Science in Berlin: collaborative, diverse, innovative, international
Science is a key social and economic factor for Berlin. It creates jobs and adds value, attracts talent from all over the world, and enriches city life. To ensure that Berlin remains one of the world’s leading centres of science in the future, science must feature even more prominently on the political agenda. This is what BR50 stands for: over 50 non-university research institutions, including the HZB, are joining forces in this network. Following the election in Berlin, BR50 is now addressing politicians with a position paper, accompanied by the campaign “𝗪𝗶𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗳ü𝗿 𝗕𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗶𝗻.”
Berlin’s unique diversity of research provides interdisciplinary answers to pressing questions about the future. Together with research-based museums and cultural institutions, it enriches city life. BR50 plays a central role in promoting the open exchange and transfer of knowledge. In a position paper, the network has set out demands for the future state government with a view to developing the capital, Berlin, into a world-leading centre for research and innovation. The aim is to restore science to a more prominent position in urban policy and to embed this within society.
BR50’s demands include the removal of bureaucratic hurdles, better conditions for spin-offs from the research sector, and a competitive model for joint appointments and career paths that span institutions and sectors.
Academic freedom protects our society. Independent research provides facts, offers guidance and strengthens democratic culture. BR50 is firmly committed to ensuring that political decisions are based on scientific expertise and that the independence of research remains intact.
In close partnership with Berlin’s universities, BR50 creates synergies on many levels – in the development of AI, research and data infrastructures, and in fostering a comprehensively strong research environment in Berlin.
Board member Bernd Rech: “Berlin is a successful city of science and attracts the best minds from all over the world. To maintain this competitive advantage, the state government must continue to fund research infrastructure. Every euro invested here yields a multiple return.”
A recent example: an impact analysis by DIW Econ recently showed that every euro invested in BESSY II actually generates gross value added of ten euros for the State of Berlin.
Increasing visibility
Non-university research institutions have an economic impact that extends far beyond the realm of science. In order for Berlin to build on this strength, research requires reliable framework conditions, greater cooperation, and political influence. With a new campaign, BR 50 aims to raise the profile of science, demonstrate its concrete added value for Berlin, and champion the freedom of science and research. In the coming weeks, we will be featuring voices from the BR 50 network. From mid-October, the campaign will also be visible on posters across Berlin.
- Does African Architecture exist?The world’s first Pan-African Architecture Biennale took place this September in Nairobi, Kenya. People from the worlds of architecture, art, academia and politics from 54 African countries and the diaspora had travelled to Nairobi to exchange ideas on traditional and contemporary building methods, materials, experiences and projects. Samira Aden co-organised this biennial as lead curator. We spoke to her about it.
- Nanosilver as an electrocatalyst for CO₂ reductionVia electrolysis, CO2 can be reduced to CO, a raw material for further chemical products such as fuels. Within the GreenQuest Project, an internation team led by HZB chemist Prashanth Menezes has now systematically investigated catalyst layers made of silver nanoparticles, varying both the size of the particles and their density. The best yield was achieved with nanoparticles with diameters of around 10 nm, which were loosely distributed. Furthermore, they demonstrated how the economic efficiency of the electrochemical cell can be enhanced by integrating an additional chemical reaction at the anode, enabling the simultaneous production of a valuable formic acid, hydrogen, and CO in one device.
- Spin waves inside a nano-oscillator imaged for the first timeFor the first time, researchers have directly imaged the magnetisation dynamics inside a spin Hall nano-oscillator — a nanoscale device that converts direct current into tunable microwave signals and is a promising building block for energy-efficient wireless communication and brain-inspired computing. A Swedish–German team led by the University of Gothenburg and Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) achieved this using time-resolved scanning transmission X-ray microscopy at the MAXYMUS instrument at BESSY II. The results, now published in Advanced Materials, reveal spin-wave features that had escaped previous, indirect measurement techniques.