Participating Helmholtz Centers

Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY in Hamburg is one of the world’s leading centres for accelerator research. Its success in building complex facilities and operating high-tech instruments sustainably (e.g. European X-FEL, PETRA III) has attracted a broad community of users, comprising more than 3000 researchers from over 40 nations every year. As part of its ambitious innovation strategy, DESY has gathered extensive experience and expertise in implementing collaborative projects with industry. A holistic transfer project focusing on developing small, compact solutions for future applications in medicine and industry builds upon the pioneering work and academic records set by DESY in the field of laser plasma acceleration.

www.desy.de

The particle accelerator facility operated by GSI Helmholtz Centre for Heavy Ion Research in Darmstadt is in demand worldwide. Researchers come from all over the world to use the accelerated ions for experiments in fields ranging from particle, nuclear, atomic and plasma physics to materials research, biophysics and tumour therapy. As part of its transfer strategy, GSI promotes cooperation with partners in industry and applied research for the purpose of collaborative research and development projects, infrastructure utilisation, contract research and services. GSI has set up an innovation ecosystem so as to network with the relevant partners for the transfer, and it views the Hi-Acts innovation platform as an ideal partner for further expanding and professionalising the fields of infrastructure use and services associated with its accelerator facilities.

www.gsi.de

In addition to its outstanding expertise in the field of compact laser plasma accelerators and its particle accelerators, which are in continuous operation for research projects and commercial contracts, the Helmholtz Centre Dresden-Rossendorf HZDR also boasts a strong interdisciplinary profile in the fields of health, materials and energy research. The centre can draw on its experience in a large number of successful transfer projects and received the Saxon Transfer Award in 2021 for successfully establishing the manufacture of an accelerator-based radiopharmaceutical in a public-private partnership with a company. Furthermore, the transfer company and HZDR spin-off HZDR Innovation GmbH offers a large number of HZDR innovations in the high-tech field.

www.hzdr.de

The Helmholtz Centre Berlin HZB develops and optimises energy and quantum materials for solar cells, catalysts, batteries, solar fuels and microelectronic components. Strategic partners such as the National Metrology Institute (PTB) or the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing  (BAM) use their own facilities at HZB’s BESSY II synchrotron for a range of standardisation procedures. The BAMline specialises in the non-destructive characterisation of materials using various different methods. The PTB uses the Metrology Light Source to develop national standards for radiation in the spectral range from ultraviolet (UV) to hard X-rays. On the platform, the HZB also advocates standards and certificates for the industrial use of accelerator-based systems.

www.helmholtz-berlin.de

In connection with its Institute for Materials Research, the Helmholtz Centre Hereon in Geesthacht operates a central user access platform, the German Engineering Materials Science Centre (GEMS). GEMS offers a globally unique infrastructure for complementary research using photons and neutrons. Hereon will contribute this expertise and the infrastructure surrounding its instruments, in particular the diffraction and tomography beamlines at the PETRA III synchrotron light source at DESY, to the platform. Hi-Acts will allow Hereon to continue to develop its services for industrial users in the field of material analysis and development in a close dialogue with current and future users. A particularly valuable part of this is being able to incorporate new standards in the commercial service portfolio.

www.hereon.de