3 Further Institutes

The Climate Service Center Germany (GERICS) was initiated by the German government in 2009 as part of the German High-Tech Strategy for Climate Protection. Since June 2014, GERICS has been a scientifically independent organizational unit of the Helmholtz Center Hereon. The interdisciplinary team of GERICS develops science-based, prototype products and services to support decision-makers in politics, business and public administration on climate change issues.

The Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity (HIFMB) is a cooperation between the Alfred Wegener Institute and the University of Oldenburg. The research institute based in Oldenburg explores marine biodiversity and its importance for the functioning of marine ecosystems. Scientists at the HIFMB not only investigate the biodiversity changes in a world of transition, they also develop scientific foundations for marine conservation and ecosystem management.

The Research Institute for Sustainability – Helmholtz Centre Potsdam RIFS was founded in 2009 as “Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies IASS”. Integrated into the “Helmholtz Centre Potsdam – German Research Centre for Geosciences GFZ”, RIFS will continue its work under the umbrella of the Helmholtz Association from January 1, 2023. Its scientific focus lies on transformative sustainability research and pursues the goal of better understanding, promoting and shaping processes of societal change towards sustainability.