The open structure of our university creates an excellent basis for knowledge transfer and cluster development: several Leibniz prize winners bear testament to this. Life sciences incorporating the interdisciplinary interaction of medicine and natural sciences are a core research area. There are six Collaborative Research Centres for outstanding achievement in biology, medicine and physics as well as many co-operations on a national (Forschungszentrum Jülich) and international level. Five Research Training Groups provide excellent training for young scientists and scholars. Moreover, the university has strong ties to the regional economy.