As spokesperson, Kroemer assumes the coordinating role within the Board of Directors, which includes the heads of the four partner institutions. The board is responsible for the strategic development of the Excellence Alliance.

Kroemer has been a member of the Board of Directors since 2019. As Chief Executive Officer of Charité, he shapes the development of one of Europe’s leading university hospitals and has been advocating for many years for closer integration of research, healthcare, innovation, and the societal application of scientific findings.

“In recent years, Berlin University Alliance has demonstrated that research excellence arises where diverse perspectives and expertise come together. The challenges of our time—from demographic change and digitalization to sustainable transformation processes—cannot be addressed within individual institutions or disciplines alone.This is precisely why strong research networks bear a special responsibility. With its breadth and diversity, Berlin University Alliance offers excellent conditions for developing new ideas, fostering talent, and effectively contributing scientific insights to society, politics, and the economy. In the new funding phase, it will be crucial to harness this potential even more consistently, sharpen our profiles, and work with stakeholders—including those outside the academic system—to develop solutions to major challenges of the future,” says Prof. Dr. Heyo K. Kroemer.

Prof. Günter M. Ziegler, President of Freie Universität Berlin and former spokesperson for Berlin University Alliance, explains: “With ‘Beyond Boundaries,’ we are embarking on a new chapter in the promotion of excellence. In what has so far been the only University Excellence Consortium in Germany, we have created resilient structures over the past few years that enable sustainable collaboration across institutional and disciplinary boundaries and open up new opportunities for research, teaching, and knowledge transfer. I am very pleased that Heyo Kroemer is now taking over as spokesperson. Berlin University Alliance is exceptionally well-positioned to continue its successful path in the new funding phase.”

Dr. Martin Mann, Executive Director of Berlin University Alliance, says: “Heyo Kroemer combines strategic leadership experience with a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities presented by societal transformation processes. With this perspective, he will provide important impetus for the further development of the Berlin research landscape. I look forward to this—and at the same time, I would like to express my special thanks to Günter M. Ziegler, who has left a lasting mark on the BUA through his many years of dedication. The excellent evaluation results are a testament to this success story.”

With this change in leadership, Prof. Dr. Heyo K. Kroemer will also assume the role of Chair of the Executive Board of the Berlin University Alliance KöR cooperation platform effective July 1, 2026.

About Berlin University Alliance

Berlin University Alliance – a consortium of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Technische Universität Berlin, and Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin – positions Berlin as one of the world’s leading knowledge- and innovation hubs, where collaboration across disciplines and sectors is deeply integrated. Together, this ecosystem contributes to advancing major global transformations. Berlin University Alliance is funded by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space and the State of Berlin under the German Excellence Strategy of the federal and state governments.

Further information

• on the Berlin University Alliance’s vision for the future, Beyond Boundaries: A Shared Agenda for Berlin as an Open Space for Knowledge and Innovation

Media Contact

• Suhana Reddy, Head of Communication of Berlin University Alliance, Email: suhana.reddy@berlin-university-alliance.de