Wissenschaft im Dialog
Wissenschaft im Dialog is the Berlin-based, non-profit joint organization of Germany's leading science bodies, delivering science-communication programs (Forum Wissenschaftskommunikation, mit:forschen!, Wissenschaftsbarometer, Academy) free of charge to science communicators, researchers, students, and the public.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2000
- HeadquartersBerlin, Germany
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Wissenschaft im Dialog does
Wissenschaft im Dialog (WiD) is a Berlin-based non-profit gGmbH founded in 2000, operating as the joint organization of Germany's leading science bodies for science communication. Established in the wake of the PUSH Memorandum, it functions as a Think-and-Do-Tank structured around four program areas — Engagement, Insights, Exchange, and Academy — delivering a multi-product portfolio that spans the annual Forum Wissenschaftskommunikation conference (held since 2008, ~750 participants), the Wissenschaftsbarometer public-attitudes survey, citizen-science initiatives (mit:forschen!, I'm a Scientist, Make Your School, MS Wissenschaft touring exhibition), competitions (Fast Forward Science, Power2Change, Hochschulwettbewerb), professional development (Academy, Impact School, Autumn School), and the Wissenschaftskommunikation.de information portal.
The underlying technology stack is conventional: a public website using Matomo for privacy-focused analytics, Brevo (Sendinblue GmbH) for GDPR-compliant newsletter distribution, LimeSurvey for survey administration, Zoom for webinars, and eveeno for event registration. WiD maintains no proprietary software products; instead, its technology footprint is built around standard SaaS integrations under EU data-protection agreements. WiD holds no patents or registered trademarks.
The business model is non-commercial. Revenue is derived from three streams: shareholder contributions (16 institutional shareholders each holding 5,000 EUR in share capital), project grants from public bodies led by BMBF (more than 10% of the annual budget and Forum Wissenschaftskommunikation funder since 2008), and foundation grants led by Klaus Tschira Stiftung (more than 10% of the annual budget). Approximately 60 employees delivered total 2024 operating expenses of roughly 9.1 million EUR (4.5 million personnel, 4.6 million other). All programs are delivered free to participants; there is no pricing model, no commercial customer base, and no external equity investment. WiD is governed by a Shareholders' Assembly chaired by the Secretary-General of the Max Planck Society, with Dr. Benedikt Fecher serving as Managing Director.
Wissenschaft im Dialog firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Wissenschaft im Dialog
- Legal name
- Wissenschaft im Dialog gGmbH
- Website
- https://wissenschaft-im-dialog.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2000
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Wissenschaft im Dialog is the Berlin-based, non-profit joint organization of Germany's leading science bodies, delivering science-communication programs (Forum Wissenschaftskommunikation, mit:forschen!, Wissenschaftsbarometer, Academy) free of charge to science communicators, researchers, students, and the public.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Wissenschaft im Dialog industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Science Communication Services
- NAICS
- Professional and Management Development Training (61143), Management Consulting Services (54161)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Policy Management, Training & Ethics/Whistleblowing (BPAEAPAI)
Keywords
Where Wissenschaft im Dialog is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Berlin
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Wissenschaft im Dialog business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Shareholder Contributions: Base financing through contributions from shareholders - leading German science organizations including Max Planck Society, Fraunhofer, DFG, Helmholtz, Leibniz Association, and others. Each shareholder contributes 5,000 EUR in share capital.
- Project Funding from Public Sources: Project grants from government bodies including Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF), and other public funders.
- Foundation and Association Funding: Project funding from foundations such as Klaus Tschira Stiftung and other non-governmental organizations.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Wissenschaft im Dialog product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Wissenschaft im Dialog (WiD) operates as a Think-and-Do-Tank that develops practice-relevant knowledge for science communication, delivers target-group-oriented training and professional development, and creates innovative networking and communication formats connecting science and society in Germany. It runs four program areas (Engagement, Insights, Exchange, Academy) encompassing the annual Forum Wissenschaftskommunikation conference, the Wissenschaftsbarometer public attitude survey, citizen science initiatives, school programs, and professional training programs for science communicators and researchers.
Product overview
Wissenschaft im Dialog (WiD) is a German science communication organization structured as a Think-and-Do-Tank operating four program areas: Engagement, Insights, Exchange, and Academy. Its portfolio is a multi-product ecosystem rather than a single platform — it includes flagship annual events (Forum Wissenschaftskommunikation, held since 2008), ongoing research programs (Wissenschaftsbarometer annual survey, Impact Unit, Transfer Unit), citizen and school engagement initiatives (mit:forschen!, Make Your School, I'm a Scientist, Junior Science Café KI, MS Wissenschaft touring exhibition, Digitale Schools), professional development offerings (Academy, Impact School, Autumn School, Campus Citizen Science), and the central German-language portal Wissenschaftskommunikation.de. Science competitions (Fast Forward Science, Power2Change, Hochschulwettbewerb) and the WiD-Perspektiven multi-stakeholder platform round out the portfolio. Together these products span the full spectrum from research and practice exchange to public engagement, school programs, professional training, and evaluation services in science communication.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Forum Wissenschaftskommunikation The flagship annual conference for science communication in the German-speaking world, held each December since 2008, bringing together approximately 750 practitioners for keynotes, panel discussions, workshops, and networking on a rotating theme.
- Wissenschaftsbarometer An annual representative survey measuring public attitudes toward science and research in Germany, providing insights into trust, expectations, and societal engagement with science.
- mit:forschen! A citizen science initiative enabling public participation in research processes, including digital lunch sessions, the Campus Citizen Science program, and the partX citizen science format, supporting participatory science communication.
- I'm a Scientist An online platform that connects school students with researchers through live chat sessions, allowing students to interact with scientists directly and learn about scientific careers and research topics.
- Junior Science Café KI A program that supports students in organizing café-style events at their schools to discuss artificial intelligence topics, engaging with experts from informatics, rhetoric, and ethics.
- MS Wissenschaft An interactive traveling science exhibition that tours Germany with exhibits on current research topics, presented with auditory, haptic, and visual formats to make medical and other research accessible to broad audiences.
- Make Your School A program that supports students and teachers in conducting maker activities at schools, fostering hands-on engagement with science and technology through project-based learning.
- Power2Change A science competition focused on energy topics, inviting young people to develop and present innovative ideas related to the energy transition and sustainability.
- Academy (Wissenschaft im Dialog) A training and continuing education program for researchers and science communicators, offering workshops, the Impact School, and the Autumn School on topics including effective science communication and communicating technology and innovation.
- Fast Forward Science A science communication competition that challenges young researchers to communicate their research topics effectively through short video presentations.
- Digitale Schools A program supporting digital science engagement and education in schools, helping to integrate digital tools and science communication into school environments.
- Transfer Unit Wissenschaftskommunikation A unit that promotes exchange and networking between research and practice in science communication, providing research overviews, infographics, and Siggener Impulse publications.
- Impact Unit An evaluation and impact assessment service that supports science communication projects with evaluation expertise and methodologies, including workshops on integrating AI into evaluation processes.
- Hochschulwettbewerb A university-level science competition that invites students and researchers to communicate scientific topics to public audiences.
- WiD-Perspektiven A multi-stakeholder platform for dialogue on science communication, bringing together diverse stakeholders to discuss trends and challenges in the field.
- Wissenschaftskommunikation.de The central information and discussion portal for science communication in the German-speaking world, offering articles, research overviews, and resources on science communication trends and practice.
Companies that use Wissenschaft im Dialog
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Wissenschaft im Dialog technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
AI capability3 records
Feature2 records
Wissenschaft im Dialog partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
20 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Leipzig Science NetworkminorCooperation partner for Forum Wissenschaftskommunikation 2026 in Leipzig.
- Stadt LeipzigminorHost city partner for Forum Wissenschaftskommunikation 2026. Hans-Christoph Thiele serves on the Program Advisory Board as guest.
- Landeshauptstadt StuttgartminorHost city partner for Forum Wissenschaftskommunikation 2025. Hosted approximately 750 participants.
- Munich Science Communication Lab (MSCL)minorCollaborated with WiD's Impact Unit on AI evaluation workshop at Forum Wissenschaftskommunikation 2025.
- DAAD (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst)coreGerman Academic Exchange Service - one of the founding shareholders of Wissenschaft im Dialog. DAAD supports international exchange and cooperation in science communication.
- Leopoldina (Deutsche Akademie der Naturforscher Leopoldina)coreGerman National Academy of Sciences - shareholder supporting science communication initiatives and policy dialogue.
- AIF – Allianz für Industrie und ForschungcoreAlliance for Industry and Research - shareholder supporting WiD's science communication mission.
- StifterverbandcoreStifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft - foundation supporting science and higher education, co-funders of Forum Wissenschaftskommunikation.
- GDNÄ (Gesellschaft Deutscher Naturforscher und Ärzte)coreSociety of German Natural Scientists and Physicians - awards the Lorenz-Oken-Medaille at WiD's Forum Wissenschaftskommunikation.
- Fraunhofer-GesellschaftcoreFraunhofer Society - major German research organization and founding shareholder supporting science communication.
- Alexander von Humboldt StiftungcoreAlexander von Humboldt Foundation - supports international scientist exchange and communication.
- Berlin-Brandenburgische Akademie der WissenschaftencoreBerlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities - shareholder in WiD.
- DFG (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft)coreGerman Research Foundation - central self-governing science organization and shareholder of WiD.
- Hochschulrektorenkonferenz (HRK)coreGerman Rectors' Conference - represents university presidents and supports WiD initiatives.
- Max Planck GesellschaftcoreMax Planck Society - one of Germany's leading research organizations and founding shareholder. Simone Schwanitz, MPG's Secretary General, serves as Chair of the Shareholders' Assembly.
- WissenschaftsratcoreGerman Science Council - provides policy advice on science and research issues.
- Helmholtz-GemeinschaftcoreHelmholtz Association of German Research Centres - major science organization and shareholder.
- acatech (Deutsche Akademie der Technischen Wissenschaften)coreGerman Academy of Science and Engineering - provides expertise on technology communication.
- DVT (Deutscher Verband Technisch-Wissenschaftlicher Vereine)coreGerman Association of Technical-Scientific Associations - represents technical-scientific community.
- Leibniz-GemeinschaftcoreLeibniz Association - network of scientific institutions, co-funder of Forum Wissenschaftskommunikation.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Wissenschaft im Dialog competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin für Sozialforschung (WZB): Berlin-based social research institute with public engagement and science communication programs. Comparable as a German research-adjacent organization that bridges academic research and public discourse, with similar funding mix of public grants and institutional support.
- European Science Engagement Association (EUSEA): Pan-European association coordinating science engagement and public communication activities. Directly comparable as a membership-based organization for science communication professionals; WiD participated in EUSEA 2026, indicating close collaboration and overlapping scope.
- Falling Walls Foundation: Berlin-based foundation organizing the annual Falling Walls Conference and science engagement programs. Directly comparable as a German science communication organization running flagship events, though focused more on breakthrough research than broad public engagement.
Emerging players
- Sense about Science: UK charity promoting evidence-based public discussion and science communication. Comparable as a science communication and public engagement organization focused on trust in science and public discourse, though smaller and more advocacy-focused than WiD.
- Science Gallery International: Global network of science engagement venues targeting young adults with interactive programs. Comparable as an emerging player in science communication and public engagement with a more youth-focused, experiential model that partially overlaps with WiD's MS Wissenschaft exhibition and school programs.
- Munich Science Communication Lab (MSCL): German science communication research and training initiative collaborating with WiD. Comparable as a specialized science communication organization with a more research-oriented approach; relevant partner for WiD's Impact Unit work on AI evaluation in science communication.
Others
- Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft: German member-based association promoting science, education, and innovation. Comparable as a stakeholder and co-funder of WiD's Forum Wissenschaftskommunikation, and as a fellow German science-supporting membership organization with overlapping funder relationships.
Broad incumbents
- Nesta: UK innovation foundation running science, technology, and public engagement programs. Comparable as a mission-driven organization combining grant-making, research, and program delivery in science and innovation engagement, with similar Think-and-Do-Tank positioning.
- The Royal Society: UK national academy with extensive science communication, public engagement, and policy advisory functions. Comparable as a much larger and older institution performing similar roles (science communication, public engagement, policy advice) but at national scale with significantly greater resources.
- American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS): US-based organization advancing science through policy, education, and public engagement programs. Comparable as a broad-incumbent science advocacy and communication organization with similar member-society structure and public engagement mission, though operating at much larger scale.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Wissenschaft im Dialog social profiles
Digital presenceWissenschaft im Dialog compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Wissenschaft im Dialog financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Wissenschaft im Dialog leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles15 records
Wissenschaft im Dialog funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Wissenschaft im Dialog M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Wissenschaft im Dialog
What does Wissenschaft im Dialog do?
Wissenschaft im Dialog (WiD) operates as a Think-and-Do-Tank that develops practice-relevant knowledge for science communication, delivers target-group-oriented training and professional development, and creates innovative networking and communication formats connecting science and society in Germany. It runs four program areas (Engagement, Insights, Exchange, Academy) encompassing the annual Forum Wissenschaftskommunikation conference, the Wissenschaftsbarometer public attitude survey, citizen science initiatives, school programs, and professional training programs for science communicators and researchers.
Is Wissenschaft im Dialog a public or private company?
Wissenschaft im Dialog is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Wissenschaft im Dialog founded?
Wissenschaft im Dialog was founded in 2000. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Wissenschaft im Dialog based?
Wissenschaft im Dialog is headquartered in Berlin, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Wissenschaft im Dialog make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Shareholder Contributions are the primary driver. The others are project Funding from Public Sources and foundation and Association Funding.
Who are Wissenschaft im Dialog's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin für Sozialforschung (WZB), European Science Engagement Association (EUSEA) and Falling Walls Foundation. Emerging players are Sense about Science, Science Gallery International and Munich Science Communication Lab (MSCL). Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft is listed as an others. Broad incumbents are Nesta, The Royal Society and American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
Does Wissenschaft im Dialog have an API?
No public API is recorded for Wissenschaft im Dialog.
What industry is Wissenschaft im Dialog in?
Wissenschaft im Dialog's product category is Science Communication Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAEAPAI, Policy Management, Training & Ethics/Whistleblowing. Its NAICS code is 61143 and its SIC code is 8600.