Fegebank remarked: "I am very pleased to receive this award, which I gladly accept on Hamburg's behalf and as a centre of science." The city's higher education system has acted coherently in many crises as science and innovation continue to shape the future backed by the senate's years-long efforts.
"The universities have been expanded, the University of Hamburg has been recognized as a university of excellence with its 'flagship university' concept, and Science City Hamburg Bahrenfeld is being created in close co-operation with universities and non-university research institutions as an innovative, forward-looking district that will shine far beyond Hamburg," she added.