Stiftung Mercator

The Stiftung Mercator GmbH is a private, independent, and non-profit German foundation, founded in 1996 by the trading family Schmidt-Ruthenbeck from Duisburg. Named after the cartographer, mathematician, and theologian Gerhard Mercator, the foundation is headquartered in Essen in the Ruhr area and maintains additional locations in Berlin, Istanbul, and Beijing.

The Stiftung Mercator is committed to an open, solidarity-based, and equal-opportunity society. Its work focuses on promoting equal opportunities, social cohesion, respect, tolerance, openness to the world, and the protection of nature and the environment. A central concern is the strengthening of democracy and the promotion of understanding between people of different cultures[2][4].

• Education and Equal Opportunities: The foundation supports comprehensive education and self-development for children, adolescents, and young adults.
• Science and Research: It promotes science and research in its areas of focus, particularly in the field of climate protection and the energy transition. This includes initiatives such as the Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change (MCC) and the think tank Agora Energiewende[1][4].
• International Relations: The foundation is active in European policy and supports the integration of Muslims in Germany as well as China research through the Mercator Institute for China Studies (Merics)[1][2].
• Social Cohesion: It works to promote social cohesion and political communication, for example, through participation in the image campaign "I want Europe"[1].

The Stiftung Mercator has defined clear sustainability goals to be implemented in a five-year strategy by the end of 2025. These goals include:

• Digitalized Society: Promotion of digital transformation and its social impacts.