Bavaria and the Max Planck Society have agreed to establish a Max Planck Institute in Würzburg. Representatives of the University and the University Hospital welcome this decision.
A new Max Planck Institute is to be established in Würzburg in the medium term and two departments of the Max Planck Society (MPG) are to be located there. The Free State of Bavaria and the Max Planck Society laid an important foundation for this today (21 October 2025) and signed a corresponding "Memorandum of Understanding" in Munich. The MPG is currently working on a scientific concept for the planned institute. This internal Max Planck consultation process is focussing on future topics relating to immune medicine and nucleic acid technologies. At a later date, the "Gemeinsame Wissenschaftskonferenz von Bund und Ländern" will discuss the plans.
University President Paul Pauli: Würzburg - a Place of Excellent Science
Paul Pauli, President of Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg (JMU), is delighted with the agreement that has now been reached. "The establishment of a new Max Planck Institute in the field of life sciences is a strong signal for Würzburg as a centre of science: It stands for the courage to work together across the boundaries of specialist disciplines and to develop answers to the central questions of the future of our society. The Max Planck Institute thus emphasises Würzburg's international appeal as a location for excellent science and strengthens our position in the competition for the status of a University of Excellence. We are ready to realise the desired strong networking between non-university and university research through close cooperation between the planned MP departments and chairs at the JMU."
Dean Matthias Frosch: Building on a successful cooperation
"Today's signing of the Memorandum of Understanding once again demonstrates the outstanding research expertise in the life sciences at the University of Würzburg and in university medicine here in particular. The Faculty of Medicine had already supported the establishment of the existing Max Planck Research Group for Systems Immunology with great commitment. We can now build directly on this successful cooperation," explains Prof Dr Matthias Frosch, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine in Würzburg and member of the Board of Directors of the University Hospital of Würzburg.
Prof Frosch continues: "The Max Planck Society's intention to establish a Max Planck Institute in the field of life sciences in the medium term impressively demonstrates that the Faculty of Medicine offers fertile ground for the development of excellent research structures." Frosch sees a further strategic milestone in strengthening the research location by attracting non-university research institutions. "The inclusion of the University Hospital in this co-operation will further strengthen and expand Würzburg as a biomedical research location. I am very grateful to the Bavarian State Government and the Max Planck Society for their strong commitment to Würzburg as a biomedical centre and for recognising the research achievements of university medicine."
Background: Institutes of the Max Planck Society
The Max Planck Society is "Germany's most successful research organisation and is on a par with the world's best and most prestigious research institutions", as the Society writes on its homepage. The current 84 Max Planck Institutes and facilities conduct basic research in the natural sciences, biological sciences, humanities and social sciences in the service of the general public. Max Planck Institutes are involved in research areas that are particularly innovative and require a special financial or time commitment. Their research spectrum is constantly evolving. The Max Planck Society is funded equally by the federal and state governments and is the most important organisation for basic research outside the universities.
Click here for the press release of the Max Planck Society (only in German)
