THE GERMAN

RESEARCH
LANDSCAPE
 3
EDITORIAL

DISCOVER THE
LAND OF IDEAS
From the fuel cell to one of the world’s first Covid-19
vaccines – German inventions have changed people’s
lives. What is more, it is research and development
(R&D) that keeps a successful economy going. However,
we are currently facing many global challenges
such as climate change, poverty and health issues.
As a country, Germany is one of the world’s top
investors in R&D.

“The German research landscape” shows who is

­behind this: universities and research institutes, federal
and state institutions and companies committed to
­research. Together, these partners form a research
infrastructure of international significance. Germany
offers academics from all over the world first-class
working conditions, while international research
­institutions and businesses can find partners for collabo­
ration and options for networking. Enjoy discovering
the German ­research landscape!
 DAAD/Dörthe Hagenguth
DAAD/Volker Lannert

GET I N TOUCH

www.research-in-germany.org

facebook.com/Research.in.Germany

twitter.com/ResearchGermany
DAAD/Jan Zappner

www.linkedin.com/company/research-in-germany
Adobe Stock/fotostudiocolor24

Bayer AG
 5
CONTENTS

RESEARCH IN GERMANY 6
An overview of the German research landscape: Germany
is among the most innovative countries and attaches great importance
to networking and excellence.

UNIVERSITIES 16
Successful talent factories: German universities are attracting
more and more international students.

NON-UNIVERSITY RESEARCH 28
The big players in German science: be it in basic research
or applied science – German research institutes are excellent.

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft 30
Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft 38
Helmholtz Association 46
Leibniz Association 54
Academies of Sciences and Humanities 62

GOVERNMENT
RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS 70
Competent political advisors: the research institutes financed by
the federal and state governments work on topics that relate to us all.

PRIVATE SECTOR 76
The core of German research: industry and service providers are
responsible for the majority of investments in research and development.

IMPRINT 85
 6

RESEARCH
IN GERMANY
Outstanding, innovative, open-
minded – ­research in Germany
has a superb reputation all over the
world. It is a research community
shaped by universities, ­research
­institutions and extensive research
by industry. The research covers
a broad range of different fields,
with a special focus on future-­
oriented topics. Germany is one
of the countries worldwide that
invest the most in research and
­development.
7

Key technologies for

tomorrow: at the detect­
or laboratory of the GSI
Helmholtzzentrum für
Schwerionenforschung,
cameras are developed
and produced for the
centre’s research work.

FA C T S A N D F I G U R E S

More than 1,000 public and

publicly funded institutions
for science, research and
­d evelopment

Over 400 research and innov­

ation networks and clusters

708,000 staff in R&D, includ­

ing 434,000 researchers

More than 45,000 patent

­r egistrations worldwide
(5th place)

Expenditure on R&D:
104.7 billion euros, or 3.1%
of GDP (2018)
J. Hosan/GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH
 8
RESEARCH IN GERMANY

Who researches what?

A lmost 105 billion euros – that is the
­massive sum invested in research and de-
INTERDISCIPLINARY AND INTERNATIONAL
Non-university research institutes are a particu-
velopment (R&D) in Germany. The funding partly lar feature of R&D in Germany. These largely
goes to projects in universities, non-university re- ­belong to the four major, internationally re-
search institutions and government research labs. nowned research organisations, namely the Max
­Industry accounts for the largest share of R&D. Planck Society, the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, the
Helmholtz Association and the Leibniz Associ­
RECORD INVESTMENTS IN RESEARCH ation. Their R&D activities range from basic
The German private sector is the main investor ­research to application-oriented research in all
when it comes to looking for new methods, fields and disciplines. The organisations tend
products and applications. In fact, it contributes to conduct interdisciplinary research with an
more than two thirds of total R&D funding in ­international focus and often in collaboration
Germany. 2018 saw a record 72 billion euros with academic or private-sector partners. Like
­invested. The German automotive industry is the large science academies, which also count
the most important client. More than a third as non-university research institutes, the big
of the money invested in R&D by industry goes four are registered as non-profit organisations
into v­ ehicle manufacturing. In terms of R&D and receive government funding.
­intensity – that is to say the proportion of turn­
over spent on internal R&D expenditure – the Together with the federal and state (Länder)
pharmaceutical sector leads the field. For example, ­research institutions and other research facilit­
German firms played a leading role in the ies – such as archives, libraries and specialist
­development of coronavirus vaccines, benefiting ­information centres – publicly financed non-
from massive support in the form of public university research organisations commit more
funding. The vaccine developed by Mainz-based than 14 billion euros annually to R&D.
biotech company BioNTech and its US partner
Pfizer was the first coronavirus vaccine to be
­approved in the USA and the European Union.
R&D
Internal expenditure
BROAD RANGE OF RESEARCH by sector in %
Higher education institutions are further im­ 69% P rivate sector
portant players in German research. They spend businesses
more than 18 billion euros to this end, con­
18% H igher education
ducting research across the entire spectrum of sector
­science. Basic research plays as important a
14% Public sector
role as application-oriented research. This also
2018; deviation in the sum
­applies to collaborative projects with companies
due to rounding; source: Destatis 2021
and non-university research institutes.
 ALMOST

105,000,000,000
EUROS
is invested by Germany in research and development
2018; source: Destatis
Talaj/istockphoto
 10
RESEARCH IN GERMANY

Nina Lueth/laif

Finding solutions Germany further down the path to becoming the

global innovation leader. This will be done by
for tomorrow’s world finding creative answers to the urgent challenges
of today, be it a question of sustainable urban
planning, climate action and eco-friendly energy
The key objectives of government research sources, personalised medicine or the digital
­policies are: ­society. The idea is to speed up the process of
turning scientific insights into applications.
to find solutions to global challenges
to develop future competencies For this to happen, science and industry, and this
includes small and medium-sized enterprises
t o establish an open innovation and venture
(SMEs), must work closely together. Such colla­b­
culture
orations are explicitly supported for example in
A series of research policy instruments is de- the fields of electromobility or digital manufac-
signed to help achieve this. One of the most im- turing. And when it comes to the big picture,
portant is the cross-departmental High-Tech things do not stop at national borders. Global
Strategy 2025. “HTS 2025” will see Germany step challenges call for international efforts. Which
up its investment in research and development to is why the High-Tech Strategy 2025 focuses on
3.5 percent of GDP by 2025. The goal is to move ­European and international collaboration.
 11
RESEARCH IN GERMANY

DAAD/Volker Lannert (2)

I N T E R N AT I O N A L
O R I E N TAT I O N

More than 43,000 scientists

from abroad receive funding
in Germany

Cooperation agreements on
scientific-technological
­collaboration with more than Close cooperation
50 different countries between the
Around 14,700 stays abroad private sector and
are funded each year for scientists is expli­
­G erman academics citly supported.

1.2 billion euros is the sum

spent by the Federal Govern­
ment on R&D to support inter­
national scientific organisations
and inter-government research
institutes

INTERNATIONAL NETWORKS coherence and more bridges built – these are the
This is the focus of the Federal Government’s central objectives.
­internationalisation strategy. It seeks not only
to strengthen scientific excellence through The goals are also in line with the European
worldwide collaboration and forge strong inter- Framework Programme Horizon Europe. The
national links between science and industry. world’s largest funding programme for research
The strategy is also intended to better master and innovation, it supports projects that cover
global challenges such as climate change, the entire development chain – from basic
healthcare and food supplies – together with ­research through to preparing products ready
­European and international partners. And it is a for market. Funding is available for higher edu-
success: in 2018 alone, the Federal Ministry of cation institutions, research institutes and
Education and Research funded around 2,300 re- ­companies – especially small and medium-sized
search projects involving international partners. enterprises. Germany contributes to the financ-
There is above all strong cooperation with the ing and benefits from the funding for research
European Research Area. More synergies, more projects.
 12
RESEARCH IN GERMANY

Strong public funding

Germany is one of the leading countries for D epartmental research funding:
­research and science. This is thanks, not least, ­Policymakers and public administrations
to the distinct system of government research need scientific support and advice them-
funding, which finances infrastructure and selves. Commissioned ­research is required ­
­institutions, but also supports outstanding to facilitate this. Primarily, of course, it is the
­academics. Together with the private sector, government’s own research institutions
government is the biggest source of funding which the federal ministries or state (Länder)
for research in Germany. Almost 30 percent authorities ­contract for research assignments;
of ­investments in R&D are financed from tax however, ­other research institutions can
­money. Thus Germany is among those nations also be ­commissioned with R&D ­projects.
worldwide whose governments invest the
most in R&D – both in absolute terms and as R &D tax incentives: R&D tax incentives are
a ­percentage of GDP. another instrument for direct project funding.
Companies of any size can apply for a tax
WHAT IS FUNDED? ­incentive for R&D projects; this is based on
In Germany, the Federal Government and the expenditure for R&D personnel and for
16 German states (Länder) share responsibility ­commissioned research.
for funding education, science and research.
There are several instruments for this: F ederal Agency for Disruptive Innovation –
SPRIN-D: The Federal Agency SPRIN-D aims
Institutional funding: This focuses first and to discover highly innovative research projects
foremost on basic equipment as well as on with disruptive potential, support their devel-
staff salaries and materials budgets for the re- opment and help them break into a market.
search organisations and universities. Invest- The newly established Federal Agency is ini-
ments in new buildings or new purchases of tially planned for a period of ten years, during
research equipment or infrastructure likewise which time a budget of around one billion
come under this category. More than 40 per- ­euros has been earmarked.
cent of Federal Government research support
is spent on institutional funding. SUPPORTING ACADEMICS
Direct government funding is not available for
Project funding: This type of financing re- ­individual researchers. Instead, they can seek
lates to specific, fixed-term projects and is ­support from research funding organisations
­allocated via special funding programmes. (which primarily draw on public-sector finance)
Project funding is provided to drive improve- such as the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
ments in study programmes and teaching, (DFG), the German Academic Exchange Service
for example. It also supports joint research (DAAD) or the Alexander von Humboldt Founda-
projects between academics, researchers and tion. These ­organisations have specially tailored
SMEs in particular, or goes towards projects programmes for international academics, for in-
with international participation. ternational ­collaborations or for the support of
(joint) ­research projects.
GROSS DOMESTIC EXPENDITURE ON R&D IN 2018 in billion euros

Financing sector Industry 69.1

65.2 1.4 2.5

Higher
Business
Performing Government education
enterprises
sectors 14.2 institutions
72.1
18.4

2.2 11.7 15.2

Financing sector Government 29.1

Andreas Heddergott/TU Muenchen

Funding is also provided by private non-profit organisations (0.4 billion euros)

and foreign institutions (6.1 billion euros). Total funds: 104.7 billion euros.

Source: OECD 2020, deviations in the sums due to rounding

 German Centres
for Research and
­Innovation (DWIH)
The Covid-19 pandemic is proving to be one of
the greatest challenges that the modern world
has ever faced. Its impact has been felt on all
­areas of life – personal and professional, social
and political, economic and academic. Since it is a
global crisis, it requires a global response.
Through a web-talk series, the DWIH New Delhi
and its supporters are seeking to utilise perspec­
tives from India and Germany with a view to
­understanding several aspects that have had an
impact on the society.

The DWIH New Delhi is one of five German

­Centres for Research and Innovation which,
alongside New Delhi, are located in Moscow,
New York, Tokyo and São Paulo. They all see them­
selves as platforms for exchanging information
about the German research and innovation world,
and they showcase the research achievements
of German academia and German companies
that carry out research. In addition, they provide
international academics, entrepreneurs or
­academic organisations with advice and support
in the initiation of collaborations, information
about funding options and points of contact in
Germany. And naturally, the German Centres for
Research and Innovation also offer a wealth
of ­information about the multifaceted world of
­research in Germany.
DAAD/Sigrid Gombert

www.dwih-netzwerk.de
 15
RESEARCH IN GERMANY

DAAD/Volker Lannert, DAAD/Christian Lord Otto

Global reach: German universities are not only
active in international collaborations; many also
offer opportunities to study abroad.

Ambassadors German universities are also regular guests at all

important educational fairs abroad. During the
of German coronavirus pandemic, MOOCs , web seminars,
digital meetings and conferences, and virtual fairs
research abroad have been used to replace or complement these
­formats.
German research and science make thorough use
of international exchange and cooperation. And it’s The four big internationally renowned non-univer-
accessible – around the globe. For example, the sity research organisations – the Max Planck Soci­
German Centres for Research and Innovation ety, the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, the Helmholtz
form a network that brings international academics Association and the Leibniz Association – are all
into contact with German research and helps form represented worldwide with representative offices,
new hubs. affiliated international research centres or inter­
national platforms such as the Max Planck Centers.
With representative offices in 14 countries, Ger-
man universities have expanded their international The Humboldt Foundation and the research fund-
visibility. What’s more, over 37,000 agreements be- ing organisation DFG also have offices abroad. The
tween German universities and partner institutions DAAD maintains its own network of regional of­
are in place worldwide. Many universities also offer fices and information centres (ICs) in more than
opportunities to study abroad or are involved in set- 60 countries, and has posted around 500 “Lektors”
ting up universities that follow the German model. and language assistants to universities worldwide.
 16

UNIVERSITIES
They are among the best in the world
and are attracting an ever greater num-
ber of students from abroad. German
higher education institutions, and not
only those in the big cities, prioritise first-
rate research and teaching and empha-
sise their international character.
Sigrid Gombert/Getty Images
17

Independent work: the

“unity of research and
teaching” plays an
important role at German
higher education
institutions.

FA C T S A N D F I G U R E S

420 higher education

­i nstitutions

738,000 staff in total, includ-

ing 407,000 academic staff

2.9 million students in total

Expenditure on R&D:
18.4 billion euros (2018)

www.hrk.de
 18
UNIVERSITIES

TU Dresden/Fakultät Informatik

H eidelberg University is the oldest uni­ From the start, it was one of the top universities
versity in Germany – and at the same in the Germany-wide excellence competition, and
time a vibrant hub of science: teaching started in together with the Technical University of Munich
three faculties way back in 1386. Today, the uni­ (TUM) runs four clusters of excellence.
versity has 12 faculties with over 28,000 students
and 6,000 academics active in teaching and re­ LMU and TUM in Munich, as well as Heidelberg
search. Heidelberg is one of Germany’s most University, all rank among Germany’s inter­­­na­tion­
successful universities. There are currently three ally renowned top universities. Their successes
Nobel Prize laureates among its professors – in are based on the long tradition of values which
total, no ­fewer than 11 professors from the make academic quality possible in the first place:
­university have received this highest of scholarly namely the unity of research and teaching and
honours. the guarantee of scientific freedom, both being
qualities that shape the face of German univer­
TRADITION AND DIVERSITY sities and make them so special. The scholar
Not much younger, and just as successful, is ­Wilhelm von Humboldt (1767–1835) restructured
Ludwig-­Maximilians-Universität München (LMU). education in Germany at the beginning of the
Dating back more than 500 years, it sees itself as a 19th century and founded today’s Humboldt-­
genuinely holistic educational institution that Universität zu Berlin in line with his ideas.
seeks to develop interdisciplinary solutions to the As Humboldt himself stated, it became “the
increasingly complex challenges of the future. mother of all modern universities”.
 19
UNIVERSITIES

Open to new ideas: an

Getty Images/Graham Lucas Commons, Arnold Morascher/laif

important principle is
the freedom of
academic thought.

Modern architecture, innovative curricula:

as a university of technology, TU Dresden
­covers a broad scientific spectrum, whereas
Leipzig University offers a range of
­humanities disciplines.

“Diversity and open-mindedness

in higher education are the
key p­ rerequisites for academic
work and cooperation.”
PROFESSOR KONRAD WOLF, Science Minister
of Rhineland-Palatinate
 20
UNIVERSITIES

Excellent conditions: high-level

interdisciplinary and international research

Mareen Fischinger/Getty Images, Technik Informatik/HAW Hamburg

is conducted at the technical universities.

TECHNICAL UNIVERSITIES
These also include the technical universities and with numerous regional partners, runs two of the
colleges. Germany’s 19 technical universities focus seven future clusters that are funded nationwide,
on engineering disciplines, the spectrum ranging namely the NeuroSys and Hydrogen clusters. The
from architecture to industrial engineering. The major technical universities are outstanding re­
leading technical universities are grouped under search institutes: five of the nine universities are
the label TU9 and include RWTH Aachen Univer­ universities of excellence, and 145 of the renowned
sity. One of the German universities of excellence, European ERC Grants have been awarded so far
this internationally renowned university, together to TU9 scientists.
The International
­Research Training
Group “Diversity”
A prime example of innovative and international
teaching and research at German higher
­education institutions is the International Research
Training Group (IRTG) “Diversity: Mediating
­Difference in Transcultural Spaces”. It is studying
­cultural diversity in European and North
­American societies.

Two countries, three universities and nine de­

partments are involved, meaning the doctoral
programme is itself highly diverse regarding
fields and nationalities. Professor Ursula
­Lehmkuhl of the Department of International
­History at ­Trier University initiated the research
training group and is its spokesperson. Also on
board are Saarland University and Université
de Montréal in Canada.

The Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG)

has been financing the research training group
since 2013. On both sides of the Atlantic, 58
­doctoral students, eight postdocs and more than
60 ­academics have been studying aspects of
­cultural diversity for more than eight years
now. “It ­really enriches our r­ esearch and educa-
tion”, ­comments the Canadian spokesman for
the IRTG, Professor Laurence ­McFalls of Uni­
versité de Montréal, thanks to “the change in
­perspective” and the “intensive ­exchange” –
this is ­interdisciplinary and inter­national
Hinterhaus Productions/Getty Images

research at its best.

www.irtg-diversity.com
 22
UNIVERSITIES

Strong practical links: teaching

at German universities of
applied sciences focuses on
potential applications.

DIVERSE AND
BROAD-RANGI NG

420 institutions of higher

­e ducation are the vibrant
face of higher education in
Germany:

120 universities
Ute Grabowsky/Getty Images

203 universities of applied

sciences

57 film, art and music colleges

34 colleges of administration

6 universities of other type

www.higher-education-
UNIVERSITIES OF APPLIED SCIENCES compass.de
Since the 1970s, the universities of applied sciences
have been enriching German higher education.
Originally set up as purely teaching facilities with
a practical and applied focus, they are nowadays
taking responsibility for important research and manufacturing, health management and indus­
expanding their teaching range accordingly. They trial informatics. Hochschule Emden/Leer
now cater to over one million students. At univer­ ­cooperates with other universities and companies
sities, basic research and applied sciences tend to in the region. It is not only teaching that benefits
take centre stage, and classes usually focus on from the research and the link to practical
­research. By contrast, research at universities of ­applications, so too do the students who wish to
applied sciences normally concentrates on start up their own businesses (see also page 23).
­applying teaching in practice.

RESEARCH BENEFITS TEACHING SOURCES OF R&D FUNDING

I N H I G H E R E D U C AT I O N
This can also be seen from one of the newest
­academic institutions in Germany, Hochschule
Emden/Leer. Founded in 2009, this university 82% Public sector
of applied sciences scores high with an interdis­ 14% I ndustry
ciplinary curriculum, an international approach
4% I nternational
and strong links to the region. It sees itself as an
intermediary between science and business, and 2018; source: OECD 2021

has its own technology transfer office. Research

focuses on topics such as energy efficiency in
 Application-focused
and regionally rooted
The combination of practical­ qualifications, the UAS are par­­­-
­science and application-focused ti­cularly well suited to responding
teaching is pretty much unique in ­flexibly to specific societal and
the world. The German univer­ ­business needs at the local level,
sities of applied sciences (FH/UAS) working together with companies,
are the country’s former state ­associations, municipalities or­
schools of engineering, higher ­social welfare institutions.
­vocational schools and academies.
They offer degree courses in sub­ Applied research and research-
jects ranging from engineering and based qualifications for young re­
the natural sciences to economics, searchers are therefore the focus of
law, design and ­healthcare. special funding programmes at the
federal and state levels. The pro­
When first established in the late gramme Research at Universities
1960s, practical training of skilled of Applied Sciences takes centre
professionals was initially their fo­ stage. It currently makes 70 million
cus. Since the mid-1980s, however, euros per year available in funding
the universities of applied sciences to provide targeted support for
have also been engaged in applied UAS. This has financed more than
research and development. 1,500 research projects since 2008.

These institutions have long been Professors at universities of ap­

partnering universities to offer joint plied sciences need practical and
doctoral degree programmes. Now­ teaching experience in addition to
adays, a number of research-orient­ their scientific qualifications.
ed universities of applied sciences The UAS are provided with addit­
also have the right to confer PhDs ional funding to allow them to
in certain subjects themselves. ­ecruit the best candidates: for ex­
ample, the FH-Personal funding
The principle followed by univer­ programme supports the estab­
sities of applied sciences has proven lishment of specialist professor­
successful: because they are ships or tandem programmes with
­regionally rooted and offer applica­ ­companies or other partners for
tion-focused ­research and practical staff development.
Adobe Stock/Monkey Business Images
 Approx.
37,600
AGREEMENTS

52,000 between German

­universities and partner
­institutions in around
INTERNATIONAL
150 different countries
ACADEMICS teach
and r­ esearch at
­German higher edu­-
cation ­i nstitutions

More than

5,600
INTERNATIONAL PHD STUDENTS
successfully complete their
­doctorates in G
­ ermany every year

412,000
STUDENTS FROM ABROAD
are enrolled in Germany

35
GERMAN UNIVERSITIES are
­i nvolved in European higher
Adobe Stock/classen rafael/EyeEm

­education ­networks

2019, 2020, 2021; source: Destatis, BMBF, HRK

 25
UNIVERSITIES

dpa/Schuetze/Rodemann, DAAD/Norbert Hüttermann

Attractive courses: Germany is the most popular

study destination for international students after the
USA, Great Britain and Australia.

Analogue and digital: modern teaching fol- research-based, practical education and their high
lows both paths. The picture shows the library level of independence.
at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg.
German universities are also involved in the
­European University Networks (EUN). This is
a European Union initiative to support university
INTERNATIONAL FOCUS partnerships all over Europe. These alliances
Science needs freedom and exchange across bor­ of universities from at least three EU countries
ders. No country can solve global issues such as ­undertake to set up a European inter-university
climate change, combating poverty or sustainable ­campus. The idea is for transdisciplinary and
energy supplies on its own. Which is why inter­ transnational teams of students, researchers and
nationalisation is a key aspect at German univer­ external stakeholders to tackle topics that are
sities, too. Important steps have already been ­important for Europe, such as climate action,
­taken: about 300 German universities collaborate ­democracy, health, big data or migration.
with international academic institutions in 150
countries on more than 37,000 different projects. OPEN FOR INTERNATIONAL TALENT
An increasing number of international academics
German study programmes abroad play a special are teaching and conducting research in Germany.
role here. One example of such cooperation is the One in eight academics at German higher educa­
German University of Technology (GUtech) in tion institutions, approx. 52,000 in all, come from
Oman, one of more than 80 German transnational abroad. And Germany is one of the most popular
education projects. It was founded in 2007 with destinations for international students. Around
support from RWTH Aachen University, on whose 412,000 international students are enrolled at
curriculum its study programme is modelled. German universities. At the same time, roughly
With great success: companies in the region are 135,000 Germans study abroad, which again fos­
eager to hire GUtech graduates because of their ters international exchange.
 26
UNIVERSITIES

DAAD/Dörthe Hagenguth, dpa/Arne Dedert

Learning together: at German universities,
teamwork plays an important role, even
across disciplinary boundaries.

INVESTING IN INNOVATION Small and medium-sized universities as well as

German universities have been very successful in universities of applied sciences also receive sup­
extending their international profile, boosting port. With their strong regional roots, they are
­innovative research and offering attractive study ­innovation engines for their respective state. The
programmes. This is not least the result of mas­ federal/state initiative Innovative Hochschule
sive investments by the Federal Government and will commit up to 550 million euros until 2027 to
the states (Länder). For example, the billions promote the research-driven transfer of ideas,
­invested by the Excellence Initiative have had a knowledge and technology (see also page 23).
tangible impact: graduate schools, clusters of
­excellence and future projects have enriched the As a rule, complex research areas which involve
­university landscape, given research a real boost high research risks and hold great potential for
and created outstanding education facilities groundbreaking innovation require the collabor­
for young researchers. ation of several partners. The Research Campus
funding initiative therefore supports long-term
Now, this successful programme is being con­ projects involving collaboration between science
tinued in the form of the Excellence Strategy. and industry. The topics range from new methods
It is again investing in cutting-edge university re- for diagnosing infectious diseases to innovative
search while supporting clusters and universities manufacturing technologies. Each of the nine
of excellence, with annual funding totalling ­selected research campuses can expect to receive
533 million euros. up to 2 million euros in funding each year.
 Fostering
talents from around
the world

PROFESSOR MICHAEL HOCH,

Rector of the University of Bonn

Professor Hoch, the University of Bonn is the most

successful university in Germany’s nationwide ex­
cellence competition. What is your formula for
success?
It is thanks to the extraordinary achievements of
our academic and administrative staff. We have
succeeded in bringing them together, in all their
diversity, to work towards a common strategic
­objective. This gives rise to incredible innovative
strength.

Nearly one in seven of the students at your univer­

sity comes from abroad. What makes the Univer­
sity of Bonn so attractive to this target group?
Many of our departments are world-class. Our
outstanding academics attract students and re-
searchers from all over the world. As indeed does
the international city of Bonn, which is a centre
of science, culture and business, not to mention
a United Nations base and home to numerous
­federal authorities in the west of Germany.

How do you hope the University of Bonn will

­develop over the coming ten years?
I hope that our curiosity-driven research will
Barbara Frommann/Uni Bonn, DAAD/Norbert Hüttermann

­become an even more powerful international

­in­novative engine to drive major global trans­
formation processes. And that we continue
to attract and provide excellent support to
young talents from around the world.
 28

NON-­
UNIVERSITY
RESEARCH
Independent basic research,
­applied science with a high degree
of innovation and experiments with
unique large-scale equipment:
­non-university research institutes
in Germany offer ideal conditions
for top-level research and enjoy
­international standing.
29

J. Hosan/GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH

Progress requires research: non-university research in

Germany makes an important contribution to our future.
 30
NON-UNIVERSITY RESEARCH

MAX-PLANCK-
GESELLSCHAFT
Insight must precede application:
the desire to get to the bottom of

T
things drives the Max Planck Society,
Germany’s generator of Nobel hey go by the names of Gravity, Sinfoni and
Prize winners. Naco, and they are very talented. Gravity
for example can measure the changing ­positions of
a star with great precision so as to ­determine the
trajectory of its orbit. All three are extremely sensi-
tive instruments for infrared ­observations, based
at the Very Large Telescope (VLT) of the European
Southern Observatory (ESO) in the Atacama Desert
FA C T S A N D F I G U R E S
in northern Chile. Gravity, Sinfoni and Naco allowed
the astrophysicist Professor Reinhard Genzel,
­together with ­colleagues from around the world, to
track a star named S2 when it passed our galaxy’s
black hole in May 2018.

86 research institutes Genzel and his team spent many years preparing
(including 5 institutes for this event. And for the first time they were able
abroad) to measure something that Einstein had predicted:
the light of a star is stretched to longer wavelengths
Roughly 24,000 staff by the very strong gravitational field of the black
(approx. 6,900 scientists and hole. This effect is known as gravitational redshift.
2,200 guest scientists)

More than every second Genzel and his group have been researching black
­s cientist comes from outside holes for decades and have made many ground-
Germany breaking findings in galactic and extragalactic
­astrophysics. This led to Genzel receiving the
Over 3,000 research projects ­Nobel Prize in Physics in 2020 “for the discovery
in more than 120 countries of a supermassive compact object at the centre
Annual budget: approx. of our galaxy”. Genzel is one of the directors at
2.5 billion euros (2019) the Max Planck Institute (MPI) for Extraterrestrial
Physics in Garching near Munich. The institute
www.mpg.de is one of the Max Planck Society’s 86 research
­institutes that work independently.
 picture alliance/Zoonar

Invisible giants: black holes are among the greatest mysteries of the universe. The astrophysicist Reinhard Genzel
proved that there is a black hole at the centre of the Milky Way that swallows up even stars and communication waves.
20
NOBEL PRIZE WINNERS
Since 1948, the year when the Max Planck Society
was established, 20 scientists from its ranks have received the greatest
honour for scientists: the Nobel Prize.
 33
NON-UNIVERSITY RESEARCH

They focus on basic research, often taking an

­interdisciplinary approach, in the following fields:

life sciences

natural sciences

humanities and social sciences

TOP SCIENTISTS
What distinguishes the Max Planck Institutes is
that they are established in line with Harnack’s
principle. This is named after Alfred Harnack, the
first president of the Kaiser Wilhelm Society
which was established in 1911 and was the precur-
sor to the Max Planck Society. The aim is to re-
cruit the world’s best and most creative scientists
to the society. The Max Planck Institutes are then
set up according to their research interests and
needs. At the heart of this principle is absolute
dpa/Peter Kneffel, p. 32: Heritage Auctions

freedom of research.

Heads of institutes enjoy the best possible work-

ing conditions and are given a free hand in choos-
ing their staff, subject matter and cooperation
partners. Nowadays, the institutes are no longer
Professor Reinhard Genzel is one of the directors at always established around individual researchers
the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial and more value is placed on interdisciplinarity
Physics in Garching. In 2020, he was awarded the and international collaboration than was the case
Nobel Prize in Physics for his research on black holes. 100 years ago.

Yet the same principle still applies to choosing

outstanding researchers with a focus on the best
minds, and they are given free rein in how they
use resources.

THE MISSION
Max Planck Institutes are committed to basic
­research. They research the inside of elementary
particles and the origins of the universe. They
study the molecular building blocks of life, inves-
tigating ecosystems and the specific conditions
underlying them, explore the changes resulting
 34
NON-UNIVERSITY RESEARCH

from global migration and compare ­international

legal systems. Whatever their particular focus, the
Max Planck Institutes always ­devote themselves to
fields of research that are particularly innovative. “I chose the IMPRS
The range of work covered by the Max Planck because it offers a
­Society continues to grow, with new institutes
­being established and existing ones being rededi- unique opportunity
cated in order to find the answers to the scientific
questions of tomorrow. The Max Planck Society for developing my
has the scope to be able to react quickly to new
scientific developments. ­scientific and personal
INTERNATIONAL ORIENTATION skills: I collaborate
In view of such research conditions it is no ­wonder
that the Max Planck Institutes attract so many top in a dynamic inter­
international players. More than half of their scien-
tists come from abroad, as do nearly 40 percent national team while
of the institute directors. Over 90 percent of schol-
arship holders and almost 60 percent of visiting learning state-of-the-art
­scientists have non-German citizenship.
­techniques.”
Yet it is not only the teams that are international.
Max Planck Institutes are part of international ANA PATRICIA BAÑOS QUINTANA is writing her
networks; their scientists exchange ideas with doctoral thesis at the International Max
­colleagues all over the world and they are involved Planck R
­ esearch School “Chemical Communication
in more than 3,000 projects with some 6,000 in ­Ecological Systems”, Jena
­international partners in 120 countries.

THE NEXT GENERATION

The efforts made by the institutes to encourage
the upcoming generation also have an inter­
BUDGET
national focus. Every second doctoral student at
more than 60 International Max Planck Research 40% Federal
Schools (IMPRS) comes from abroad. The research 40% L änder
schools are established by one or several Max 11% T hird-party
Planck Institutes. They collaborate closely with 9% O thers
universities and other research institutions
which also have an international focus. Here
2019; source: Max Planck Society
­next-generation scientists can enjoy first-class
 A fantastic
framework for our
­research project

DR MIRIAM LIEDVOGEL
Max Planck Research Group Leader
“Behavioural Genomics”

Dr Liedvogel, at the Max Planck Institute for

­Evolutionary Biology you investigate birds’ migra-
tory behaviour. What do you find so fascinating
about it?
What I find particularly fascinating are young
birds on their first long-distance migratory flight.
They fly thousands of kilometres to a wintering
site they have never been to before – without the
help of their parents, but with remarkable accuracy!
We want to understand which genes are respon-
sible for letting the bird know how to find its
­wintering site and which signalling pathways
play a role.

What makes a Max Planck Research Group a good

place for your work?
It offers us a fantastic framework for our interdis­
ciplinary project. That includes the infrastructure
and expertise with which the institute supports us.
Moreover, we have the greatest possible independ-
ence to pursue our specific research questions.

How important to you is international exchange?

Bird migration is a global phenomenon; national
borders pose no barriers for birds. Breeding
and wintering areas are often located on different
private, Johann Schumacher/Getty Images

continents, meaning that international cooperat­

ion is essential for our work, both in the field
and in the lab.
2021 Andrey_Popov/Shutterstock

Language without speaking: scientists at the Max Planck Institute

for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences are exploring how the brain processes sign language.
 37

MAX PLANCK CENTERS

The Max Planck Centers constitute a platform for international scientific collaborative programmes.
They pool the expertise of the Max Planck Institutes involved and that of their international partners,
­enable the joint use of research facilities, support postdoc exchanges and host workshops.

MAX PLANCK INSTITUTES ABROAD conditions. The students are part of a group and
have access to the relevant institutes’ infrastruc-
Bibliotheca Hertziana in Rome, Italy tures. Around two thirds of the 3,600 doctoral
­students at a Max Planck ­Institute are enrolled at
Kunsthistorisches Institut in Florenz, Italy an IMPRS.

Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguis- Particularly gifted young scientists with (inter­
tics in Nijmegen, Netherlands national) experience as postdoctoral researchers
can apply for a position as leader of a Max Planck
Max Planck Florida Institute for ­Research Group. Taking responsibility for such
­Neuroscience, USA a group allows them to research independently,
manage a team and administer budgets. The Max
Max Planck Institute Luxembourg for Planck Society has set up about 180 Max Planck
I­ nternational, European and Regulatory Research Groups. These open up excellent career
Procedural Law, Luxembourg opportunities and provide aspiring scientists
with a chance to prove themselves.
 38
NON-UNIVERSITY RESEARCH

FRAUNHOFER-
GESELLSCHAFT
Dedicated to the future: when something needs to work,
the r­esearchers at the Fraunhofer Institutes are the people
to call. After all, Fraunhofer is the largest organisation
for ­application-oriented research in Europe.
Ute Grabowsky/Photothek via Getty Images
 39
NON-UNIVERSITY RESEARCH

Specialists in high-tech:
at Fraunhofer, the focus is
primarily on innovations –
although always taking
the needs of the individual
into account.

FA C T S A N D F I G U R E S

75 Fraunhofer Institutes and

research facilities in Germany

Approx. 29,000 staff, includ-

ing more than 11,300 scien-
tists and scientific staff

More than 1,000 international

researchers

Research centres, repre­

sentative offices and senior
­a dvisors in Europe, North
and South America, Asia,
the Middle East and Africa

Annual budget: approx.

2.8 billion euros (2019)

www.fraunhofer.de
 40
NON-UNIVERSITY RESEARCH

R esearchers at the Fraunhofer Institutes

look to the future in everything they do.
Whether the subject is the tactile internet, smart
manufacturing, cyber-security research or new
technologies for the energy transition: they
­address the issues of today for the technologies
of tomorrow with an eye to practical applications.
75 institutes and research centres in Germany
take this problem-oriented and application-based
­approach in the seven Fraunhofer Strategic
­Research Fields:

bioeconomy
digital healthcare
artificial intelligence
next generation computing
quantum technologies
resource efficiency and climate technologies
DAAD/Volker Lannert, p. 41: t_kimura/Getty Images

hydrogen technologies

With around 29,000 employees and a research

budget of 2.8 billion euros, the Fraunhofer-­
Gesellschaft is the leading organisation for
­applied research in Europe. It is named after
the ­researcher, inventor and entrepreneur from
­Munich, Joseph von Fraunhofer (1787–1826). Key technologies: the Fraunhofer Institute
He carried out ground-breaking work in for High Frequency Physics and Radar Techniques FHR
­researching optics, and at the same time devel- is one of the biggest radar research institutes
oped successful new products. in ­Europe.

THE TASK
Research for practical application was Joseph
von Fraunhofer’s guiding principle, and the
Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft feels bound by this, too.
The Fraunhofer Institutes work for clients in
business as well as for the Federal Government
and the German states (Länder). The aim is to
make academic findings usable for customised
products and applications. To this end, the
Fraunhofer Institutes can draw on the expertise
of international teams of experienced developers
and creative minds, as well as on their own re-
search departments.
733
INVENTIONS A YEAR
Fraunhofer is one of the top 20 patent applicants to the German
­Patent and Trade Mark Office and among the top applicants to
the European Patent Office (rank 32). Small wonder that in 2019
Fraunhofer placed second among Reuters’ ranking of The World’s
Most Innovative Research Institutions.
 42
NON-UNIVERSITY RESEARCH
dpa/Daniel Karmann

“We know how”: this is the principle according

to which the researchers at the Fraunhofer-
Gesellschaft work. They tackle their tasks
with determination and an inquiring mind.
The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft is primarily funded
through commissioned research. Approx. 70 per-
cent of the assignments come from industrial and
service-sector companies, though publicly funded
research projects are also covered. The basic fund-
ing is provided by the federal and state (Länder)
governments.
BUDGET
RESEARCH AIMED AT 30% Federal
PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS and Länder
When science becomes practical, it translates 70% P roject
into business. This works particularly well when revenue
Fraunhofer researchers found their own com­ 2019; source: Fraunhofer
panies. The Fraunhofer Venture department sup-
ports this and is dedicated exclusively to company
foundations, start-ups, investors and the partici-
pating Fraunhofer Institutes. In 2019 alone, Fraun-
hofer Venture supported 69 new spin-off projects,
26 of which came directly from within the ranks
of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft. The focus here is
on technology transfer to business.
Big data on the farm
Smartphones in the barns, high-tech on the
fields: modern information technologies have
long been making life easier for farmers. Many of
the processes involved in cultivating crops or
breeding cattle become more efficient as a result.
However, the potential offered by digitisation in
agriculture is far from exhausted: for example,
how could farmers increase their productivity
while at the same time operating sustainably?
How could they raise the quality of the products
and reduce their use of resources?

Researchers in the Fraunhofer lighthouse project

“Cognitive Agriculture” (COGNAC for short) are
searching for answers. Their goal is to set up a
central, manufacturer-independent digital plat-
form. “In this project, we are developing and
­testing novel concepts for an agricultural data
space that allows confidential exchange and
­multivalent data use”, explains Ralf Kalmar from
the Fraunhofer Institute for Experimental Soft-
ware Engineering IESE, one of eight participating
Fraunhofer Institutes. The researchers use innova-
tive robots, sensor systems and data services in
their work. The data they generate are interlinked
and analysed. This allows farmers to identify for
example the ideal times for activities such as
planting and harvesting. Big data on the farm –
smart farming of the future. Getty Images/PeopleImages

www.cognitive-agriculture.de
 44
NON-UNIVERSITY RESEARCH

FRAUNHOFER LOCATIONS WORLDWIDE

FRAUNHOFER AFFILIATED PARTNERS, REPRE- INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATIONS

SENTATIVE OFFICES AND SENIOR ADVISORS The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft has affiliates in
­Europe as well as in North and South America and
North America Asia Singapore. At the centre of its European activities
Boston, USA Ampang, Malaysia is its office in Brussels, which acts as an interface
Brookline, USA Bangalore, India ­between Fraunhofer and the European institutions.
College Park, USA Beijing, China Access to local markets abroad is provided through
East Lansing, USA Jakarta, Indonesia the Representative Offices and Senior Advisors,
Newark, USA Seoul, South Korea which are represented worldwide.
Plymouth, USA Singapore
San José, USA Tokyo, Japan In addition, Fraunhofer is involved in numerous
Storrs, Connecticut, strategic collaborations with excellent international
USA Europe partners, such as at the Fraunhofer Project Center
Bolzano, Italy for Cybersecurity. A cooperative project established
South America Brussels, Belgium in 2019, it combines the competencies of Fraun-
Santiago, Chile Budapest, Hungary hofer’s Israeli partners at the Hebrew University of
São Paulo, Brazil Dublin, Ireland Jerusalem with the expertise of the Fraunhofer In-
Ercolano, Italy stitute for Secure Information Technology SIT. The
Africa Glasgow, centre, which is based in Jerusalem, is designed
Pretoria, South Africa United Kingdom to serve as an R&D platform for companies and to
Stellenbosch, South Gothenburg, Sweden form the heart of a network of excellence in the
Africa Graz, Austria area of cybersecurity.
Moscow, Russia
Middle East Porto, Portugal In 2019, Fraunhofer generated revenue of almost
Lavon, Israel Vienna, Austria 300 million euros abroad.
 A new era
of communication
The age of digitisation entails some very consid­
erable advantages. However, the data that is gen-
erated on a daily basis, which in some cases is
highly sensitive, needs to be properly protected.
Cybercrime is a problem all over the world.

Anyone wishing to protect their data in view of

today’s high-performance computers needs one
thing in particular: highly secure communication
systems. So-called quantum communication can
play an important role in this. QuNET, an initiative
funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and
Research (BMBF), is researching and developing a
modern IT infrastructure for Germany that is de-
signed to achieve highly secure data transmission
using quantum communication.

The main institutions taking part in QuNET are

the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and
Precision Engineering IOF, the Fraunhofer Insti-
tute for Telecommunications, Heinrich Hertz Insti-
tute, HHI, the Max Planck Institute for the Science
of Light (MPL) and the German Aerospace Center
(DLR-IKN). In the first phase, the partners already
developed key modules for modern and secure
communication systems, thereby paving the way
for the hybrid, secure communication network
of tomorrow.

We protect
the basic right to
data security.
PROFESSOR ANDREAS TÜNNERMANN,
director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics
and Precision Engineering IOF and spokesperson of
the QuNET steering committee
Sven Döring
Alfred-Wegener-Institut/Sebastian Grote

The research icebreaker Polarstern on a mission: scientists on board

the excellently equipped polar research vessel are studying climate and climate change.
 47
NON-UNIVERSITY RESEARCH

HELMHOLTZ
ASSOCIATION
Investigating unknown worlds: ambitious goals require
effective tools. The Helmholtz Association uses high-performance
infra­structure and unique large-scale research equipment.

FA C T S A N D F I G U R E S

18 independent research
I t was the biggest Arctic expedition of all
time: the German research icebreaker
­c entres ­Polarstern spent an entire year drifting through
Approx. 43,000 staff, includ- the frozen Arctic Ocean. Hundreds of scientists
ing roughly 25,000 scientists from 20 countries took part in the MOSAiC
and scientific staff ­expedition. Their goal was to ­undertake a close-
up study of the Arctic as a hotspot for global
8,000 PhD students, among warming and obtain funda­mental insights that
them over 2,000 internation- would lead to a better understanding of anthropo-
al doctoral students genic climate change. ­MOSAiC was coordinated
More than 10,000 inter­ by the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz
national researchers ­Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI).

International collaborations AWI is one of 18 independent research centres

all over the world; research that have joined forces under the umbrella of the
networks in Germany, Helmholtz Association of German Research
­e specially with universities ­Centres. With approx. 43,000 employees and an
Annual budget: annual budget of around 5 billion euros, the
approx. 5 ­b illion euros (2020) Helmholtz Association is the largest scientific
­organisation in Germany. The association is
www.helmholtz.de named after the great German polymath and
­naturalist Hermann von Helmholtz (1821–1894).
 48
NON-UNIVERSITY RESEARCH

The research centres within the Helmholtz As-

sociation focus on natural sciences, biology and
medicine, and work in six fields of research:

energy
earth and the environment
health
aeronautics, space and transport
information
matter

THE TASK
Helmholtz works on long-term research goals. Its
core objective is to preserve and improve the basis
for human life. The researchers in the association
help to decode the complex systems that define
HZDR/Frank Bierstedt

and shape humanity and the environment. And

they develop answers to the major, pressing issues
facing society, science and the economy: What
Hope for patients: researchers at the will the energy supply of tomorrow look like? How
Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) can resources be used sustainably? What therapies
have developed an immunotherapy to can be found for previously incurable diseases?
treat radiation-resistant tumours.
WORKING WITH LARGE-SCALE EQUIPMENT
The autonomous research institutes specialise in
developing, building and operating complex re-
search infrastructures. The large-scale equipment
they use includes accelerator systems, telescopes,
BUDGET research ships and high-performance computers,
71% Federal which Helmholtz makes available to scientists all
and Länder over the world. And the interest from the inter­
29% T hird-party national research community is immense: in 2020
2020; source: alone, more than 10,000 researchers from abroad,
Helmholtz Association among them almost 3,500 visiting scientists,
were able to exchange ideas and make use of the
­infrastructures of the Helmholtz Centres.
 We observe
­electrons at work
PROFESSOR FRANCESCA CALEGARI
Head of the Attosecond
Science d
­ ivision at DESY,
Deutsches ­Elektronen-Synchrotron

Professor Calegari, what is attosecond physics and

why are you interested in these short timescales?
An attosecond is one quintillionth of a second –
that is 18 zeros behind the decimal point. One
­attosecond to a second is like a second to the age
of the universe. Attosecond physics means we
can observe electrons at work. Having access to
this incredibly short timescale allows the origin
of fundamental physical and chemical processes
– activated by the light-matter interaction – to
­finally be revealed.

What do you aim to achieve with your research?

I am interested in investigating ultrafast processes
in biorelevant molecules. With the help of atto-
second laser pulses, we have been able to image
in real-time the ultrafast electronic motion occur-
ring in amino acids – the basic building blocks of
proteins – after interaction with light. In the long
term, we’re hoping not only to observe the elec-
trons but also to guide them, with the aim of con-
trolling the outcomes of a biochemical reaction.
This research has potential outcomes in medicine
and pharmaceutical applications.

What is special about working at a Helmholtz

­Centre?
DESY offers an extremely attractive, interdiscipl­
inary research environment. I can collaborate here
with groups from a range of fields and use differ-
ent light sources for my experiments, such as
FLASH and the European XFEL. I can investigate
bio­relevant molecules from various points of
view.
DLR, DAAD/Volker Lannert
202
JUNIOR RESEARCH GROUPS
Strategic talent management plays an
i­ mportant role for the Helmholtz Association.
With its junior research groups, the association
promotes the early independence of young
postdocs.
 51
NON-UNIVERSITY RESEARCH

OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUNG SCIENTISTS

The utmost priority is given to fostering up-­
and-coming scientific talent. The association’s
talent management team gives particularly strong
support to PhD students, postdoctoral research-
ers and future managers. Helmholtz offers its
­early career researchers attractive qualification
opportunities:

2 1 Helmholtz Research Schools and

13 ­Helmholtz Graduate Schools
a postdoc programme for support immediately
after the doctorate
DAAD/Volker Lannert, p. 50: DustyPixel/Getty Images

a pprox. 200 junior research groups for top

­(international) talents

HELMHOLTZ INTERNATIONAL
RESEARCH SCHOOLS
For young international scientists, the nine
­Helmholtz International Research Schools offer
Attractive conditions for talents: the Helmholtz a structured doctoral programme run jointly by
Association makes targeted offerings to early the Helmholtz Centres, partners from abroad and
career researchers. German university partners. Up to 25 doctoral
candidates work together here as they focus on
specific research topics. This gives them the
­opportunity to gain vital experience in working
with other researchers at the international level.
The PhD students receive outstanding specialist
training that not only lays the foundations for a
future career but is also character-forming.
HZDR/Oliver Killig

Racetrack for particles: the petawatt laser PENELOPE, a medical particle accelerator,
is set up at the ELBE – Center for High-Power Radiation Sources at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf.
 53
NON-UNIVERSITY RESEARCH

Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für

GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre MEMBERS OF THE
Materialien und Energie (HZB)
for Ocean Research Kiel HELMHOLTZ ASSOCIATION
Alfred Wegener Institute, Max Delbrück Center for
­H elmholtz Centre for Polar ­M olecular Medicine in the
and Marine Research (AWI), Helmholtz Association (MDC),
Bremerhaven Berlin

Deutsches Elektronen- Helmholtz Centre Potsdam –

Synchrotron DESY, Hamburg GFZ German Research Centre
for Geosciences
Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon,
Geesthacht Helmholtz Centre
for ­I nfection Research (HZI),
German Aerospace
Braunschweig
Center (DLR), Cologne
Helmholtz-Zentrum
Forschungszentrum Jülich
­D resden-Rossendorf (HZDR)
German Center for
Helmholtz Centre for
Neurodegenerative Diseases
­E nvironmental Research –
(DZNE), Bonn
UFZ, Leipzig
GSI Helmholtz Centre
German Cancer Research
for Heavy Ion Research,
Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg
Darmstadt
Helmholtz Zentrum München
CISPA Helmholtz Center for
– German Research Center for
­I nformation Security, Saarbrücken
Environmental Health (HMGU)
Karlsruhe Institute
of Technology (KIT)

TRANSLATION INTO PRACTICE

The work of Germany’s largest scientific organisa-
tion goes further than researching the fundamen-
tal elements of the major challenges of the day.
The Helmholtz Association also aims to apply and
implement the findings and solutions in practice,
and thus, more specifically, to translate research
into usable products and services. In order to
achieve this, Helmholtz issues for example licenc-
es, facilitates the use of research infrastructure
and also fosters collaboration and commissioned
research right through to establishing start-ups.

In 2020 alone, there were 18 spin-offs from the

Helmholtz Centres, with scientists founding their
own companies based on a technology they devel-
oped. In total, the association can proudly look
back on more than 250 successful company foun-
dations since 2005.
 54
NON-UNIVERSITY RESEARCH

LEIBNIZ
ASSOCIATION
Theoria cum praxi: the desire to use science for the benefit and good
of humankind was formulated by Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz back in
1700. The research organisation that bears his name demonstrates
every day just how relevant this principle still is, even today.

FA C T S A N D F I G U R E S

96 independent institutes

Approx. 20,000 staff

(­ including 10,000 researchers)

Roughly 2,400 international

researchers

Approx. 4,000 doctoral

­s tudents

Annual budget: more than

1.9 billion euros (2019)

www.leibniz-association.eu

Planetary boundaries: a team of

researchers at the Potsdam Insti-
tute for Climate Impact Research
is investigating changes in various
areas of our Earth system.
 55
NON-UNIVERSITY RESEARCH

Shutterstock/Denis Tabler
 56
NON-UNIVERSITY RESEARCH

W hat are the limits to our planet’s resili­

ence? This weighty question has relevance
for the whole of humankind. The Potsdam Insti-
tute for C ­ limate Impact Research (PIK) is search­
ing for an answer in the “Potsdam Earth Model
Planetary Boundary Simulator” project. For the
first time, it is exploring how the various so-called
“planetary boundaries” (such as climate change,
acidification of the oceans and loss of biodiversity)
affect one ­another and which feedbacks arise
­between the atmosphere, the terrestrial and marine
biosphere, oceans and ice sheets. Studying all
­relevant components jointly is intended to paint a
picture of the overall state of the Earth system and
Shot by Scott/Getty Images, p. 57: Nana_studio/Stock Adobe

to simulate the changes it is undergoing. The

­researchers hope that this will give them insights
in particular into the effects that global change
is having on forest ecosystems and which conse­
quences the weakening of the Gulf Stream will
have for the marine biosphere.

THE BRIEF
PIK is not only one of the world’s leading think A broad field: Leibniz Association scientists pursue
tanks in the field of environmental policy, but also research in fields such as biodiversity – as well as in
one of a total of 96 independent research ­institutes peace studies, contemporary history and education.
run by the Leibniz Association. Like PIK, they
are all guided by the same principles of quality
and ­social relevance that were advanced by Leibniz
more than 300 years ago. The scope of their
­research ranges from the natural sciences, engi­
neering and environmental sciences to eco­
nomics, space ­science, social sciences and the
­humanities.
 14
RESEARCH STATIONS ABROAD
From Senegal and Peru to Norway – Leibniz Association research stations
are to be found all over the world.
The entire world
of economics
Nowhere in the world is there as much literature
on economics as there is here at the ZBW – Leibniz
Information Centre for Economics. The world’s
largest research infrastructure for literature on
economics, the ZBW operates nationally – both
online and offline. Its library houses more than
4.4 million books and some 24,000 current maga-
zines. 2.3 million documents are available online.
These are complemented by 206,000 articles and
working papers, all of them freely accessible.

This wealth of literature is of particular benefit to

economists. Yet not only the online services and
the open-access repository, but also the specialist
portal EconBiz containing over ten million data
records can be accessed free of charge by anybody
interested throughout the world.

In the 21st century the librarian’s world is under-

going a period of radical change such as has never
been seen before. It is the ZBW’s intention to
­become actively involved in this process. The or-
ganisation is for example conducting research
into application and publication processes on the
Internet and investigating new search paradigms
for revealing previously unknown links between
digital documents. Open science plays an impo­
rtant role for the ZBW. The centre conducts
­intensive research in this area, too, developing
new technologies that enable access and
remove ­barriers.

www.zbw.eu
 59
NON-UNIVERSITY RESEARCH

The focus of the Leibniz Association is on knowl-

edge transfer. It advises and informs representa­
tives of politics, science, business and the general
public. The institutions in the Leibniz Association
are concerned with basic research, applied re-
search and research-based infrastructures. It is this
wide range of subjects and research approaches
that makes the Leibniz model so very appealing –
to top international researchers, too.

Leibniz boasts four kinds of research

­infrastructures:
i nformation infrastructures such as archives and
libraries to manage information of all kinds
e -Infrastructures such as data and cloud
­infrastructures, high-performance and super­
computers and grid computing infrastructures
DAAD/Christian Lord Otto, p. 58: Stefan Vorbeck

l arge-scale equipment and research platforms

such as GREGOR, the largest solar telescope
in ­Europe, in Tenerife
s ocial research infrastructures, i.e. conference
and meeting centres where scientists can ex­
change information in their own specialist areas
A tight-knit international network: the Leibniz and initiate new projects
Association engages in global collaboration – with
around 25% of its scientists coming from abroad. THE ROADMAP
The Leibniz Roadmap for Research Infrastruc-
tures is the Leibniz Association’s way of planning
the future. To ensure that excellent research
will still be possible in 10 to 15 years’ time, the re­
search infrastructures need to be assessed and
BUDGET ­expanded. The roadmap contains concepts for­
33% Federal ­research infrastructures which the Leibniz Associ­
33% L änder ation has prioritised as part of an internal process.
25% T hird-party
To qualify, the relevant concepts should allow for
excellent scientific work and be socially relevant,
9% O thers
of significant importance to the scientific com­
munity and user-oriented.
2020; source: Leibniz Association
 60
NON-UNIVERSITY RESEARCH

Nine projects designed to complement and enrich

the research infrastructures of the future were
LEIBNIZ INSTITUTES STAND FOR
­chosen. Four of the Leibniz concepts were selected
A BROAD SPECTRUM OF SCIENCE
for the list of the national Roadmap for Research
­Infrastructures; three others have been included in
the roadmap of the European Strategy Forum on
Research Infrastructures (ESFRI). One thing that
has already been decided is to set up the Leibniz
Center for Photonics in Infection Research (LPI).
It was one of three new national research infra­
structures to be selected, and is to go into operation
in 2024. Its goal is to fight infectious diseases with
the help of i­ nnovative photonics-based diagnostics
and ­therapeutic methods.

THE NEXT GENERATION OF SCIENTISTS

Training the next generation of scientists is an im­
portant aspect of the Leibniz Association’s mission.
There are some 4,000 doctoral students working at
the institutes. In addition, the Leibniz Association
is committed to structured graduate training. To
this end, the Leibniz Institutes collaborate closely
with universities. In total, Leibniz is involved in
­almost 170 graduate schools.

COOPERATION AND NETWORKING

Leibniz also collaborates closely with universities
on research. There are more than 20 networks of Humanities and educational
Leibniz Institutes and university facilities working research
together on an interdisciplinary basis as the Economics and social sciences,
Leibniz ScienceCampi. spatial research
Life sciences
Various Leibniz Institutes are affiliated in twelve Mathematics, natural sciences
Leibniz Research Alliances and concentrate on and engineering
­subjects of great scientific and social relevance. For Environmental research
instance, scientists at eight Leibniz Institutes have
teamed up to form the Leibniz Research Alliance
“Nanosafety” with a view to understanding the effect
of nanoparticles and developing safe nanomaterials.

The institutes also cooperate as part of Leibniz Re-

search Networks on focal topics or key technologies
such as green nutrition and citizen science. These
networks see themselves as a central point of
c­ontact for their fields of research not only within
the Leibniz Association, but also for the worlds of
­politics, media and business and for their sponsors.
 dpa/Alexander Heinl

One of eight research museums in the Leibniz Association: the Senckenberg

Museum in Frankfurt am Main is one of Germany’s largest museums of natural history.
DAAD/Jan Zappner

Excellent teams: more than 2,000 academics conduct research under the
umbrella of the Union of the German Academies of Sciences and Humanities.
 63
NON-UNIVERSITY RESEARCH

ACADEMIES
Bring all the most intelligent people
together in one and the same

G
place. That was Plato’s idea over
2,400 years ago, when he identi- ermany’s first scholarly society was found-
fied the grove of Akademos as the ed as long ago as 1652. The Deutsche
ideal place for his philosophers’ ­Akademie der Naturforscher Leopoldina is thus
school. And to this day it is at the the oldest scientific and medical academy in the
core of the idea of a community of world. It has been the German National Academy
thinkers – the academy. of Sciences since 2008. Yet there are many other
academies in Germany, too. They include the
­Union of the German Academies of Sciences and
Humanities, which is an association of eight state
(Länder) academies. Then there is the National
Academy of Science and Engineering, acatech,
which represents the technical sciences, at home
and abroad. And since the beginning of the new
millennium Die Junge Akademie has represented
new scholarly talent.

The key tasks of the academies are to coordinate

FA C T S A N D F I G U R E S
long-term basic research projects, to advise
policy­makers and the public on issues relating
to our futures, and to support interdisciplinary
­dialogue by organising symposia and events.

8 academies in the Union

with more than 2,000 Union of the
­s cientists and scholars

Approx. 900 staff on the

German Academies
Academies Programme of Sciences and
Annual budget of the
­A cademies Programme: ­Humanities
70.8 million euros (2021)
Eight academies have joined forces to form this
www.akademienunion.de union. They represent more than 2,000 member
scientists who are among the best in their
 We document
our cultural
heritage
PROFESSOR HANNS HATT
President of the Union of the German
Academies of Sciences and Humanities

Professor Hatt, what does it mean to be President

of the Union of the German Academies of Sciences
and Humanities?
It is a great honour to represent the eight vener­
able academies of sciences and humanities. More
than 2,000 outstanding scholars from a variety of
fields are members of these institutions. Our goal
is also to further strengthen cooperation between
the academies.

What is special about the Academies Programme?

The Academies Programme is unique worldwide.
It includes more than 130 long-term basic re­
search projects in the humanities. They are dedi­
cated to retrieving, preserving and interpreting
documents of culture heritage worldwide. In this
way, it makes a key contribution to documenting
cultural heritage and showing how it is relevant
to society today.

What does the Union intend to achieve in the next

few years?
It is the task of academics to advise society and
policymakers on major challenges, such as migra­
tion, climate change and energy. It is imperative
that expertise in the social sciences and humanit­
ies become more strongly involved in this process.
And such expertise is especially well represented
at our academies.
private, DAAD/Jan Zappner
 65
NON-UNIVERSITY RESEARCH

respective fields. In particular, they conduct basic

research in the humanities and social sciences,
projects that require endurance. Some of their
trad­itions date well into the 18th century. The latest
member of the Union is the Academy of Sciences
and Humanities in Hamburg, which was founded
by Hamburg civil society in 2004.

The collective research programme of the academ­

ies of sciences – the Academies Programme –
ranges from the Goethe Dictionary and the edi-
tion of Alexander von Humboldt’s manuscripts to
basic research on the role of culture in early ex-
pansions of humans. It is the largest programme
of research in the humanities in Germany and
draws on funding of more than 70 million euros
for a total of 132 research projects. The goal is to
catalogue, secure and represent Germany’s
­cultural heritage.

THE EIGHT ACADEMIES IN THE UNION ARE:

DAAD/Jan Zappner

 erlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences

B
and Humanities (1992/1700)
Focusing on cultural heritage: the Union  öttingen Academy of Sciences and
G
coordinates Germany’s largest research programme Humanities (1751)
in the humanities and social sciences.
 avarian Academy of Sciences and
B
Humanities (1759)
BUDGET S axon Academy of Sciences and Humanities
Academies Programme in Leipzig (1846)

50% Federal
 eidelberg Academy of Sciences and ­
H
Humanities (1909)
50% L änder
2021; source:
Academy of Sciences and Literature, Mainz (1949)
Union of Academies
 orth Rhine-Westphalian Academy of Sciences,
N
Humanities and the Arts (1970)
 cademy of Sciences and Humanities in
A
­Hamburg (2004)
 66
NON-UNIVERSITY RESEARCH

Leopoldina
“Exploring nature for the glory of God and the
good of mankind” was the mission of Johann
­Lorenz Bausch, Johann Michael Fehr, Georg
­Balthasar Metzger and Georg Balthasar Wohl-
fahrt when, in 1652 in the Free Imperial City of
­Schweinfurt, they founded the Academia Naturae
FA C T S A N D F I G U R E S
­Curiosorum, one of the world’s first scientific
and medical academies. The Deutsche Akademie
der Naturforscher Leopoldina sought to bring to­
gether the leading academic scholars of the day
in ­order to debate scientific questions, insights
and findings across the disciplines and for
the benefit of society.

That remains the case to this day. About 1,600

outstanding scientists from over 30 countries,
among them 33 Nobel laureates, work according Approx. 1,600 members,
to this interdisciplinary and international tradition. ­i ncluding more than 500
Each of them was nominated for membership ­i nternational scientists
­solely on account of his or her significant scholarly and scholars
achievements. The Leopoldina is now located
in Halle in Saxony-Anhalt. It is the world’s oldest Approx. 100 staff
continuously existing academy of the natural Close relations with science
­sciences. academies on all continents

DIALOGUE OF THE ACADEMIES Annual budget:

Since 2008, the Leopoldina has been the German 17.2 million euros (2019)
National Academy of Sciences. It is thus the voice www.leopoldina.org
of German science in the international dialogue
­between academies. The Leopoldina has a global
network of international partners such as the Aca-
démie des sciences in France or the Indian National
Science Academy. The Leopoldina not only repre-
sents German scientists on the international com-
BUDGET
mittees, but also shares its findings with policy-
makers and the public. Together with the science 80% Federal
academies of the G7 and G20 member states, it 20% S axony-
­advises the heads of state and government at their Anhalt
annual summit meetings, for example. 2021; source: Leopoldina
7,800
OUTSTANDING SCHOLARS
Since its foundation back in 1652, more than 7,800 outstanding scholars
have been nominated members of the Leopoldina. Among them were
Tetra Images/Getty Images

183 Nobel laureates and renowned personalities such as Marie Curie-Skłodowska,

Charles Darwin, Albert Einstein, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe,
Alexander von Humboldt and Max Planck.
 68
NON-UNIVERSITY RESEARCH

FA C T S A N D F I G U R E S

Die Junge Akademie 50 members, each with a

­re­s earch budget of 35,000
Die Junge Akademie, founded in 2000 by the Leo- euros
poldina and the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of 5-year membership
Sciences and Humanities, is the world’s very first
academy for early career researchers. The 50 More than 40 research
young researchers from across all disciplines ro- groups since foundation
tate: every year, ten new nominees replace ten www.diejungeakademie.de
members who withdraw. During their five-year
membership of Die Junge Akademie, each mem-
ber has access to a research budget of some 35,000
euros for joint projects. Taking their cue from
Die Junge Akademie, there are now academies for
young scientists in numerous countries. In fact, BUDGET
the Global Young Academy was founded in 2008, 90% Federal
with Die Junge Akademie playing an advisory
5% S axony-
role in the process. Anhalt
5% B erlin-Brandenburg

acatech Academy of Sciences and Humanities

2021; source: Die Junge Akademie

acatech, the National Academy of Science and

­Engineering, sees itself as a “working academy”. FA C T S A N D F I G U R E S
It has almost 600 members from academies, uni-
versities, research institutes and companies. They
collaborate in 10 topic networks that address the
research and technology-policy issues of tomor-
row. acatech views itself as a network that links Almost 600 members
science and business. Scientists and experts from
Approx. 40 research projects
the business sector work closely together. Their
per year, collaboration with
objective: to provide independent, science-based institutions and companies
consulting geared to public welfare for policy­
makers, businesses and the public. The topic net- Annual budget: approx.
works at acatech are interdisciplinary in structure 13 million euros (2020)
and have a practical focus. They address issues of www.acatech.de
­future industrial applications, as well as econom-
ic, ecological and social opportunities and risks.
The topics range from the reliability of complex
socio-technological systems or the analysis of the BUDGET
development of the energy systems of tomorrow
5% E U
to questions of possible obstacles to innovation
in nanotechnology. 27% Federal
and Länder
68% T hird-party
2021; source: acatech
 DAAD/Jan Zappner

Forever changing: after completing five years each, ten members withdraw from Die Junge Akademie
and are replaced by ten newly appointed young researchers. Total membership remains constant at 50.
 70

GOVERNMENT
RESEARCH
I­ NSTITUTIONS
Are tattoos dangerous? When does noise
cause illness? What can be done so that
fish swim upstream again? Scientists in
­government research institutions are
exploring such issues that potentially affect
us all. And the insights they gain often lead
to recommendations for policymakers.

Biobased building materials: the

concrete of the future may contain
rice husks or coconut fibre.
 71

FA C T S A N D F I G U R E S

More than 40 federal institu-

tions with R&D responsibilities

About 140 state (Länder)

­r esearch institutes

More than 25,000 staff

(among them 12,000
R&D personnel)

Internal expenditure:
3.1 billion euros in total, for
R&D: 1.5 billion euros (2019)

www.bundesregierung.de

T he construction sector is booming – not

only in Germany, but worldwide. How­
ever, this could have fatal consequences for our
­climate as large amounts of carbon dioxide are
­released during the production of cement, which
is a key component of concrete. This is reason
enough for researchers at the Bundesanstalt für
Materialforschung und ‑prüfung (BAM) to work
on finding ways to replace cement, at least partly,
with renewable resources. Their research shows
that the husks or skins of plants such as rice,
­cassava or coconut can be used as a substitute for
the conventional chemical and mineral additives
in concrete. In fact, the new concrete is in some
cases stronger, as well as easier to process
and mould. This would be ideal for use in Africa,
where many cement plants are currently being
built. What is more, large quantities of the raw
materials from plant husks and their ashes are
available there, without being used to date. This
basic research, which is of interest not only to the
construction industry in Africa, was helped by
Sandra Standbridge/Getty Images

the BAM’s cooperation with African scientists.

This collaboration is now to be made permanent
by creating a joint knowledge network with
­researchers in Africa and industry.
 Germany is
a globally significant
player
PROFESSOR KLAUS CICHUTEK,
President, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut
(PEI), Federal Institute for Vaccines
and Biomedicines

Professor Cichutek, the coronavirus has revealed

how dangerous viruses still are today and how
­important vaccination research is. What makes
Germany stand out as a location for research in
this field?
Germany has traditionally played an important
role in vaccine development and production. In
addition, biotechnology has been widely promot-
ed in Germany as a promising means of develop-
ing innovative therapies and diagnostics. This,
combined with creative and risk-taking research-
ers, has made Germany a globally significant
player in the field. During the pandemic, several
companies in Germany played a key role in the
rapid development of novel and highly effective
vaccines.

What are the most important issues that the PEI

will address in the medium term?
By establishing the German Pandemic Vaccines
Center at the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, we will lay the
foundations for the development and supply of
vaccines in future pandemics. In addition, we will
continue to build on the synergism between
translational academic research, medical product
development by biotech and pharma industries,
and the regulatory science provided by the Paul-
Ehrlich-Institut. This is a mainstay of our response
to the pandemic, as well as to many other clinical
RKI/Dr Michael Laue, Thorsten Jansen

challenges we are facing.

 73
GOVERNMENT RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS

the Federal Government needs in order to take

­well-founded decisions. The scientists concern
themselves with current issues, such as:

the impact of modern technologies

health and nutrition
mobility and urban development
the environment, energy and climate protection
changed working and living conditions
the global economy

If for example there is an outbreak of measles or a

Robert Koch-Institut

dangerous virus like the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2

begins spreading, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI)
in Berlin will continuously monitor the situation,
Prime science: government research institutions evaluating all available information, assessing the
­devote themselves to topical issues that have an risk for the population in Germany and advising
­impact on the world. the Federal Ministry of Health and the Federal
Government. It provides health professionals with
recommendations and gives an overview of its
own research. If allergies to textiles or resistances
COOPERATING WITH THE MINISTRIES to antibiotics are detected, it is the German Feder­
The most important job of the BAM is to help de­ al Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) in Berlin
velop legal regulations, for example for defining that ­intervenes and warns the public.
safety standards and limit values, and to advise
the German government, industry and national RESEARCH AT THE STATE LEVEL
and international organisations on matters At the state (Länder) level, there are another 140
r­elating to materials technology and chemistry. or more research institutions with over 6,000 staff
The BAM is one of over 40 federal research members to support the respective state govern­
­institutions that specifically pursue research on ments. Here again, about 1,300 scientists conduct
­questions raised by policymakers and public research on all the relevant social and economic
­auth­orities. About 5,000 scientists make forecasts issues. The experts look for contemporary solutions
that give early warning of pending problems, or in fields such as laser applications, totalitarianism
they study the effects of ongoing initiatives. In studies, hydrogen and heat storage or artificial
this way they provide the scientific insights that ­intelligence.
 74
GOVERNMENT RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS
Adobe Stock/fotostudiocolor24

Competent and motivated: highly qualified

personnel work at state research institutions.

The German Research Center for Artificial boost interaction between everyone involved in
­Intelligence (DFKI) for example seeks to develop the German research and innovation community
innovative software. It is Germany’s leading – and shed light on issues of science policy from
­research centre in the field of innovative commer­ many different angles.
cial software technology using artificial intelli­
gence. The DFKI is a public-private partnership Deutscher Wetterdienst (DWD) for example relies
with the states of Bremen, Rhineland-Palatinate not only on government research staff. Scientists
and Saarland and has numerous renowned German from LMU Munich, FU Berlin and the universities
and international high-tech companies as share­ of Hamburg, Frankfurt, Bonn and Cologne, as
holders. At present, approximately 660 highly well as from the Max Planck Institute for Meteor­
qualified researchers, administrators and 440 ology and the Max Planck Institute for Human
graduate students from more than 65 countries ­Development, work at its Hans Ertel Centre for
are contributing to approximately 250 DFKI re­ meteorological research. Their aim is to improve
search projects – such as joint activities with the weather forecasting and climate monitoring. For
European Space Agency (ESA) to develop AI example, they use laser beams to measure wind
­technologies for applications in civilian space patterns, gusts and convective turbulent structures
travel. up to a height of several hundred metres above
the ground. The researchers see themselves pri­
VAST NETWORK marily as information providers: they study the
The government research institutions’ infrastruc‑ weather to help DWD give more accurate weather
ture is in part among the best worldwide and open warnings and to support the quality of decisions
to external research groups, too. The goal is to by policymakers, local authorities and business.
Strengthening bees
Bee populations are suffering from both climate
change and the bee parasite varroa, in combin­
ation with attacks by viruses. There have been
heavy losses. One measure to support honeybee
biodiversity is the creation of Europe’s first gene
bank for honeybees, led by the Institute for Bee
Research Hohen Neuendorf e. V. (LIB). The in­
stitute is headed by Professor Kaspar Bienefeld.
In recent years, LIB and industry partners have
made technical advances in the preservation of
drone ­semen, allowing the gene bank to be set
up. The aim is to collect genetic resources from
over 200 colonies, in cooperation with national
and international partners.

The LIB is itself the product of successful cooper­

ation. The long-standing research establishment
is funded by the states of Brandenburg, Saxony-
Anhalt, Saxony, Thuringia and Berlin. Representa-
tives of beekeeper associations and scientists
are also represented in the non-profit organisa-
tion. With a strong practical focus, the institute
­addresses different aspects of bee research:
Länderinstitut für Bienenkunde Hohen Neuendorf

breeding and preservation of bee populations,

molecular microbiology, honey analysis and
­projects to protect wild bees and honey bees.

www.honigbiene.de
 76

PRIVATE SECTOR
The private sector in Germany is one of the
world leaders in research. It invests billions in
research and development and relies on a
global network of research facilities, all dedi-
cated to finding solutions for products and
processes for the industry of tomorrow.

FA C T S A N D F I G U R E S

More than 470,000

research staff

Distribution of the internal

research budget: 8% small
enterprises (up to 249
­e mployees), 4.5% medium-
sized enterprises (250–499),
87.5% large enterprises
(more than 499)

R&D internal expenditure:

72.1 billion euros or 2.2%
of GDP (2018)

www.stifterverband.de

Reaching for the sky:

wind power is becoming increas­
ingly important worldwide.
 77

Getty Images/CharlieChesvick
 78
PRIVATE SECTOR

Bayer AG

I t’s a good plan. And a gigantic one. One Green hydrogen has a key role to play in tackling
of the biggest offshore wind farms in the climate change: it is to help make the biggest
world is to be linked to an electrolyser and become emitters of greenhouse gases – such as the steel
the world’s first system to produce coveted “green” and ­aluminium sectors and the manufacturers of
hydrogen directly – that is to say ­without the tur- glass and cement – more climate-friendly. The
bine being connected to the grid. To achieve this, ­research and development of solutions that will
Munich energy company Siemens Energy and its allow its production are therefore essential if
Spain-based subsidiary Siemens Gamesa have we are to meet the central challenges of today:
joined forces. Over the next five years, 120 million how can we become independent of mineral oil
euros are to be spent on developing an innovative by ­using clean technologies? What will mobility
solution that will illustrate how a cost-efficient and look like tomorrow? Be it small start-ups, small
climate-neutral modular offshore wind-hydrogen and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) or global
system can be realised on a major scale. The project players such as Volkswagen – the German private
is part of the H2Mare initiative and is being imple- sector is deeply involved in r­ esearch into prac­
mented as part of the ideas competition “Hydrogen tical and fundamental issues.
Republic of G ­ ermany” run by the Federal Ministry
of Education and Research.
 79
PRIVATE SECTOR

Arthur Pease/Siemens AG

Image-generating processes in
medicine: new technologies enable
treatment methods that are more precise.

Innovation as the basis:

research and development are key
in the pharma industry.

EN ROUTE TO INDUSTRY 4.0 At present, researchers in many companies are

Germany is one of the top five industrialised addressing the topic of Industry 4.0: digitally
­nations worldwide when it comes to the volume ­networked systems connect production facilities
of private sector investments in research and de- using modern information and communication
velopment (R&D). The sector accounts for more technologies. There is hardly any other develop-
than two thirds of total R&D expenditure, name- ment that German corporations have engaged
ly more than 72 billion euros in 2018. Companies with as intensively as digitisation. This is also true
in the following areas are particularly active: of the heavyweight in industrial research: the
­automotive industry, which accounts for slightly
a utomotive and transport technologies more than one in three euros spent on R&D. The
electronics, chemical and pharmaceutical indus-
d
 ata processing, electronic and optical products
tries are also major investors in R&D.
m
 echanical engineering

e ngineering firms, software developers,

­scientific and technical development
­laboratories and research institutions
 80
PRIVATE SECTOR

Gorodenkoff Productions OU, Volkswagen AG

Seamlessly connected: the German company Bosch
has teamed up with the US company Microsoft to develop
the next generation of vehicle software.

Not only industrial corporations rely on research

to advance: freelance, scientific and technological
service providers invest more than classical
­pharmaceutical industries. A typical example of
one such young company is HQS Quantum Simu-
lations, a spin-off of the renowned Karlsruhe
­Institute of Technology (KIT). This deep-tech
start-up develops ideas for making quantum GERMAN COMPANIES WITH THE
­computers suitable for use in medical or energy HIGHEST R&D EXPENDITURE
research. in million euros

LEADING IN THE WORLD Volkswagen 14,306

By international standards, German industry is Daimler 9,630
right at the forefront of research and develop- BMW 6,419
ment. One of the leading companies worldwide Robert Bosch 6,229
in the R&D investment tables is the carmaker Siemens 6,086
Volkswagen. It spent more than 14.3 billion euros Bayer 5,628
on R&D in 2019 alone. In the same rankings, SAP 4,283
Daimler, BMW, Robert Bosch, Siemens and Bayer Continental 3,597
are all among the top 30 corporations worldwide. Boehringer 3,462
Many companies conduct research abroad and Merck 2,268
some even have their own global networks, such
as German automotive component supplier 2019; source:
­Continental. It develops its products at 88 differ- EU R&D Scoreboard 2020
ent l­ ocations worldwide.
 81
PRIVATE SECTOR

CLUSTERS OF
INNOVATIVE ACTIVITY
Germany is one of the world’s most innovative countries when it comes to international
patent applications (in line with the Patent Cooperation ­Treaty, PCT): seven metropolitan
­areas rank among the world’s top 50 science and technology clusters – only the USA is
r­epresented by more regions in this list.

Berlin

3,333

Cologne

7,827
Frankfurt

5,167
Erlangen
Mannheim Nuremberg

3,729
Heidelberg

3,913
Stuttgart

8,336 Munich

7,532

2014–2018; source: WIPO

 Many people
have been involved
PROFESSOR UĞUR ŞAHIN,
Chief Executive Officer,
BioNTech SE

Professor Şahin, your company BioNTech devel-

oped one of the world’s first Covid-19 vaccines to
obtain market approval. What is your formula
for success?
The progress we had already made in developing
our mRNA technology made all the difference. We
have a great team of many experts who facilitated
the development, production and distribution
­processes. Many different aspects were tackled
in ­parallel: while development of the vaccine was
­underway, we were busy expanding our production
capacities at the same time. Many people have
been involved in this project for all humankind.

You are cooperating with the US company Pfizer.

Why is international cooperation so important?
A global problem cannot be solved by one com­
pany or one country working on its own. We knew
that we would need a strong partner to test the
vaccine worldwide and have it approved. Further­
more, we needed a partner with the infrastructure
required to get the vaccine to as many people
around the world as possible. Our contribution
came in the form of the mRNA technology and
our deep understanding of the immune system.

Which key research areas do you plan to focus on

particularly over the coming ten years?
Above all on cancer research. Our goal is to
r­eplace existing treatment methods with novel
­approaches and to develop therapies for cancer
types that to date have proven virtually untreat­
able. We want to improve the lives of patients.
In addition, we are working on ways to treat
­autoimmune disorders such as MS and allergies.
BioNTech SE 2021 (2)
 83
PRIVATE SECTOR

Gorodenkoff Productions OU, Bayer AG

Internationally successful: German companies are
among the world top five in terms of patent, utility
model and industrial design applications.

Big players: alongside the automobile and

electronics sectors, the chemical and pharma in­
dustries are among the major investors in R&D.

Thanks to its strong research sector, Germany is whose inno­vative software is making mobility
also among the world top five in terms of patent, more efficient, safe and environmentally friend-
utility model and industrial design applications. ly. And not only in Germany: with 28 locations
The world’s top applicants include Bosch, Siemens worldwide, PTV Group has customers in more
and BASF, not to mention family-owned Schaeffler than 120 countries.
and the automotive manufacturer BMW.
IT also plays a key role among start-ups. More
HIDDEN CHAMPIONS AND START-UPS than one in four are digital newcomers, their
It is not only large corporations that conduct a ­business models centring for example on apps,
lot of research. Almost 13 percent of the total online commerce or web design. And there
spent on in-house R&D by businesses – i.e. 9 bil- are support programmes to help them lock into
lion euros – is invested by SMEs. Above all the ­venture capital from private equity investors or
mid-sized mechanical engineering, pharma and funding programmes like the High-Tech Gründer-
IT service companies have a strong research focus. fonds (HTGF), Germany’s biggest investor when
They include many hidden champions such as it comes to early-phase financing of innovative
the family-owned PTV Group from Karlsruhe, and technology-oriented companies.
 84

ABOUT THE
INITIATIVE “RESEARCH
IN GERMANY –
LAND OF IDEAS”
WHAT IS “RESEARCH IN GERMANY”? This and many other “Research in Germany”
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“Research in Germany” provides international
­researchers with information about funding and
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gives ­research and science organisations from all
over the world the chance to establish contact
with potential German partners in the fields
of science, r­ esearch and industry. The initiative
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ences and fairs.
 85

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