Annual Report 2024 published: FIZ Karlsruhe positively evaluated

Karlsruhe, 17 July 2025 – FIZ Karlsruhe has published its 2024 annual report - and looks back on an eventful and groundbreaking year. It was also the first year under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Wolfram Horstmann as the new President & CEO. The focus was on the regular science-led evaluation by the Leibniz Senate, which takes place every seven years. This was successfully completed in 2024 - an important milestone for the institute and the result of active teamwork. The Senate's statement is now available: FIZ Karlsruhe was certified as having very good to excellent performance.

The year was also characterized by significant scientific impetus - for example in the field of artificial intelligence (AI). The “Information Service Engineering” and “Intellectual Property Rights” research units were expanded in terms of personnel and structure, new departments were established and clear specialist priorities were set. Dr. Genet Asefa Gesese (Machine Learning) and Dr. Jörg Waitelonis (Knowledge Graphs) head the new ISE departments, while Dr. Dr. Grischka Petri leads the new copyright department.

A special highlight: The first legal commentary on the EU Criminal Law Enforcement Directive (2016/680), edited by Prof. Dr. Franziska Boehm (FIZ Karlsruhe) and Prof. Dr. Eleni Kosta (Tilburg University), was published by Oxford University Press in January 2024. The publication sets an important accent in the debate on European data protection in the law enforcement context.

A clear commitment to open science: Prof. Dr. Wolfram Horstmann has signed the Barcelona Declaration on the Openness of Research Information on behalf of FIZ Karlsruhe. The institute thus actively supports the expansion of open data infrastructures and free access to scientific knowledge. FIZ Karlsruhe is already making concrete contributions to transparency, traceability and academic freedom with services such as zbMATH Open and an institutional Open Access policy.

FIZ Karlsruhe's scientific services also achieved significant successes in 2024. ICSD, the world's leading database for inorganic crystal structure, was awarded the prestigious CoreTrustSeal for trustworthy data archives. The seal confirms the quality of data curation, scientific expertise and sustainable access to data.

zbMATH Open also received international recognition when it was awarded the first Jean-Pierre-Demailly Prize for Open Science in Mathematics by the French Mathematical Society together with partner institutions. The innovative strength in the development of new search functions and interfaces as well as the commitment to open science were particularly recognized.

With the launch of the thematic portal “Right-wing violence” - developed in cooperation with the Federal Archives and the State Archives of Baden-Württemberg - FIZ Karlsruhe is also setting a socially highly relevant example. The new platform within the German Digital Library links historical sources and current research and thus promotes analyzing and dealing with right-wing violence in Germany.

FIZ Karlsruhe is following its sustainability goals in the area of building development and use of resources: greening inner courtyards and roofs creates new habitats for insects and improves the microclimate. This is complemented by energy-efficient roof renovations, modern LED technology and a new photovoltaic system - concrete measures for the responsible use of energy and the environment.

The Annual Report 2024 reflects an institute that is developing dynamically - with a strong scientific foundation, growing international networking and a clear strategic focus. “I cordially invite you to explore our progress and plans on the following pages,” writes Prof. Horstmann in the foreword. Please accept his invitation!

The Annual Report 2024 is available at
https://www.fiz-karlsruhe.de/sites/default/files/FIZ/Dokumente/Jahresberichte/Jahresbericht-2024.pdf