PIER PLUS research allianceInterdisciplinary Research Networking in the Hamburg Metropolitan Region

23 April 2024, by Christina Krätzig

Photo: Universität Hamburg / Feuerböther

The event aimed to foster connections between research activities within PIER PLUS, and create new networks.

On 22 April, Universität Hamburg invited around 100 members of the institutions in the PIER PLUS research alliance to Science City Hamburg-Bahrenfeld. A matchmaking event allowed them to network throughout the newly expanded alliance, and forge new networks across the whole of their PIER PLUS profile. The event was opened by president of Universität Hamburg, Prof. Dr. Hauke Heekeren.

PIER PLUS, a research alliance, is intended to increase collaboration between universities and nonuniversity research institutes in the Hamburg Metropolitan Region. Coordinated by Universität Hamburg, the research alliance is constantly growing, striving to increase visibility for research results and strengthen Hamburg as a hub for research.

 On 22 April, the six PIER PLUS profiles presented themselves: PIER Health and Infection, PIER Climate and Coasts, PIER Conflict and Coordination, PIER New Materials, PIER Climate-friendly Mobility, and PIER Science City Hamburg Bahrenfeld. Participants were able to tour the Centre for Structural Systems Biology (CSSB) and the DESY X-Ray radiation source PETRA III technology platforms before a short panel discussion allowed speakers to identify potential linkages and connections to further develop their PIER PLUS profiles. The event aimed to encourage information exchange between research activities within PIER PLUS, to create diverse network opportunities across the whole profile and cross-cutting issues, and foster discussion of innovative research questions.

Eight universities, 13 nonuniversity research institutions

PIER PLUS began as a collaboration between Universität Hamburg and DESY. In its fifth year, it now has 7 additional Hamburg universities: Bucerius Law School, the HafenCity University, the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, the Helmut Schmidt University / University of the Federal Armed Forces Hamburg, the Hochschule für Bildende Künste, Hamburg University of Music and Drama, and the Hamburg University of Technology. Both DESY and Hereon from the Helmholtz Centre are also members of PIER PLUS, as well as four of the Leibniz Institutes: the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, the Institute for Global and Area Studies, the Hans Bredow Institute for Media Research, and the Leibniz Institute of Virology. In addition, PIER PLUS partners include the Max Planck Institutes for Comparative and International Private Law, for Meteorology, and for Structure and Dynamics of Matter, as well as 4 of the Fraunhofer Institutes: Applied Nanotechnology, Additive Production Technologies, Maritime Logistics and Services, and Translational Medicine and Pharmacology. The European XFEL GmbH, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL Hamburg) are also involved.