Germany’s prestigious research centres

A research centre is where and conduct research within various disciplines. Germany’s prestigious research centres make a significant contribution to international science and academia.

What makes the Forschungszentrum Jülich special?

One of the largest of these institutions throughout Europe is the . It is part of the Helmholtz Association. More than 7,000 staff members there conduct research into energy, information, AI and bioeconomy. They use highly modern technologies, such as supercomputers. The FZJ is structured in an interdisciplinary manner to enable holistic research to be conducted.

Who finances research centres?

Research centres finance their activity from a variety of sources:

• Federal government and federal state governments: mainly financed by public funds provided by ministries such as the and corresponding federal state ministries.

• Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG): provides funding that academics and researchers in Germany can apply to receive.

• European Union: support via EU funding programmes that promote cooperation throughout Europe.

• Private business and industry: collaborations with companies that are interested in the application of research results and the practical transfer of new knowledge.

• Foundations: financing from foundations that support specific projects and early career researchers.

Other prestigious research centres in Germany

The Forschungszentrum Jülich is part of the Helmholtz Association that comprises 18 national research centres. There are moreover other prestigious centres that cooperate with universities, other research institutions and industry to conduct practice-oriented research with regard to a sustainable future: the Max Planck Society (glossary-internal link), the Fraunhofer Society (glossary-internal link) and the Leibniz Association (glossary-internal link).