Wissenschaft im Dialog

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.

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

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

• Science communication
• Citizen science programs
• Research engagement
• Science events
• STEM education outreach

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. Project Funding from Public Sources: Project grants from government bodies including Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF), and other public funders.
3. 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

Core 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.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

AI capability3 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Leipzig Science NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Cooperation partner for Forum Wissenschaftskommunikation 2026 in Leipzig.
• Stadt LeipzigminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Host city partner for Forum Wissenschaftskommunikation 2026. Hans-Christoph Thiele serves on the Program Advisory Board as guest.
• Landeshauptstadt StuttgartminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Host city partner for Forum Wissenschaftskommunikation 2025. Hosted approximately 750 participants.
• Munich Science Communication Lab (MSCL)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Collaborated with WiD's Impact Unit on AI evaluation workshop at Forum Wissenschaftskommunikation 2025.
• DAAD (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2000German 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)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2000German National Academy of Sciences - shareholder supporting science communication initiatives and policy dialogue.
• AIF – Allianz für Industrie und ForschungcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2000Alliance for Industry and Research - shareholder supporting WiD's science communication mission.
• StifterverbandcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2000Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft - foundation supporting science and higher education, co-funders of Forum Wissenschaftskommunikation.
• GDNÄ (Gesellschaft Deutscher Naturforscher und Ärzte)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2000Society of German Natural Scientists and Physicians - awards the Lorenz-Oken-Medaille at WiD's Forum Wissenschaftskommunikation.
• Fraunhofer-GesellschaftcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2000Fraunhofer Society - major German research organization and founding shareholder supporting science communication.
• Alexander von Humboldt StiftungcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2000Alexander von Humboldt Foundation - supports international scientist exchange and communication.
• Berlin-Brandenburgische Akademie der WissenschaftencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2000Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities - shareholder in WiD.
• DFG (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2000German Research Foundation - central self-governing science organization and shareholder of WiD.
• Hochschulrektorenkonferenz (HRK)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2000German Rectors' Conference - represents university presidents and supports WiD initiatives.
• Max Planck GesellschaftcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2000Max 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.
• WissenschaftsratcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2000German Science Council - provides policy advice on science and research issues.
• Helmholtz-GemeinschaftcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2000Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres - major science organization and shareholder.
• acatech (Deutsche Akademie der Technischen Wissenschaften)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2000German Academy of Science and Engineering - provides expertise on technology communication.
• DVT (Deutscher Verband Technisch-Wissenschaftlicher Vereine)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2000German Association of Technical-Scientific Associations - represents technical-scientific community.
• Leibniz-GemeinschaftcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2000Leibniz Association - network of scientific institutions, co-funder of Forum Wissenschaftskommunikation.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct 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

• Xx.com/wissimdialog
• Facebookfacebook.com/wissenschaftimdialog
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wissenschaftimdialog
• Instagraminstagram.com/wissenschaftimdialog

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Wissenschaft im Dialog