Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Zentrum

What Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Zentrum does

Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Zentrum (MLZ) is a publicly funded neutron and positron research center located in Garching, Germany, operated as a scientific cooperation between Technische Universität München (TUM), Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon, and Forschungszentrum Jülich. The facility operates the Forschungs-Neutronenquelle Heinz Maier-Leibnitz (FRM II) reactor, which began operations in 2004 and provides high-intensity neutron and positron beams for scientific research, industrial applications, and medical therapies. MLZ offers over 30 specialized instruments organized by application area (Structure, Nanostructures, Spectroscopy, Imaging, Elemental Analysis, Particle Physics) plus five positron instruments anchored by NEPOMUC, described as the world's most intense positron source. Distinctive capabilities include the MEDAPP fast neutron therapy facility (131 patients treated since 2007) and high-resolution non-destructive testing capable of detecting structures below 100 micrometers.

MLZ serves three primary user segments: academic and fundamental researchers (the dominant user base, accessing beam time through a merit-reviewed proposal system administered via the GhOST online portal), industrial partners requiring neutron-based analysis, isotope production, silicon doping, and quality control testing, and medical institutions conducting cancer treatment and medical isotope research. The facility's user community is global, with international review panels evaluating proposals twice yearly, and 232+ researchers attending the 2025 MLZ User Meeting.

The business model is public-sector infrastructure provision: MLZ provides beam time free of charge to scientific users conditioned on publication of results in peer-reviewed journals acknowledging MLZ, with no commercial revenue generated from beam time. Funding flows primarily from the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) through grant programmes such as ErUM-Pro (€7.6M awarded January 2026 for ten projects over three years), supplemented by state government and partner institution support. Industrial and medical services are provided on a cost-recovery basis through partner institutions rather than as profit-generating activities. MLZ is structured as a Zentrale Wissenschaftliche Einrichtung (central scientific institution) of TUM, is a member of LENS and ERF-AISBL, and is currently operating with the FRM II reactor temporarily offline pending restart.

Name

Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Zentrum

Legal name

Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Zentrum (MLZ)

Website

https://mlz-garching.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Zentrum is a publicly funded neutron and positron research center in Garching, Germany, operating the FRM II reactor and over 30 specialized instruments to serve academic researchers, industrial partners, and medical institutions through free proposal-based beam time access.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Scientific Research Services

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology) (541715), Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516)

SIC

Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Research & Test Reactor Operations (Non-Commercial Power) (EUACADAH)

Keywords

• Neutron scattering research
• Positron beam analysis
• Scientific user facility
• Neutron imaging services
• Isotope production services

Headquarters

HQ city

Garching

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Free Beam Time for Scientific Research: MLZ provides free beam time to scientific users worldwide under the condition that results are published in peer-reviewed journals naming the MLZ. The facility is funded by German government bodies (BMFTR/BMBDF, state governments) with no commercial revenue generated from beam time provision.
2. Industrial and Medical Services: Services include isotope production, silicon doping, non-destructive testing, and neutron therapy. These are provided as part of the research mission rather than commercial revenue-generating activities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

MLZ operates the FRM II research neutron reactor and NEPOMUC positron source, providing access to over 30 specialized instruments (neutron scattering, spectroscopy, imaging, element analysis, particle physics) for materials, energy, life sciences, and IT research. The facility also offers industrial services (non-destructive testing, material development, isotope production, silicon doping) and medical neutron therapy via the MEDAPP facility, with access allocated through a proposal-based peer-reviewed system.

Product overview

The Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Zentrum (MLZ) is a cooperative research facility operated by TUM and Helmholtz Association centers, providing access to neutron and positron research instruments. The portfolio includes over 30 neutron scattering instruments organized by function (Structure, Nanostructures, Spectroscopy, Imaging, Elemental Analysis, Particle Physics) and 5 positron instruments, supplemented by on-site laboratories, sample environment equipment, and the GhOST digital user office system. MLZ offers industrial and medical services including tumor neutron therapy (MEDAPP), isotope production, material development, and non-destructive testing. Access is provided through a proposal-based system with both standard review and Rapid Access options.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Neutron Scattering Instruments

Quantifiable outcome

• Fast neutron therapy achieves results comparable to heavy ion therapy for near-surface tumors
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Technische Universität München (TUM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTUM is the primary host institution for MLZ, operating the FRM II reactor. MLZ is a 'Zentrale Wissenschaftliche Einrichtung' (central scientific institution) of TUM. TUM provides scientific leadership, staff, and infrastructure including the User Office system.
• Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH (FZJ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFZJ operates JCNS (Jülich Centre for Neutron Science) instruments at MLZ including DNS, J-NSE, SPHERES, KWS-1/2/3, MARIA, PANDA, HEiDi, POLI. Provides engineering and technical support through multiple groups.
• Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon (formerly HZG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHereon (formerly Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht) operates instruments at MLZ including SANS-1, NECTAR, REFSANS, STRESS-SPEC through GEMS division. Provides scientific and technical expertise.
• Klinikum rechts der Isar (MRI)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTUM University Hospital's Department of Radiotherapy and Oncology is responsible for conducting neutron therapy treatments at MEDAPP. FRM II provides the neutron irradiation facility while MRI provides medical oversight and treatment delivery.
• LENS - League of advanced European Neutron SourcesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMLZ is a member of LENS, the European network of neutron sources, facilitating collaboration and coordination among European neutron facilities.
• ERF-AISBLminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMLZ is a member of ERF-AISBL (European Research Facility for Synchrotron Radiation and other research infrastructures), supporting European research infrastructure collaboration.
• KFN - Komitee für Forschung mit NeutronenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKFN is the Committee for Research with Neutrons, a German user organization that nominates an observer to the MLZ User Committee and organizes the annual DN (German Neutron Scattering) conference.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon: Hereon is one of MLZ's three partner institutions, operating several instruments at MLZ (SANS-1, NECTAR, REFSANS, STRESS-SPEC). Comparable as a partner operating neutron scattering capabilities within the same cooperative framework, with overlapping research in materials science.

Direct peers

• Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL): ILL is the world's leading continuous neutron source facility in Grenoble, France, operated as a French-German-British intergovernmental partnership. Directly comparable to MLZ as it provides neutron beam access to international scientific users across similar instrument categories (diffraction, spectroscopy, imaging).
• ISIS Neutron and Muon Source: ISIS is the UK's national neutron and muon facility at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory. Comparable to MLZ as a publicly funded neutron source providing proposal-based beam access to academic and industrial researchers, with similar instrumentation portfolio.
• NIST Center for Neutron Research (NCNR): NCNR is the US national neutron facility at NIST, providing neutron beam access to academic and industrial users. Comparable to MLZ in mission (publicly funded research reactor with proposal-based access) and instrumentation portfolio.
• Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) - SINQ: PSI operates SINQ, the Swiss spallation neutron source, providing neutron beam access to academic and industrial users. Directly comparable to MLZ in instrument portfolio, user community structure, and industrial service offerings (NDT, isotope production).

Emerging players

• European Spallation Source (ESS): ESS is a next-generation spallation neutron source under construction in Lund, Sweden, designed to be the world's most powerful. Comparable emerging competitor to MLZ that, once operational, will reshape European neutron capacity and compete directly for users and research programs.

Peers

• Forschungszentrum Jülich (FZJ): FZJ is one of MLZ's three partner institutions, operating JCNS instruments at MLZ and hosting its own neutron scattering infrastructure. Comparable as a co-owner and operator of neutron scattering instruments and as a German research infrastructure partner with overlapping scientific scope.

Broad incumbents

• Oak Ridge National Laboratory - SNS/HFIR: ORNL operates the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) and High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR), the most powerful neutron facilities in the US. Comparable broad incumbent providing neutron beam access, with overlapping capabilities to MLZ but at a much larger scale and broader scientific mission.

Regional players

• Materials and Life Science Experimental Facility (J-PARC MLF): J-PARC MLF is the Japanese spallation neutron source at the Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex. Comparable as a major neutron research facility with similar instrument portfolio, but serving primarily the Asian research community rather than competing directly in MLZ's European market.
• Budapest Neutron Centre (BNC): BNC is a smaller Central European neutron facility operated as a consortium of Hungarian institutions. Comparable as a regional neutron source providing similar beam access services but at a smaller scale and primarily serving Central European users.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCupBuiPnpYkDpuJyQrMsvdA/featured
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mlz---heinz-maier-leibnitz-zentrum
• Instagraminstagram.com/frm_II
• Xx.com/mlz_garching
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Zentrum