Are We Doing the Right Things?

Perspectives – Prof. Martin Keller

June 2026

_{President of the Helmholtz Association} _{Prof. Martin Keller}

Real change often begins with a deceptively simple question: are we doing the right things?

After around three decades in the United States, and only recently back in Germany, I see a country that has every reason to be confident. Germany’s research system is strong, internationally competitive and strategically well placed. The challenge is not a lack of knowledge. The challenge is turning that knowledge into impact more consistently.

That means strengthening application-oriented research and connecting it more closely to the needs of society, to markets and to concrete technological challenges. Excellent science remains the foundation. But excellence alone is not enough if ideas do not find their way into use.

This is the ambition behind the Hightech Agenda Deutschland. It focuses on six key technology fields, including biotechnology, artificial intelligence and climate-neutral energy. These are not distant future topics. They are practical levers for improving health, strengthening security and securing economic competitiveness.

"The Helmholtz Association acts as a catalyst in this transformation: a place where disciplines meet, research data is shared and alliances form across sectors."

— Prof. Martin Keller

The Helmholtz Association acts as a catalyst in this transformation: a place where disciplines meet, research data is shared and alliances form across sectors. Research reaches its full potential when it is aligned more closely with industrial needs and when public-private partnerships become easier, faster and more open.

The life sciences show how powerful that interplay can be. Here, scientific knowledge and social responsibility are inseparable, especially when researchers develop new therapies for diseases that remain difficult or impossible to treat today.

At Forschungszentrum Jülich, scientists are advancing precisely these kinds of innovations. Their work is opening new perspectives on the fight against cancer, neuropathic pain and other serious diseases. It shows what can happen when curiosity, technological ambition and a clear sense of purpose come together.

Innovation at the Helmholtz Association

_{Source: Phil Dera}

Mehrere Geräte, ein Gehirn und zerknülltes Papier auf orangefarbenem Hintergrund. (Mistral: Mistral Medium 3.5, 2026-06-30)

Perspectives: The new Issue

Some diagnoses change the way we view our own lives, often leading to a long road, full of uncertainty and unanswered questions.

In this issue, we meet researchers who are developing new approaches to treating cancer, chronic pain and other diseases. Their work is producing insights that could one day change how we view these diagnoses.

» Download Issue (German, PDF)