Scientific performance

Publications and transfer

Unless otherwise indicated, the figures refer to the reporting status of the year 2024.

WoS, Scopus or Open Research Europe indexed publications

A key measure of scientific productivity is scientific publications in specialist journals. The number of publications at Helmholtz remains at a high and stable level overall. In 2024, 22,030 publications indexed by WoS, SCOPUS, or Open Research Europe were published.

Compared to the figures published last year, there have been changes that also affect previous years. These are due to a change in the counting method at one center, which led to subsequent adjustments to the publication figures. In addition, a change in the counting method in 2021 also led to significantly higher values in the past due to a one-time effect. As a result, the number of publications in subsequent years was comparatively lower.

International networking is reflected, among other things, in the emergence of international co-publications. As confirmed by the current bibliometric report (Frietsch et al. 2024) prepared as part of the GWK’s pact monitoring, joint publications with international partners continue to gain in importance at all non-university research organizations. In the case of Helmholtz, for example, the proportion of international co-publications rose from just under 60 percent to 65 percent between the comparative periods of Pact I 2006–2010 and the current Pact IV 2021–2022. Comparing the same pact phases, the community has almost doubled its scientific output from just under 13,000 to 23,500 publications.

Nature index 2024

A good measure of the quality of research findings is the number of times they are published in prestigious journals. The Nature Publishing Group releases a ranking of the top 200 research organizations worldwide. The “Nature Index” is based on publications in 82 journals that are independently selected as the most important by two panels of scientists from the fields of physics, chemistry, environmental science, and the life sciences. Helmholtz has ranked among the top international institutions for years. The table shows the Nature Index for the period January 1, 2024 to December 31, 2024.

Transfer

Helmholtz researchers significantly boost Germany’s innovative capacity by disseminating knowledge and converting economically valuable results into entrepreneurial endeavors. Accordingly, Helmholtz places an increasing focus on the transfer of knowledge and technology. In the department of transfer and innovation, we work together with the transfer offices of the centers to promote the exchange between science, industry and society through networks, targeted transfer support programs and the development of joint partnerships. In recent years, new instruments have been created for this purpose, such as the Helmholtz Transfer Academies and the Helmholtz Innovation Plattforms.

The results show that both the revenues from economic cooperation, at €200.9 million in 2024, and the number of patent applications, at 451, remain at the previous year’s level. The number of spin-offs in 2024 stands at 24. Following the decline in spin-offs in previous years caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the energy crisis, and the global economic downturn, a clear reversal of this trend can be observed for the 2024 reporting year. The reasons for this positive development at Helmholtz lie in the continuous expansion of innovation funding and the transfer culture, as well as the future-oriented research infrastructure at the centers, which is available to founders.