The Federal Research Ministry is using the "Entrepreneurial Regions" (German: Unternehmen Region) programme family to promote regional innovation alliances in Eastern Germany. Based on this, the Ministry is currently developing a pan-German innovation funding concept “structural change”.

The Federal Ministry of Education and Research envisages supporting a wave of transformation in so-called structurally weak regions across Germany by promoting specific, interdisciplinary innovation. Several new funding programmes have been planned.

The fundning initiative invites participants from business and science to jointly push through the boundaries of institutes and industries. Thus, the “Innovation Forums Mid-Size Sector” (German: Innovationsforen Mittelstand) act as an initial spark for new alliances.