forschungsgetriebene

Forschungsgetriebene is a German adjective meaning "research-driven" or "driven by research." It is formed from Forschung (research) and the past participle getrieben (driven), and is used to describe policies, projects, organizations or processes that are primarily guided by systematic research activities or empirical evidence.

The term appears in academic, industrial and policy contexts in German-speaking countries to denote an emphasis on generating, applying or responding to scientific knowledge. Examples include forschungsgetriebene Unternehmen (research-driven companies), forschungsgetriebene Projekte (research-driven projects) and forschungsgetriebene Innovationen (research-driven innovations). Closely related German expressions include forschungsorientiert and wissensbasiert; common English equivalents are research-driven, research-led or evidence-based.

Using a forschungsgetriebene approach typically implies investment in long-term research, collaboration with academic institutions, and prioritization of methodological rigor. It can apply to both basic research (advancing fundamental knowledge) and applied research (developing practical solutions). Advocates argue that research-driven strategies improve innovation quality, credibility and outcomes. Criticisms note potential downsides such as slower commercialization, misalignment with immediate market needs, or underweighting practitioner experience and contextual factors.

Grammatically, forschungsgetriebene is an inflectable adjective and must agree with the gender, number and case of the noun it modifies. The term is widely used in discourse about science policy, technology development and higher education.