Max Planck Institute for Iron Research

The Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung GmbH is a research institute of the Max Planck Society located in Düsseldorf. Since 1971 it is legally independent and organized in the form of a GmbH, owned and financed equally by the Max Planck Society and the Steel Institute VDEh. It conducts basic research on advanced materials, specifically steels and related metallic alloys.HistoryThe institute was founded as Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for Iron Research in Aachen 1917, with Fritz Wüst being the founding director. It moved 1921 to Düsseldorf and relocated from the "Rheinischen Metallwarenfabrik" to its current location in 1935. In 1943, it move temporarily to Claustahl and in 1946 back to Düsseldorf. The 50% institutional co-sponsoring by industry (by Steel Institute VDEh) determines a unique example of a public private partnership both for the Max-Planck Society and for the European industry and should guarantee a close match between knowledge-oriented and pre-competitive basic research on the one hand and commercial relevance on the other hand.Fields of researchThe Institute plays a central role in enabling progress in the fields of mobility, energy, infrastructure, and safety . The Institute with its international team of about 300 employees is organized in four departments: