Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08BERLIN494
2008-04-18 17:21:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Berlin
Cable title:
EDUCATION AND RESEARCH MINISTRY SHOWCASES GERMAN
how-toVZCZCXRO2098 RR RUEHAG RUEHDF RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHMA RUEHPB RUEHPOD DE RUEHRL #0494 1091721 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 181721Z APR 08 FM AMEMBASSY BERLIN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0960 INFO RUCNFRG/FRG COLLECTIVE RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE
UNCLAS BERLIN 000494
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR INR, OES, EEB, EUR
PLEASE PASS NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: TBIO TNGD TPHY TRGY TSPL SENV ENRG PREL GM
SUBJECT: EDUCATION AND RESEARCH MINISTRY SHOWCASES GERMAN
RESEARCH INSTITUTES
UNCLAS BERLIN 000494
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR INR, OES, EEB, EUR
PLEASE PASS NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: TBIO TNGD TPHY TRGY TSPL SENV ENRG PREL GM
SUBJECT: EDUCATION AND RESEARCH MINISTRY SHOWCASES GERMAN
RESEARCH INSTITUTES
1. (SBU) Summary: There are four major scientific research
institutes in Germany, each with tens of affiliated research
centers. The institutes are entirely funded by the German
federal and individual state governments. The German
Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF) sponsored a
two-day study tour for science attaches of foreign missions
in Berlin. Participants visited six research institutes in
Leipzig and Dresden. This cable includes general information
about the structure, funding and staffing of the four major
research associations in Germany. End Summary.
2. (SBU) There are four major scientific research institutes
in Germany: the Max Planck Institute, the Leibniz Institute,
the Helmholtz Association and the Fraunhofer Institute. Max
Planck focuses on basic research. Leibniz handles both basic
and some applied research. Helmholtz also does both basic
and applied research. Fraunhofer focuses more on
application: about two-thirds of its work is contract
research on behalf of industry and one-third is
market-oriented basic research.
3. (SBU) The Helmholtz Association consists of 15 research
centers with 250 institutes. It has an annual budget of 2.4
billion euros. About 90 percent of this funding comes from
the federal level and 10% of funding comes from the state
government. In contrast, the funding structure for the other
three institutes is 50% federal and 50% state and overall
budgets are also much lower. There are 56 Fraunhofer
Institutes in Germany with an annual budget of nearly 1.3
billion euros, including 38 million euros annually for
defense and security research. Max Planck has 80 locations
with an annual budget of 1.45 billion euros. Leibniz has 83
centers and a budget of 1.1 billion euros per year.
4. (SBU) ECONOFF visited the Helmholtz Center for
Environmental Research (UFZ) in Leipzig on April 16. Georg
Teutsch, the scientific director of UFZ, said no tax money is
spent on wind research (since technologies are already in the
market) but money is spent on developing biofuels and
photovoltaics (solar cells). Teutsch also noted that no BMBF
money is spent on nuclear energy research, "there is research
going on but it is not funded by the (BMBF) ministry". UFZ
works with "seven sisters" (including institutes in Finland,
Denmark, England, Holland, Italy and France) as part of the
European Environmental Research Network.
5. (SBU) Teutsch highlighted three UFZ projects: ALARM,
SMART and Risk Habitat Megacities. ALARM is a European
project that focuses on the impact of the loss of natural
pollinators like honeybees and the impact on the food supply.
SMART works with developing nations to build decentralized
waste water treatment and reuse plants. The Megacities
project studies cities in the global south with populations
over 10 million people. The same day, ECONOFF visited the
Leibniz Institute for Meteorological Research, where German
scientists are using dust particles to form and study clouds.
The group then visited the Leipzig Zoo and the Max Planck
Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology to speak with animal
behavior experts there. The researchers explained the tests
they are doing with chimpanzees, bonobos, and gorillas to
distinguish between individual mental capabilities and
socially-learned skills.
6. (SBU) On April 17, ECONOFF visited the Fraunhofer
Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems in Dresden.
Scientists there are developing non-metallic materials for a
range of practical uses. The Institute for Material and Beam
Technology, located in the same compound, uses laser
precision cladding to repair industrial tools. The Electron
Beam and Plasma Technology Institute focuses on plasma
activated high rate deposition and pulse magnetron
sputtering. The Leibniz Institute for Polymer Research has
many projects investigating the macromolecular and physical
chemistry of polymers. The study tour continued with a trip
to the Dresden International Graduate School for Biomedicine
and Bioengineering where significant genetic and stem cell
research is taking place. The trip finished with a quick
tour of the VW car factory that produces the high-end Phaeton
vehicle.
TIMKEN JR
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR INR, OES, EEB, EUR
PLEASE PASS NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: TBIO TNGD TPHY TRGY TSPL SENV ENRG PREL GM
SUBJECT: EDUCATION AND RESEARCH MINISTRY SHOWCASES GERMAN
RESEARCH INSTITUTES
1. (SBU) Summary: There are four major scientific research
institutes in Germany, each with tens of affiliated research
centers. The institutes are entirely funded by the German
federal and individual state governments. The German
Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF) sponsored a
two-day study tour for science attaches of foreign missions
in Berlin. Participants visited six research institutes in
Leipzig and Dresden. This cable includes general information
about the structure, funding and staffing of the four major
research associations in Germany. End Summary.
2. (SBU) There are four major scientific research institutes
in Germany: the Max Planck Institute, the Leibniz Institute,
the Helmholtz Association and the Fraunhofer Institute. Max
Planck focuses on basic research. Leibniz handles both basic
and some applied research. Helmholtz also does both basic
and applied research. Fraunhofer focuses more on
application: about two-thirds of its work is contract
research on behalf of industry and one-third is
market-oriented basic research.
3. (SBU) The Helmholtz Association consists of 15 research
centers with 250 institutes. It has an annual budget of 2.4
billion euros. About 90 percent of this funding comes from
the federal level and 10% of funding comes from the state
government. In contrast, the funding structure for the other
three institutes is 50% federal and 50% state and overall
budgets are also much lower. There are 56 Fraunhofer
Institutes in Germany with an annual budget of nearly 1.3
billion euros, including 38 million euros annually for
defense and security research. Max Planck has 80 locations
with an annual budget of 1.45 billion euros. Leibniz has 83
centers and a budget of 1.1 billion euros per year.
4. (SBU) ECONOFF visited the Helmholtz Center for
Environmental Research (UFZ) in Leipzig on April 16. Georg
Teutsch, the scientific director of UFZ, said no tax money is
spent on wind research (since technologies are already in the
market) but money is spent on developing biofuels and
photovoltaics (solar cells). Teutsch also noted that no BMBF
money is spent on nuclear energy research, "there is research
going on but it is not funded by the (BMBF) ministry". UFZ
works with "seven sisters" (including institutes in Finland,
Denmark, England, Holland, Italy and France) as part of the
European Environmental Research Network.
5. (SBU) Teutsch highlighted three UFZ projects: ALARM,
SMART and Risk Habitat Megacities. ALARM is a European
project that focuses on the impact of the loss of natural
pollinators like honeybees and the impact on the food supply.
SMART works with developing nations to build decentralized
waste water treatment and reuse plants. The Megacities
project studies cities in the global south with populations
over 10 million people. The same day, ECONOFF visited the
Leibniz Institute for Meteorological Research, where German
scientists are using dust particles to form and study clouds.
The group then visited the Leipzig Zoo and the Max Planck
Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology to speak with animal
behavior experts there. The researchers explained the tests
they are doing with chimpanzees, bonobos, and gorillas to
distinguish between individual mental capabilities and
socially-learned skills.
6. (SBU) On April 17, ECONOFF visited the Fraunhofer
Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems in Dresden.
Scientists there are developing non-metallic materials for a
range of practical uses. The Institute for Material and Beam
Technology, located in the same compound, uses laser
precision cladding to repair industrial tools. The Electron
Beam and Plasma Technology Institute focuses on plasma
activated high rate deposition and pulse magnetron
sputtering. The Leibniz Institute for Polymer Research has
many projects investigating the macromolecular and physical
chemistry of polymers. The study tour continued with a trip
to the Dresden International Graduate School for Biomedicine
and Bioengineering where significant genetic and stem cell
research is taking place. The trip finished with a quick
tour of the VW car factory that produces the high-end Phaeton
vehicle.
TIMKEN JR