Together for the science metropolis. Berlin's non-university research institutions join forces
Press release from 02/21/2020
Strengthening Berlin as an international science metropolis is the goal of a joint initiative of the capital's non-university research institutions. They have joined forces to form BR 50 (Berlin Research 50) in order to develop joint strategies for research and dialogue with politics and society. This will facilitate and strengthen co-operation with Berlin's universities.
The new alliance, to which almost all non-university institutes and centres in the Berlin area belong, is intended to facilitate coordination between non-university research institutions and offer a central point of contact for cooperation with Berlin universities and exchange with society and politics. Similar to the Berlin University Alliance (BUA), the association of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Technische Universität Berlin and Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, BR 50 is also intended to provide a dialogue platform for the participating institutes.
The alliance represents research areas from all scientific fields. At the founding meeting on 18 February at the Max Liebermann Haus at the Brandenburg Gate, founding coordinators were elected for four sections: Prof Dr Thomas Sommer for Section 1 (Life Sciences), Prof Dr h.c. Jutta Allmendinger Ph.D. for Section 2 (Social Sciences and Humanities), Prof. Dr Ulrich Panne for Section 3 (Natural Sciences) and Prof. Dr Michael Hintermüller for Section 4 (Technology and Engineering).
"With their excellent research, the non-university institutions are already making an indispensable contribution to raising Berlin's profile as a leading international science location," said Thomas Sommer, founding coordinator of the Section for Life Sciences and Scientific Director (acting) of the Max Delbrück Centre for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC). "With BR 50, we are now joining forces to make the Berlin research area flourish."
Ulrich Panne, founding coordinator of the Natural Sciences Section and President of the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM), adds: "The exchange between science, society and politics is becoming increasingly important and BR 50 will build many important bridges between the research institutions in Berlin."
Jutta Allmendinger, Founding Coordinator of the Section for Social Sciences and Humanities and President of the Social Science Research Centre Berlin (WZB), also expects BR 50 to strengthen cooperation with Berlin's universities: "The large number and diversity of non-university research institutions is a clear strength of Berlin. With our new alliance, we offer a central dialogue partner for the Berlin universities in order to initiate forward-looking research projects together with them."
According to Michael Hintermüller, founding coordinator of the Section for Technology and Engineering Sciences, director of the Weierstrass Institute for Applied Analysis and Stochastics and spokesperson for the board of the Forschungsverbund Berlin, one of the founding motives for BR 50 was the major challenges facing humanity: "With the new network, Berlin's research institutions can make better use of their synergies to jointly develop solutions to the problems that lie ahead."
The founding meeting initially brought together 41 of Berlin's non-university research institutions, including institutes from the major scientific organisations Leibniz Association, Max Planck Society, Helmholtz Association and Fraunhofer Society, as well as the federal government's departmental research institutes and the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation.
Press contacts:
Dr Harald Wilkoszewski, Head of Communications and Press Spokesperson
Social Science Research Center Berlin (WZB)
Email: harald.wilkoszewski(at)wzb(dot)eu, Tel. 030/25491 509
Jutta Kramm, Head of Communications
Max Delbrück Centre for Molecular Medicine
Email: jutta.kramm(at)mdc-berlin(dot)de, Tel. 030/9406 2140
Venio Quinque, Communications Department
Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing
Email: venio.quinque(at)bam(dot)de, Tel. 030/8104 1002
Anja Wirsing, Press Officer
Leibniz Forschungsverbund Berlin e.V.
Email: wirsing(at)fv-berlin(dot)de, Tel. 030/6392 3337
Ingolf Kern / Dr Stefanie Heinlein, Communications and Media
Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz (SPK)
Email: pressestelle(at)hv.spk-berlin(dot)de, Tel. 030 / 266411440