Research is one of Baden-Württemberg’s clear strengths. In addition to top universities, several world-class research institutes are situated here. Research institutes are active in a wide range of areas such as biotechnology, electric mobility, lightweight construction, digital technologies and new materials, to name a few.
Research institutes have a special place in Baden-Württemberg’s scientific landscape. They often maintain close ties to universities as well as to industries and fulfill an important role in technology transfer. The institutes have produced many ground-breaking innovations and are attractive employers for researchers and scientists.
- Baden-Württemberg is home to 13 Fraunhofer Institutes that conduct applied research in science and engineering. The Fraunhofer Society currently runs 75 institutes in Germany, making it one of the leading research organizations.
- 13 Max-Planck Institutes are situated in Baden-Württemberg. The Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science has produced more Nobel Prize winners than other research organization in Germany. With a strong network around the world, Max Planck scientists frequently engage in international collaborations.
- Foundations: One example is the Center for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research Baden-Württemberg (ZSW). The foundation is supported by several universities, the state of Baden-Württemberg and companies.
- The Innovation Alliance Baden-Württemberg is an alliance of 12 non-university research institutes that focus specifically on applied research. The alliance is supported by the state and often does research for companies in Baden-Württemberg.
- There are 7 Leibniz Institutes in Baden-Württemberg. Their research areas span from social sciences to solar physics.
- The Helmholtz Association is Germany’s largest research organization with more than 43,000 employees. It has centers all over Germany. In Baden-Württemberg, the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology as the Association’s research university are especially well-known. There's also the German Aerospace Cenre. The DLR carries out comprehensive R&D work in the areas of aerospace, energy, transport and safety and has three locations and nine institutes in Baden-Württemberg.
- The EMBL, based in Heidelberg is Europe’s leading life sciences laboratory. With the mission of promoting molecular biology research in Europe, training young scientists, and developing new technologies, it is supported by over 25 member states and has laboratories across six sites in Europe.
