Tackling Grand Challenges: The future will be good
Our mission for the Adlershof Science City was initially to create jobs. We have fulfilled this mission. Today, more than 35,000 people work and study in Germany’s most modern technology park. And Adlershof has built up an excellent international reputation over the past three decades.
The task now is to make creative contributions to mastering the major global technological challenges together with the people who work here and by making full use of the excellent infrastructure culture. We would like to join the goal of Berlin's three major universities and the Charité, which have set out to “jointly shape Berlin as an integrated research space that is particularly dedicated to addressing global challenges – Grand Challenges”.
To this end, we want to create a network for researchers and companies to cooperate on an interdisciplinary basis. The development and use of new materials and technologies will be crucial to solving such challenges, which include climate change in particular.
Our response to the global challenges
Adlershof is a strong location. But how will the campus develop further?
The five main questions are:
- What are the goals?
- How does Adlershof see itself as part of the Science City Berlin?
- What is the significance of ‘Grand Challenges’?
- How can the coordination of science and politics be improved?
- How to deal with the space?
WISTA Management GmbH, as the operating company of the technology park, sets clear thematic priorities. It remains important for the further successful positioning to attract future-oriented companies that focus on the major societal challenges, the “Grand Challenges”, such as sustainability, climate protection and energy.
A new interdisciplinary competence center for “Grand Challenges”, complementing the existing technology centers, should help in this and also promote internationalization, because the big questions of the future can only be answered with global cooperation. Increased support for start-ups is also an integral part of this strategy for the future.
The Adlershof Mission “Grand Challenges” has begun. Join us!
Focus Topics
Grand Challenges that we are tackling in Adlershof:
>>Climate Protection and Energy
Climate protection requires an international energy turnaround for an efficient and resilient energy system.
The use of ICT infrastructures and digitization tools will be crucial for this.
>>Circular Materials Management
Resource scarcity and environmental consequential damage make intelligent circular economy a requirement of sustainable economics.
>>5G and Digital Infrastructure
We want to turn the Adlershof Technology Park into a real-world laboratory for digitalization. The digital networking in the Technology Park is already unique within a radius of almost 1,000 kilometers.
Grand Challenges: What's going on in Adlershof...?
Articles
New department at HZB: ‘AI and Biomolecular Structures’
Andrea Thorn, head of the department, brings many years of experience in AI-based tools for structural biology:
Since 1 July 2025, Dr. Andrea Thorn has been setting up the new AI and Biomolecular Structures department at HZB. A biophysicist with many years of experience in AI-based tools for structural biology, she is looking…
FBH and HU strengthen cooperation in quantum technologies
Another Joint Lab launched / New professorship for Integrated Quantum Sensors:
With the new Joint Lab Integrated Nonlinear Quantum Optics, the Ferdinand-Braun-Institut (FBH) and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin are strengthening their strategic partnership in the emerging field of quantum…
Diffusion of hydrogen in MXene investigated at HZB
Modelling offers a solid foundation for further research with MXene as hydrogen storage systems:
Two-dimensional (2D) materials such as MXene are of great interest for hydrogen storage. An expert from HZB has investigated the diffusion of hydrogen in MXene using density functional theory. This modelling provides…
HZB and National University Kyiv-Mohyla Academy start cooperation
Memorandum of Understanding signed for collaborative research, academic exchange, and capacity-building in energy and climate:
Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie GmbH (HZB) and the National University of “Kyiv-Mohyla Academy” (NaUKMA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The MoU serves as the starting point for…
MAX IV and BESSY II initiate new collaboration to advance materials science
Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin signed a 5-year cooperation agreement with the Swedish national synchrotron laboratory MAX IV:
Swedish national synchrotron laboratory MAX IV and Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) with BESSY II light source jointly announce the signing of a 5-year Cooperation Agreement. The new agreement establishes a framework to…
