Geographically located in the extended Rhein-Necker area and with a distance of just 56 km between the Rectorate in Heidelberg and the Presidium in Karlsruhe, the oldest university and the largest scientific institution in Germany are not only located in the immediate vicinity. Heidelberg University and KIT (or its predecessor institutions) have maintained good neighborly relations for decades by cultivating diverse collaborations in research and teaching. It has always been helpful here that both are largely complementary in terms of their scientific focus. In both institutions, strong basic research as well as transformative research are conducted.
The KIT has strong engineering and all the characteristics of a national research centre, while at the University of Heidelberg, the life sciences together with the medical faculties and university hospitals occupy a leading position. Both institutions also show synergy potential within their very strong natural sciences.
