Helmholtz Institutes

Nanotechnology at Helmholtz Research Centers

Nanotechnology is applied in three programs: “Information Technology With Nanoelectronic Systems” (Research Centre Jülich), “Nano- and Microsystems” (Research Centre Karlsruhe), and “Advanced Engineering Materials” (GKSS Research Centre Geesthacht).

The Research Centre Karlsruhe and the University of Karlsruhe are merging to become the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. One of their main collaboration fields is nanoscience and technology. The Institute of Nanotechnology (Research Centre Karlsruhe) and the DFG-Center for Functional Nanostructures (University of Karlsruhe) work on the topics of nanophotonics, nanoelectronics, nanostructured materials, molecular nanostructures, and nanobiology.

Together, they have published more than 160 publications on nanoscience in 2007 (the third-highest number following two Max Planck Institutes). The program “Nano- and Microsystems” fuses the fields of microsystems engineering and nanotechnology to increase patent output in nanotechnology. In 2007, the Research Centre Karlsruhe had quite a large patent output (more than 10 patents).

The Institute for Bio- and Nanosystems (Research Centre Jülich) works on the topics semiconductor-nanoelectronics, bioelectronics, functional nanostructures, and biomechanics. It is member of JARA-FIT, the cooperation of the Research Centre Jülich with the University of Aachen in the field of information technology. The GKSS Research Centre in Geesthacht studies nano- and microstructures in engineering materials and biomaterials with the Geesthacht Neutron Facility (GenF).

Helmholtz Association

The Helmholtz Association e.V. (a registered association) was founded in 2001 by 15 scientific-technical and biological-medical research centers. These research centers were founded to fulfill specific goals. For example, the first research centers in Karlsruhe and Jülich (founded in 1956) were set up to build nuclear reactors. Other research centers specialize in cancer research, polar [Page 313]and marine research, or coastal research. Some of them specialized in building large-scale facilities like the DESY (Deutsches Elektronen Synchroton), which develops, builds, and operates large accelerator facilities. Research is organized by “program-oriented funding.” The Helmholtz Centres have developed 30 research programs in six core research fields, which are evaluated by international peers once every five years.

The German extra-university research sector is divided into in basic research (provided by the Max Planck Association) and applied research (Fraunhofer Gesellschaft). The Helmholtz Association and the Leibniz Association connect both. While the Leibniz Institutes are more heterogenous, the Helmholtz Institutes are specialized in big science (Großforschung). The Helmholtz Association budget totals around 2.4 billion euros. A good two-thirds of this funding comes from public sponsors (in a 9:1 split between federal and Länder authorities). The remaining 30 percent of funding has to be raised by the individual Helmholtz Centres themselves.