THIS MONTH

The prominent German research institute the Max Planck Society (MPS) will establish its first subsidiary on US soil at Florida Atlantic University’s campus in Palm Beach County. The legally independent Max Planck Florida Institute will be located near the Scripps Florida biomedical research institute in Jupiter, FL, and will focus on developing noninvasive imaging methods for molecular and cellular imaging of tissue. The research centre is expected to begin operation before the end of the year.

The state of Florida initially contacted MPS with the hope that persuading the organization to open a research centre in Palm Beach County would attract other research institutions and biotech firms to the area. “The fact that Florida officials have specifically invited a German research organization as their sole partner from abroad represents a triumph for German science as a whole,” says MPS president Peter Gruss. To help establish a Floridian bioimaging cluster, the local Max Planck institute will work to create spin-off companies, provide the region with a skilled biotech workforce, and share its research findings with local biotech firms.

Employing approximately 150 people, the research centre will be funded by Florida taxpayers, private funds, and research grants. Palm Beach County has already approved an US$87 million investment to support the institute over the next 10 years, which, when matched with state and other contributions, brings the total amount of expected funding to approximately US$190 million.

Founding an outpost in the Sunshine State is also part of the Max Planck Society’s larger ambition to expand internationally, increasing the size of its applicant pool to deal with a projected shortage of German science and engineering grads. “In the coming years, we will urgently need excellent junior scientists from abroad to remain competitive at an international level,” explains Gruss. “Our aim is to strengthen the presence of German science in countries that are of decisive importance to us.” For the next step of this plan, the institute plans to establish a research centre in Argentina.