Scientific performance

Unless otherwise indicated, the figures refer to the reporting status of the year 2023.

WoS, Scopus or Open Research Europe indexed publications

Scientific publications in peer-reviewed journals are an important measure of scientific productivity. Helmholtz continues to show significant growth. In 2023, 18,655 WoS, SCOPUS or Open Research Europe indexed publications appeared. A change in the counting method led to significantly higher values in 2021 due to a one-time effect. As a result, the number of publications was lower than in the previous year. A look at the last five years shows a continuous increase of about 3 percent per year on average.

International networking is also reflected in the increase in international co-publications. As the current bibliometric report (Frietsch et al. 2024), which was compiled as part of the Pact monitoring, confirms, co-publications with international partners have become increasingly relevant further on for all non-university research institutions. For example, the share of international co-publications in the Helmholtz Association has increased from just under 60 percent to 65 percent in the comparison periods of Pact I 2006-2010 and the current Pact IV 2021-2022. In the same periods, the Helmholtz Association almost doubled its scientific output from just under 13,000 to 23,500 publications.

Nature index 2023

A good measure of the quality of research findings is the number of times they are published in prestigious journals. The Nature Publishing Group releases a ranking of the top 200 research organizations worldwide. The “Nature Index” is based on publications in 82 journals that are independently selected as the most important by two panels of scientists from the fields of physics, chemistry, environmental science, and the life sciences. Helmholtz has ranked among the top ten international institutions for years. The table shows the Nature Index for the period January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2023.

Transfer

Helmholtz researchers significantly boost Germany’s innovative capacity by disseminating knowledge and converting economically valuable results into entrepreneurial endeavors. Accordingly, Helmholtz places an increasing focus on the transfer of knowledge and technology. In the department of transfer and innovation, we work together with the transfer offices of the centers to promote the exchange between science, industry and society through networks, targeted transfer support programs and the development of joint partnerships. In recent years, new instruments have been created for this purpose, such as the Helmholtz Transfer Academies and the Helmholtz Innovation Plattforms.

At 203,2 million euros, income from business collaborations is slightly above the level of previous years, and the number of patent applications, at 496, is slightly below the level of previous years. The number of spin-offs is average at 24. A comparison with previous years shows a further decline in spin-off activity in 2023, back to the level before the COVID 19 pandemic. This is most likely due to the global uncertainties and the global economic downturn - caused by Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and the associated rise in energy prices - which may have discouraged researchers from implementing potential start-up projects.