Accelerators 2021

German Nobel Laureates in physics and chemistry in 2020 and 2021 and the rapid development of a COVID-19 vaccine through the outstanding research and development work in the BioNTech company: These are spectacular scientific breakthroughs that impressively show the strong German role in worldwide fundamental and applied research. To open up completely new possibilities of knowledge generation, DESY has a highly ambitious future plan at its two sites to shape the research campus of the 21st century. Here, applied research that leverages the potential of cutting-edge research infrastructures and rapid transfer to industry and society will be promoted and shaped in a smart “ecosystem”. To implement this plan in a highly competitive environment, we need to get important construction projects under way quickly in the current funding period so as not to fall behind internationally. This applies to the various construction projects in the areas of research, transfer and knowledge communication on the DESY sites in Hamburg and Zeuthen, but especially to the PETRA IV project, the world-leading lighthouse in research with synchrotron radiation. With the newly developed revolutionary storage ring technology, the hybrid six-bend achromat (H6BA) lattice, we are pushing the performance of German and European light sources ahead of those in the USA and China. The lessons learned from the coronavirus pandemic and the acute climate crisis are forcing us to leave our comfort zones. For us at DESY, this means that we are questioning the daily life we have become used to. How will we work and conduct research at DESY in the future? How and how much will we travel in the future? How will we organise a sustainable research campus in the future? How do we coordinate climate-friendly operation for users at our largescale research facilities without any compromises in quality? Will it then still be possible to be appealing to new user groups from academia and industry? If we find the right answers and smart solutions, I am convinced that DESY will remain a future-oriented research centre, perhaps even more diverse and even more climate- and family-friendly, and continue to attract the best talents from all over the world. In October 2021, we were privileged to host the award ceremony for this year’s Karl Heinz Beckurts Prize at DESY. The Karl Heinz Beckurts foundation, which confers the prize, was established by the Helmholtz Association together with Siemens AG. Alongside the prize winner Vasilis Ntziachristos (Helmholtz Zentrum München and TU München), Ingmar Hoerr (formerly CureVac), Ugur Sahin and Özlem Türeci (BioNTech) were also honoured with a special prize. The guests included Roland Busch, CEO of Siemens, who was very impressed by the tour of the DESY site. Personally, I was touched by the first names of the award winners: Vasilis, Ingmar, Ugur, Özlem. There is no shorter or better way to show where our future lies – DESY has lived this diversity since its foundation. This year, DESY signed the Diversity Charter (“Charta der Vielfalt”), thus becoming part of Germany’s largest diversity network. DESY is actively committed to a diverse and prejudice-free working environment and to the appreciation of all employees regardless of their gender and gender identity, nationality, ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age, sexual orientation and identity. Here at DESY, we attach great importance to an appreciative working atmosphere, the equality of all employees and a better work–life balance. Since September 2021, the Start-up Labs Bahrenfeld, a project jointly managed by DESY, Universität Hamburg and the City of Hamburg, has been the new place for science entrepreneurship on DESY’s research campus. The variety of fields covered by our young entrepreneurs is huge, ranging from synchronisation systems to individualised tests for diagnosing cancer. DESY and the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences (HAW Hamburg) agreed on a new strategic Cooperation for Application and Innovation (KAI) with a focus on joint research and development programmes, dual education as well as innovation and technology transfer. KAI will help shape Hamburg’s structural transformation into a science and innovation metropolis in northern Germany. Finally, I would like to mention our public outreach format “Wissen vom Fass” (Science on tap), in which scientists from Universität Hamburg and DESY explain science topics to the public and answer exciting questions from the world of research. This year, the event was purely digital, but it was just as entertaining and enjoyable for everyone as before. In these challenging times, I would like to thank our staff and all our national and international users and partners for their valuable contribution to DESY. Please remain very careful in this tricky winter period and beyond. I wish you all the best!