What matters to people in Lower Saxony? What are their views on climate protection, democracy and artificial intelligence? The Lower Saxony Panel provides answers to these questions – and presented them for the first time to a broad audience from the worlds of politics and society: on 5 May 2026, the project leaders hosted a workshop entitled ‘Science Meets Political Practice’ at the Leibnizhaus Hannover.

The Lower Saxony Panel is a long-term, interdisciplinary research tool that systematically records the attitudes and behaviours of the population in Lower Saxony. Since its launch in July 2025, more than 5,000 participants have registered. The panel is part of the research area “Behavioural Economics and Social Transformation”, funded under the “zukunft.niedersachsen” programme by the Volkswagen Foundation and the Lower Saxony Ministry of Science and Culture.

The initial survey (August 2025 to March 2026) has already yielded insightful findings on key societal issues: political attitudes and satisfaction with democracy, views on climate change and sustainability, and the use and perception of artificial intelligence. These findings were presented for the first time to representatives from politics and society at the workshop and met with a broad response.

“The Lower Saxony Panel is intended not only to provide scientific insights, but also to make these usable for evidence-based policy-making,” emphasises Prof. Dr Mario Mechtel, project leader and Professor of Empirical Microeconomics at Leuphana University Lüneburg. “Dialogue with political decision-makers is a central component of our work.”

In addition to presenting the initial study findings, participants discussed which further topics might be of interest to the Lower Saxony Panel in the future and how scientific findings can be used to inform forward-looking policy. 

“The strong response to our initial findings demonstrates the high level of interest in scientifically grounded insights into social developments in Lower Saxony,” says Dr Janina Kraus, project coordinator. “It is particularly encouraging that numerous synergies have already been identified in discussions with representatives from politics and society. It is precisely this dialogue between academia and practice that is crucial for developing shared perspectives on future challenges.”

Anyone with their primary residence in Lower Saxony can still register with the Lower Saxony Panel at www.niedersachsenpanel.de.