Why we do research

BASE is a departmental research institute of the federal government and conducts research to fulfil its official duties. The main objectives of BASE research are:

• Provide the state of the art in science and technology
• Identify open questions and fill knowledge gaps
• Communicate knowledge - Enable participation - Support participation
• Provide a broad knowledge base for informed policy advice
• Further develop national and international networking
• Build sustainable expertise

BASE has established a research strategy, a research agenda and a research plan for the strategic orientation and development of its research. These are evaluated and updated at regular intervals.

Research Strategy

The research strategy sets out the overarching goals and long-term principles for a ten-year period.

Research Agenda

The BASE research agenda outlines the primary areas of research activity for the forthcoming years. It serves as the bridge between the overarching goals defined in the research strategy and the research projects set out in the annual research plan.

Research Plan

The annual research plan delineates the specific projects of BASE. Their identification is based on professional requirements and current priorities. In the interest of maximum transparency, BASE offers various formats to provide insight into research results.

Research Report

BASE disseminates its research findings in a range of formats. One such format is the research report. The scienceBASEd research report provides an overview of BASE's research projects and results, and offers a more detailed examination of select projects.

Public participation in research strategy and research agenda

Involving the public in BASE's research results is a key objective of the office. Only through dialogue and exchange with the professional community is it possible to stay up to date with the latest developments in science and technology.

BASE has been pursuing this successful participation approach for several years. At the end of 2018, the Research Department published its first consultation versions of a research strategy and research agenda and opened them up for discussion. Two participation formats involved the (professional) public in the BASE research planning process: an online consultation and an expert workshop laid the foundation for a successful exchange.

Taking the collected results into account, the research strategy and agenda were revised and published in November 2019.

With the goal of regularly updating the BASE research agenda, another public consultation was conducted in 2024. This ensures that newly emerging research topics are reflected in the current research agenda.

The BASE Research Agenda 2025 – 2028 was published in March 2025.