Goals
The goal of research in the field of key technologies is to develop generic technologies that contribute to the future viability of our society. The research programmes pursued in this field cover the spectrum from fundamental research to concrete applications, are based on multidisciplinary collaboration, and make use of an excellent infrastructure specifically catering to large-scale research. Key technologies research at the Helmholtz Association supports the high-tech strategy of the German government, particularly in the areas of bio- and nanotechnology, micro- and nanoelectronics, optical technologies, microsystems and materials technology, and information and communications technology. It is setting the pace for innovation and developing these future technologies in order to secure Germany’s leading position in these fields and to ensure its competitiveness as a location for industry. Our research into key technologies takes into account the recommendations of the Industry-Science Research Alliance concerning the specified fields, the resolutions of the Bio-economy Research and Technology Council, and strategic considerations in the EU regarding key technologies.

Programme structure in the funding period 2010–2014
Three Helmholtz centres are involved in key technologies research: the Forschungszentrum Jülich, the Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht Centre for Materials and Coastal Research (HZG), and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). The six core programmes in this research field are supplemented by a seventh, “Technology, Innovation and Society”, which is being pursued in cooperation with the field of energy research at the Helmholtz Association.

• Supercomputing
• Fundamentals of Future Information Technology
• NANOMICRO: Science, Technology and Systems
• Advanced Engineering Materials
• BioSoft: Macromolecular Systems and Biological Information ProcessingBioInterfaces: Molecular and Cellular Interactions at Functional Interfaces
• Technology, Innovation and Society

Outlook
The research field of key technologies pursues basic and application-oriented research. Energy, health, mobility, safety and communications are all emerging as areas for which sustainable technologies need to be developed. For this reason, the research field is consolidating existing programmes in the areas of materials science, the nanosciences, information and communications technology, and the life sciences. New interdisciplinary topics include technology and simulation in medicine, a sustainable bioeconomy, structural and synthetic biology, along with simulation, data management and data analysis on the exascale. Key technologies researchers are working to develop processes in the materials sciences, physics and chemistry; these will find application in the areas of energy provision, mobility and medical treatments.