Fraunhofer IGD is the world's leading institute for applied research in Visual Computing. Visual Computing is image- and model-based information technology and includes computer graphics, computer vision, as well as virtual and augmented reality.

We develop prototypes and complete solutions based on customer-specific requirements. Our research and development projects are directly applicable to current problems in the economy.

Darmstadt's science and conference centre was built between 2005 and 2007 based on the plans of Talik Chalabi and Paul Schroeder and integrates parts of the old city walls. The complex offers a climate-friendly environment for conferences and is almost completely run on renewable energies. The name of the centre comes from chemical element 110, Darmstadtium, which was discovered in 1994 by the GSI (Society for Heavy Ion Research) in Darmstadt.

The darmstadtium is certified for accessibility in the "Reisen für Alle" project.

- Certified accessibility: accessible for people with walking impairments

- Certified accessibility: (partly) accessible for wheelchair users

The detailed information can be found here: www.reisen-fuer-alle.de/darmstadtium_249.html

The Bauverein AG was founded in 1864 under the leadership of the chief steward Paul von Westerweller by a committee of Darmstadt citizens, with the aim of making affordable accomodation available to the working class. Today, the Bauverein sees itself as an organisation whose purpose is to ensure that broad sections of the population have access to reasonably-priced living quarters.

The Higher Vocational School, founded in 1836, became the Technical High School in 1877 and is, since 1997, a Technical University (TU). The first professorship world-wide for electrical engineering was established in Darmstadt in 1882. Today the TU Darmstadt has around twenty-five thousand students and is the first autonomous, self-governing German university. It belongs to the 100 best universities in the world.

From Darmstadt to the world: our roots go back to 1907. At that time, Dr Otto Röhm founded Röhm & Haas OHG together with Otto Haas, a predecessor company of today's Röhm. In the meantime, Röhm has become a leading supplier of methacrylate chemistry. As a global company with around 3,500 employees, Röhm is represented on four continents. Its broad product portfolio includes the world-renowned PLEXIGLAS® brand.

The scientific foundation for testing and evaluation of safety-relevant components such as car wheels, truck axles and rail vehicle bodies was laid in Darmstadt in the 1930s. Today, 500 staff from different disciplines work together on the campus of the Fraunhofer Institute for Structural Durability and System Reliability (LBF) in four buildings in Bartningstrasse. Industrial contracts and research projects are carried out. Test rigs are available for complete vehicles or ships' motors.

The department of adaptronics develops active components such as sensors for monitoring of aircraft, for vibration control of mechanical structures and for noise reduction. In the LOEWE centre AdRIA, funded by the State of Hessen, the research staff work closely with the Technical University of Darmstadt.

The newest department of the institute is the Centre for System Reliability with emphasis on electromobility. Under the motto "light and electric", concepts for the mobility of the future are under development.

In 1995, the Messel pit was the first German natural monument in the list of the UNESCO World Heritage sites. It provides a unique insight into the early evolution of mammals and documents the development of the Earth 48 million years ago when, after the end of the dinosaur age, explosive changes determined the animal and plant world.

Several 10,000 fossils from the Eocene period have been excavated in the Maarvulkan Lake which was created 48 million years ago, and about 3,000 new finds are added annually. In addition to the high number and diversity of animal and plant fossils, their unique preservation of whole body skeletons, skin and coat shadows, feathers and stomach contents is particularly in the Messel pit.

Guided tours are held every day and invite visitors to discover this unique place. Anyone who visits this place will be amazed by the diversity of topics, which is also reflected in the permanent exhibition "Zeit und Messel Welten" (visitor centre). Here, industrial history, landscape, volcanism, rainforest and evolution are explained. The treasure chamber with several original finds also exerts a great fascination.

Partner of the DARMSTADT CARD:

reduced admission for the visitor centre

Since 1967, space missions have been designed and controlled here in the European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) in Darmstadt. The worldwide network of ESA ground stations is also operated from here in order to maintain contact with the missions. In this control centre, more than 80 ESA missions were operationally supervised from the early start-up phase, including Giotto, Huygens, Envisat, Mars Express, Rosetta, BepiColombo and Solar Orbiter, but also missions from other organisations. ESA's activities in the area of space security to protect against dangers from space are also located here.

Virtual tour:

Through the ESOC in Darmstadt: discover.esa.int

Discover ESA: discover.esa.int

Information on guided tours at ESA Darmstadt: www.darmstadt-tourismus.de/esa

In order to preserve their historic electric trams, HEAG mobilo built this depot on the occasion of their 100th anniversary in 2012. The collection of HEAG trams numbers about a dozen vehicles and can be visited on prior registration.

The Technologie- und Gründerzentrum Verwaltungs-GmbH operates the HUB31. It is a joint project of the Darmstadt Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the City of Science Darmstadt. The centre was opened in December 2017 and targets innovative founders from science and business as well as pre-founder teams.

The HUB31 offers technology-oriented start-ups and freelancers a total of around 4,700 square metres of space for fully equipped offices and coworking areas. Together with partners and sponsors, additional space is also being created for more intensive support of young and newly founded start-ups.

The conference rooms are suitable for groups of 5 to 75 people and can also be hired externally.

LAB³ e.V. stands as the responsible body for the Hessian LABspace infrastructure for the purpose of research, development and teaching. As a young research society, the organisation constitutes transdisciplinary experimental and teaching laboratories and facilitates non-university technology transfer, for example for inventors, founders and reallabs.

The European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT) has had its headquarters in Darmstadt since 1986. From here, a system of meteorological satellites is operated, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. In addition to the data needed for our daily weather forecasts, they provide information used in measuring climate change and global warming.

A look into the past?

The image viewer of EUMETSAT enables the visualisation of more than 35 years of Meteosat Imagery. Starting from 17 Aug 1981, one image of the earth as seen from Meteosat per day can be selected.

pics.eumetsat.int/viewer/index.html

The TURM Observatory is located on the downtown campus of TU Darmstadt on top of the so-called “Uhrturm” and was established in 2020.

With this observatory the TU Darmstadt provides an environment for students to get individual hands-on experience with astronomical observations, e.g., through advanced lab courses, practical demonstrations accompanying lectures, and voluntary student activities. Over the past years the department has developed a strong research programme in theoretical and nuclear astrophysics. However, it did not have research or teaching activities in observational astrophysics or astronomy – a topic which is very attractive for many physics students as well as the general public. The TURM Observatoryare is trying to fill this gap.

The IT security specialists of the Fraunhofer Institute for Secure Information Technology (SIT) in Darmstadt and Sankt Augustin develop ready-to-use solutions fully tailored to the needs of their customers.

The researchers address questions of data protection, digital identification and protection of equipment and buildings, an example being secure communication between the cars of the future.

The FTZ - the “Fernmeldetechnisches Zentralamt der Bundespost” (central telecommunications office of the Federal Post Office) was located in Darmstadt from 1949. Until the end of the 1980s, its purpose was the development and control of new communications equipment and systems. In 1989 the FTZ became part of the newly formed Telekom. Part of the FTZ, the technology centre, worked on topics such as multimedia and fibreglass communications. From 2002 to 2005, on the site of the former FTZ, "Telekom-City" was built with several Telekom facilities, among them the internet subsidiary T-Online.

By 2014, the Technology Centre (TZ) Rhein Main had become an open, modern fifty acre office park with 25 highly modern building projects. With many green areas and a comprehensive service offer for tenants, ranging from a medical centre and kindergartens to recreation areas, it promises to support a healthy work-life balance.

In 1908, the aviation pioneer August Euler established Germany's first officially recognised airfield on the "Griesheimer Sand". The US army used the airfield for their helicopters between 1945 and 1992.

A large part of the site has been a nature reserve since 1996. Together with the Technical University of Darmstadt, the Hessian Society for Ornithology and Nature Conservation has set up a permanent exhibition here.

The remainder of the site is used by the university. Lighting engineers, for example, test to what extent newly developed LED rear lights dazzle. Aerodynamic engineers test on two motor gliders how different factors impact the air flow around the aircraft under realistic conditions. Geodesists use the site to develop new applications for satellite navigation systems.

Next door to the airfield, the university owns with the wind tunnel, built in 1936 on the site of the German Research Centre for Glider Flight, a test centre for aerodynamic research for the Institute of Fluid Mechanics and Aerodynamics.