Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research GmbH UFZ

The Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research GmbH – UFZ was founded in 1991 under the name UFZ- Environmental Research Centre Leipzig-Halle GmbH and has more than 1,100 employees on its premises in Leipzig, Halle/S. and Magdeburg. We conduct research to support a sustainable use of our natural resources to benefit both mankind and the environment.

The UFZ is a member of the Helmholtz Community of German Research Centres .

Our Vision

The UFZ is one of the world’s leading research centres in the field of environmental research, enjoying high social recognition. It demonstrates ways in which a sustainable use of our natural resource base is possible for the benefit of both mankind and the environment.

Our Mission

Biodiversity, functioning ecosystems, clean water and intact soils all make up our natural resource base. In the face of global change, employees at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ are united by the goal of demonstrating ways to combine societal development with a healthy environment.

The UFZ conducts excellent research and takes on a shaping role in the scientific community. As a reliable partner, the UFZ supports the political arena, the economy and the general public to better understand the consequences of human actions on the environment and to develop options for social decision-making processes. For this purpose, the UFZ responds to the stimuli created by society and by producing know-how and technologies that should help to rapidly identify problems comprising conflicting priorities between the environment and society. The UFZ will consequently work on precautionary measures.