Within the Helmholtz Association five large-scale facilities for research with photons organized in the PNI programme are currently being operated. These are the storage rings ANKA(FZK), BESSY II(HZB), and DORIS III(DESY), the first operating linac driven VUV free electron laser FLASH(DESY) and PETRA III(DESY). The latter is the lowest emittance high-energy synchrotron radiation source worldwide. The largest fraction of the beamtime at these sources is dedicated to serve a large and still growing user community of about 4500 users every year at present. The research topics targeted range from the investigation of atoms, molecules and cluster, via the various topics of solid state physics, chemistry and life sciences to materials, environment and geo-science. In addition, a new sources are under construction:  The European XFEL (DESY) to be built in Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein will be a truly revolutionary source in terms of photon beam parameters. Groundbreaking took place in January 2009.

Research with neutrons crucially relies on large-scale facilities. Within Germany, the design, construction and operation of large-scale facilities is a task of the Helmholtz association and of the Technical University of Munich (TUM). The Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) runs the medium flux reactor BER II in Berlin. The Helmholtz association is also substantially contributing to the instrumentation of FRM II at TUM through the Jülich Centre for Neutron Science (JCNS) and the German Engineering Materials Science Centre (GEMS). Sources as well as centres complement each other by their differing focus.

BER II and FRM II are essential components in the international network of neutron sources. The participation in the instrumentation of SNS, a MW spallation source in the US, is supposed to pave the way for the planned European Spallation Source ESS. 

Atomic physics, plasma physics and materials research at heavy ion facilities address many open questions in basic research and applied sciences. At GSI, a broad user community makes use of the intense and brilliant beams delivered by the accelerator facilities covering all ion species in virtually all charge states at energies ranging from 1 MeV/u up to more than 1 GeV/u. With respect to intensities, the storage ring encompasses a large dynamical range providing highest intensities for electron-cooled ion beams but accomplishes also precision experiments for one single ion only.

The present opportunities for PNI related research at GSI will be significantly extended for atomic physics by the new trap facility HITRAP (Highly-charged Ion Trap), for materials research by the three new UNILAC beam lines (M-branch), and for plasma physics by the high-power and high-energy laser PHELIX  (Petawatt High-Energy Laser for Heavy Ion Experiments) and the upcoming intensity upgrade of SIS18. The combination of high energy intense heavy-ion bunches with a high-energy laser is a world-wide unique tool for plasma physics. A new dimension in heavy-ion and also anti-matter research can be anticipated by the future FAIR facility (Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research) where an intensity increase of a factor of 100 for stable and of up to 10000 for exotic ion species as well as highly relativistic energies will be provided. In addition, the FAIR facilities will be the most intense source of antiprotons for antimatter research.