We contribute to solving grand challenges which face society, science and industry by performing top-rate research in strategic programmes in the fields of Energy, Earth and Environment, Health, Key Technologies, Structure of Matter, Aeronautics, Space and Transport.

We research systems of great complexity with our large-scale facilities and scientific infrastructure, cooperating closely with national and international partners.

We contribute to shaping our future by combining research and technology development with perspectives for innovative applications and provisions for tomorrow's world."

Grand challenges of society, science and industry

Whether it's about ensuring that we remain mobile and have a reliable energy supply, about passing on an intact environment to future generations or about finding therapies for treating previously incurable diseases: The research carried out in the Helmholtz Association's six major research fields aims to secure and safeguard the foundations of human life long-term and to create a technological basis for a competitive economy. The potential which enables the Association for meet these goals is made up of excellent minds, a high-performance infrastructure and modern research management.

Highly-complex systems

Complex systems - in behaviour and structure - have always existed. While the possibility of researching such systems is comparatively new. Whether rain forest ecosystems, atmosphere, immune system, human brain or transport systems in built-up areas - where research used to have to restrict itself to separating the components of such systems and their processes to study them in isolation - dramatic developments in science and technology - especially in the field of digital information technology - today provide research with the instruments and methods for examining the complex interaction between enormous numbers of components as a coherent whole. Progress in studying System Earth and its interacting spheres, such as the cryosphere, the atmosphere or the biosphere, provides impressive examples of this research.

Innovative applications

In their longer-term research programmes, Helmholtz scientists seek to combine theoretical basic research with perspectives for innovative applications and provisions for tomorrow's world. Numerous examples, such as the following three, illustrate this: Helmholtz scientists develop solutions to help avoid predictable global energy supply bottlenecks and to ensure that wastes and residues are disposed of appropriately; in the field of medical engineering and technology, Helmholtz scientists are developing systems and procedures to re-establish body functions impaired or lost as a result of organ failure, organ damage, trauma or age-related ailments; and the Research Field Key Technologies is creating new and intelligent materials, also as a result of scientists developing nanostructured systems with tailor-made properties for economically interesting applications.