Large-scale research facilities and unique research infrastructures are not simply an end in themselves. They enable outstanding research and bring bright minds together. In short, they open the door to pioneering innovations.
Progress stems from new knowledge and new discoveries. Some things are so tiny, so huge, or so complex that they can only be studied using special facilities. At the European Laboratory for Particle Physics (CERN), for example, experts use gigantic particle accelerators to answer the question of what holds our world together at its very core. The Hubble Space Telescope searches for stars, galaxies, and black holes in the farthest reaches of space. And at Jülich, the exascale supercomputer JUPITER is used to simulate our Earth and our climate with an unprecedented level of spatial detail.
As a member of the Helmholtz Association, Forschungszentrum Jülich is ideally positioned to facilitate cutting-edge research using state-of-the-art infrastructure. Jülich is home to some of Europe’s most powerful facilities for science and industry – supercomputers, with their wide range of applications, are just one example. “With our systems and facilities, we are strengthening Germany’s position as a hub for innovation and making an important contribution to the Federal Government’s High-Tech Agenda,” stresses Prof. Astrid Lambrecht, Chair of the Board of Directors. “In doing so, we help to address the challenges facing humanity – such as the energy transition and climate change. And we provide the tools needed to harness artificial intelligence, which also help to study the brain and the changes it undergoes with age.
Jülich’s electron microscopes, for example, reveal the structures of materials, viruses, and human cells. Infrastructures in climate and environmental research have, in some cases, been helping for decades to collect extensive data, simulate processes, and improve models. The Germany-wide TERENO network, for example, monitors the regional impact of climate change; the European IAGOS infrastructure uses passenger aircraft as a measurement platform for atmospheric research; and the Jülich Plant Phenotyping Center uses high-throughput methods to investigate the properties of plants with the aim of improving them sustainably.
Jülich not only operates research infrastructures but also develops them, including various quantum systems and a much-needed new neutron source – the High Brilliance Neutron Source. Neutrons can be used to investigate materials for applications such as batteries and solar cells in a targeted way.
The advantage of such large-scale infrastructures is that they enable scientific innovations that could otherwise not be achieved. Another important factor is that they bring together leading scientists from around the world and across disciplines. This accelerates new discoveries that benefit people, science, and industry. In this cover story, we present three examples of how this works in practice.
With our systems and facilities, we help address challenges such as the energy transition and climate change, and provide tools for harnessing artificial intelligence and studying the brain.
In the 1950s, large-scale research in Germany experienced a major boost, particularly through the construction of particle accelerators and research reactors. Jülich, too, began its nuclear research in 1956. However, the Nuclear Research Centre Jülich (KFA), as it was officially known from 1961 onwards, also engaged from an early stage with topics such as medicine, biology, and agriculture. Many of Jülich’s current research fields and infrastructures have a long history. Today, Forschungszentrum Jülich – as it has been known since 1990 – is focused on energy, information, and the bioeconomy. It is not only the research topics that have changed, but also the research infrastructures: increasingly, these are no longer individual pieces of equipment, but large, sometimes international networks.
What is a research infrastructure?
The German Science and Humanities Council, the highest science policy advisory body in Germany, distinguishes between four types:
1. Instruments and large-scale facilities such as particle accelerators and telescopes
2. Information infrastructures such as collections, archives, data collections, and databases
3. Information technology infrastructures such as supercomputers and computational grids
4. Social research infrastructures such as research and meeting centres
This text is taken from the 1/26 issue of effzett. Text: Arndt Reuning
