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6 Forschungszentrum Jülich | Annual Report 2012 Preface by the Board of Directors E normous research effort is required to ensure that we will be able to satisfy society’s future demand for energy in a climate-smart and sustainable manner. Forschungszentrum Jülich will therefore concentrate to an even greater degree on laying the scientific and technical groundwork for the transformation of our energy system, particularly in terms of material systems for energy provision. In 2012, our commitment to this strategy was reflected in the significant expansion of energy research at Jülich. With the reorganization of this field of research, the number of subinstitutes involved in energy research increased from six in the former Institute of Energy research to a total of ten in its newly founded successor, the Institute of Energy and Climate Research. New areas include the research field of fundamental electrochemistry. Jülich energy research thus benefits from the creation of additional leadership posi- tions and, in the future, new young investigators groups. It will also profit from energy-relevant research projects in other institutes of Forschungszentrum Jülich. More resources are planned for this field, particularly in the area of key technologies. Overall, we are investing tens of millions in the expansion of our energy research infrastructure. In the coming funding period of the Helmholtz Association, Forschungszentrum Jülich plans to increase the funds for energy research in the field of Energy alone by more than a third to a sum of € 76.5 mil- lion. We want to consolidate our position as a leading German research institution in exploring material systems for the provision of energy in the future – and we want to do so internationally. Selected examples of such new ma- terials are presented in this Annual Re- port. They include innovative steel for fuel cells and a smart material mix con- taining silicon for solar cells. New stor- age technologies are also of utmost im- portance, because renewables are not always available when they are urgently needed. Together with Helmholtz part- ners and selected universities, Jülich scientists are working on a number of projects to ensure the greatest opera- tional safety possible, increase the performance and lifetime of storage systems, and reduce the material requirements and costs. Concepts for sustainable mobility are also important to make the transformation of the ener- gy sector a reality. Jülich scientists have published a comprehensive study on the impact that the political target of six million electric cars on German roads in the year 2030 will have on the electricity grid and the climate. Forschungszentrum Jülich is involved in the entire value chain of research and development – from the very first “Forschungszentrum Jülich is involved in the entire value chain of research and development – from the very first laboratory experiment to technology transfer to industry.” laboratory experiment to technology transfer to industry. In this Annual Re- port, you will also read about how a company uses renewable energies to produce fuels from the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide and water, employing know-how from Jülich. On Forschungszentrum Jülich’s cam- pus, we have also committed to the sus- tainable use of energy and other re- sources and established the Sustainable Campus staff unit. The first projects, such as energy-efficient new buildings and a bike-friendly campus, were already implemented in 2012. Forschungszentrum Jülich thus high- lights the pivotal role of energy research – and plays an important part in key forward-looking projects in European science. For example, the Human Brain Project was selected in early 2013 as a ‘flagship’ in the EU programme Future and Emerging Technologies. With fund- ing to the tune of up to € 100 million per year, researchers from 23 countries are planning to simulate the human brain on a supercomputer of the future. Their goal is a better understanding of the brain, which will help to improve the diagnosis and treatment of brain