Research performing organisations

Germany is home to approx. 400 higher education institutions which offer the entire range of disciplines. The German higher education system is characterised by a close link between learning, teaching and research.

Fraunhofer is Europe’s largest application-oriented research organisation. A total of 72 institutes and research facilities work together under its umbrella in six major research areas: health and environment, security and protection, communication and knowledge, mobility and transport, production and supply of services, energy and resources.

The Helmholtz Association is the largest scientific organisation in Germany and is dedicated to pursuing the long-term research goals of state and society as well as maintaining and improving the living conditions of the population. The 18 independent research institutes within the Association develop, build and operate complex research infrastructures. 

The Leibniz Association connects more than 90 independent research institutes that address research issues of international societal relevance, ranging from the humanities and the social sciences to the natural sciences and engineering. Leibniz Institutes pursue both basic and applied research – often under one roof. 

The Max Planck Society, named after the world-famous physicist Max Planck (1858– 1947), is one of Europe’s leading basic research organisations. It maintains a total of 84 research institutes in Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and the United States. Its researchers conduct basic research in the natural sciences, life sciences, humanities and social sciences, often taking an interdisciplinary approach.   

Academies are associations of renowned individuals from the worlds of scholarship, science and the arts. They conduct long-term projects of basic research especially in the humanities and social sciences and participate in interdisciplinary dialogue. They use their knowledge to support society on important questions of overall societal and political relevance. 

The Federal Government funds over 40 research institutes that specifically pursue research on questions raised by policymakers and public authorities. This departmental research is always directly related to the respective ministry’s field of activity. Its main task is to support the ministry’s activities and to provide the necessary scientific basis for the execution of government measures.    

German states (Länder) do not only act as research funding bodies, but also run several research institutions that support state research activities. There are over 160 such institutes covering a broad range of research areas.   

German companies are among the most innovative in Europe. Industry-based and financed investments account for more than two thirds of all R&D funding in Germany.   

The German Federation of Industrial Research Associations (AiF) is organised by industry and is particularly involved in increasing the competitive strength of SMEs by supporting the efficient application and advancement of R&D programmes. 

Over the last few years, the Federal Government has initiated a series of projects aiming at the creation of networks and clusters that promote new technologies. One key aim of these bodies is to accelerate the process of making new technology products marketable.

Germany is home to several research infrastructures of global significance in physics, earth science, climate research and the humanities. Examples of research infrastructures can be found here.