Bringing Research to Life By the DAAD

The strengths of German research traditionally lie in mechanical engineering, chemistry, medicine, physics and mathematics. Some disciplines of the humanities also play an outstanding role. German scientists and research institutes are world leaders in biomedicine and medical engineering, in environmental research and automotive engineering, and in engineering, in general. But German scientists and researchers also play their part in the world's top groups in the future fields of optical technologies, microsystems engineering, neurosciences, biotechnology and process engineering. In 2003, more than 13 000 German inventions were patented throughout Europe, meaning that almost one quarter of all European patents are based on developments made by German scientists. And Germany actually comes 1st in the field of nanotechnology.

So, research in Germany is particularly attractive for international academics and scientists: guests from many countries carry out research at Germany's universities and scientific institutes. Alone 20 000 foreign researchers are supported by German funding organisations, while a large number of scientists additionally finance their stays in Germany by other means.

From Automobile Nation to High-Tech Centre

Around 10 per cent of all the Nobel Prizes ever awarded went to German scientists. In the past 15 years, the work of eight German researchers has been acknowledged in the form of a Nobel Prize. This places German third, behind the United States and Britain. A total of 27 German researchers have received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 22 in Physics, and 15 in Medicine respectively Physiology.

Germany enjoys a tradition of outstanding research and development. These roots begin with Johannes Gutenberg's book printing via Carl Friedrich Benz's automobile and Einstein's Theory of Relativity through to Karlheinz Brandenburg's MP3 format. Moreover, the invention of the refrigerator, the neon lamp, the tram, the glider or the smartcard all go back to the work of German scientists.

Innovative Force and Strong Trade Marks

The inventions, knowledge and understanding produced by German scientists represent milestones in science and research and form a basis for modern technologies:
- The discovery of x-rays paved the way for the use of computed tomography in medical diagnostics,
- the Braun Tube created the basis for the development of the television,
- the first programmable calculator - Z3 - was the forerunner to the present-day computer, and
- the Haber-Bosch process is still considered today to be the most important and most economical way of producing ammonia. 90% of all fertilisers are made from ammonia.

So, science and research and business and industry go hand-in-hand, and German companies successfully market numerous research findings by German scientists as innovative products. World famous examples include products like Ferrari red, Aspirin, Adidas trainers, polymethyl methacrylate (perhaps better known as Plexiglas, Perspex or Lucite), spark plugs, electric motors and the German car engine. GMR read heads for computer hard disks, liquid crystals for use in LCD technology, dirt-repelling paints with Lotus Effect, MP3 format and language recognition are all products with innovation. Further information on German inventors and inventions is provided by the German Patent and Trade Mark Office.