Fritz Haber Institute Part of New Berlin Research Alliance BR 50

The new alliance will facilitate the coordination between the various research organisations outside of the higher education sector in Berlin and provide a platform for the development of joint research strategies. The BR 50 will also provide a centralised contact point for the collaboration with Berlin universities and knowledge exchange with both the general public and policy makers. The BR 50 comprises most of the circa 50 research institutes and centres in the Berlin area. The Max Planck Society is represented by the Fritz Haber Institute as well as other Max Planck Institutes in the city. The alliance represents research areas in all scientific disciplines. The founding coordinator representing the natural sciences will be Prof. Dr. Ulrich Panne, who is currently president of the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM) in Berlin. The BR 50 will, so says Panne, "build many important bridges for the exchange between science, the public and politics."

Many BR 50 members are part of the other big German scientific organisations such as the Leibniz Association, the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres, the Fraunhofer Society as well as the German Federal Research Centres. The BR 50 thus forms a counterpart to the Berlin University Alliance (BUA) outside of higher education. A central office will coordinate the activities of the BR 50.