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The German states (Länder) act as research funding bodies and operate several research institutes which support the research activities of the states. There are more than 160 institutes covering a broad range of research areas.

One example is the Centre for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research (ZSW). The co-founder of ZSW, Professor Dr. Werner H. Bloss, has been conducting pioneering research on unconventional energy transformation since the late 1950s. In 1988, the state of Baden- Württemberg set up ZSW as a nonprofit foundation together with universities, research institutes and companies. One of the key research goals of ZSW is to develop technologies for generating sustainable and climate-friendly electricity. With its approx. 220 staff and 100 student and research assistants  ZSW has established itself as one of the key European institutes in its focal areas.

Facts and Figures

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167 research organisations
in 16 Federal States of Germany (2012)

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8,000 staff;
3,500 scientists and researcher (including municipal institutions)

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539 smillion euro (2009);

for R&D: 264 million (including Municipal institutions)

Research Activities

Research activities are conducted in engineering, the humanities and natural sciences.

Research Budget

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State (Länder) institutions with research missions are primarily state-funded with occasional external funding.