk to our prosperity and democracy. We can see that just from their calls for Germany to leave the European Union.

You became a parent late in life, if you’ll excuse the term, at 45. Has having a child changed your view of the future?

Being a parent does change your personal view of the world, of course. There are new roles and responsibilities involved, which I enjoy. Each and every day, my daughter Philippa is a living reminder of what our decisions mean for the future. And that includes asking what we can do today to make the possibilities even better for those who will live in the world of tomorrow. Life expectancy for today’s babies and toddlers is longer than the German republic has been in existence today. That’s humbling, for one thing. But it’s also a call to action. We need to take advantage of every opportunity to lay the foundations for all of today’s children to be able to lead a good life in every possible way.

Are you confident when you think about the country where Philippa will grow up?

As far as North Rhine-Westphalia is concerned, we have excellent chances of solving the big challenges facing us today. As for me personally, I’m doing my best, taking it one day at a
time.