Max-Planck Institute for Solid State Research, Stuttgart, Germany

What Max-Planck Institute for Solid State Research, Stuttgart, Germany does

The Max-Planck Institute for Solid State Research (MPI-FKF) is a publicly funded, non-profit basic research institute in Stuttgart, Germany, operating as one of approximately 84 institutes under the Max Planck Society (Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Wissenschaften e.V.). Founded in 1948 (institute building 1969), MPI-FKF employs approximately 225 staff across eight research departments — Electronic Structure Theory, Solid State Spectroscopy, Nanoscale Science, Nanochemistry, Solid State Quantum Electronics, Quantum Many-Body Theory, and Quantum Materials — plus multiple independent research groups. The institute conducts fundamental research in condensed matter physics and materials science, with focus areas including quantum materials, nanoscience, nanochemistry, solid-state spectroscopy, and quantum electronics, supported by specialized scientific facilities such as the Precision Laboratory (opened 2012), the Stuttgart Center for Electron Microscopy (StEM), crystal growth facilities, X-ray diffraction, thin film technology, interface analysis, and the forthcoming Accelerated Materials Discovery Laboratory (AMDL).

The institute's technology stack spans quantum matter synthesis (including high-pressure crystal growth of perovskite rare-earth nickelates), advanced electron microscopy (4D-STEM with nanometer electric field reconstruction), DNA-based moiré superlattice fabrication, electron-beam-driven quantum tunneling in plasmonic nanostructures, and AI-accelerated materials discovery via the AMDL initiative. Outputs are disseminated through peer-reviewed publications in Nature, Science, Physical Review Letters, and other leading journals; international conferences and hosted symposia; collaborative research networks with partners including UBC, University of Tokyo, ESRF, KIT, LMU Munich, Tohoku University, Trinity College Dublin, and Fraunhofer; doctoral training through the IMPRS-CMS and Max Planck Graduate Center for Quantum Materials (GC-QM); and technology-transfer partnerships with industry.

MPI-FKF's revenue model is institutional rather than commercial. The institute is funded primarily through the Max Planck Society, which itself receives German federal and state government appropriations, with additional project-specific funding from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), the European Research Council (ERC), and the State of Baden-Württemberg. Notable recent funding flows include €47 million from Baden-Württemberg for AMDL construction (2025/26 Doppelhaushalt) and a €150 million MPG commitment for main building modernization. The institute does not sell products or services commercially; its "customers" in the loosest sense are the global academic research community, collaborative industrial partners, students, and the general public reached through outreach. Strategic leadership includes Managing Director Prof. Bernhard Keimer (Director of Solid State Spectroscopy), Prof. Klaus Kern (Nanoscale Science), Prof. Bettina V. Lotsch (Nanochemistry; Leibniz Prize 2025, Leopoldina 2026), Prof. Jochen Mannhart (Solid State Quantum Electronics), Prof. Dr. Ali Alavi (Electronic Structure Theory), Prof. Dr. Werner Metzner (Quantum Many-Body Theory), Prof. Hidenori Takagi (Quantum Materials), and independent group leader Pablo Jarillo-Herrero (Kavli Prize in Nanoscience 2026, MIT Cecil-and-Ida-Green Professor).

Name

Max-Planck Institute for Solid State Research, Stuttgart, Germany

Legal name

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Wissenschaften e.V.

Website

https://fkf.mpg.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1948

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Max-Planck Institute for Solid State Research (MPI-FKF) is a publicly funded, non-profit basic research institute in Stuttgart, Germany, conducting fundamental research in solid-state physics, quantum materials, nanoscience, and nanochemistry for the global academic community, funded by the Max Planck Society, German federal and state governments, DFG, and ERC.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Scientific Research Services

NAICS

Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology) (541715), Research and Development in Nanotechnology (541713)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Quantum Materials, Qubits & Device Physics Research (HDAGAMAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Quantum Education, Workforce Development & Academic Centers (HDAGAMAM)

Keywords

• Solid state physics research
• Condensed matter science
• Quantum materials research
• Nanoscience research
• Nanochemistry research

Headquarters

HQ city

Stuttgart

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government institutional funding: As a Max Planck Institute, the organization is primarily funded through the Max Planck Society (MPG), which receives government funding from German federal and state governments. Additional project-specific funding comes from organizations such as the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG/German Research Foundation), European Research Council (ERC), and regional government (Land Baden-Württemberg). The institute does not generate commercial revenue from products or services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

MPI-FKF conducts open fundamental scientific research in solid state physics, quantum materials, nanoscience, nanochemistry, solid state spectroscopy, and quantum electronics. It operates as a collaborative research organization through seven scientific departments, multiple research groups, and dedicated scientific facilities, while also providing research training through doctoral schools such as IMPRS-CMS and the Max Planck Graduate Center for Quantum Materials. The institute does not sell commercial products or services; its outputs are scientific publications, trained researchers, and collaborative research contributions.

Product overview

Max-Planck Institute for Solid State Research (MPI-FKF) is a fundamental research institution specializing in condensed matter science and solid-state physics. The institute operates as a collaborative research organization with multiple scientific departments (Electronic Structure Theory, Solid State Spectroscopy, Nanoscale Science, Nanochemistry, Solid State Quantum Electronics, Quantum Many-Body Theory, Quantum Materials), research groups, and scientific facilities. It does not offer commercial products or services for sale; rather, it conducts open scientific research, provides research training through doctoral schools (IMPRS-CMS, Max Planck Graduate Center for Quantum Materials), and offers access to specialized scientific facilities including Crystal Growth, X-Ray Diffraction, Thin Film Technology, Electron Microscopy (StEM), Interface Analysis, and Nanostructuring Laboratory services for the research community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• International Max Planck Research School for Condensed Matter Science (IMPRS-CMS)

Quantifiable outcome

• Discovery of Quantum Hall Effect (1980) by Klaus von Klitzing, leading to Nobel Prize 1985 and revolutionizing metrology as the basis for defining electrical units
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

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

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Fraunhofer Institute for Construction PhysicscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2022The RICIMER project (Roman Inspired Cement Innovation by Multi-analytical Enhanced Research) is a 4-year collaboration (2022-2026) with €1.8 million funding. Goal: development of Roman-inspired cements with reduced carbon footprint and self-healing properties using municipal incineration ashes as raw material. Fraunhofer developed methods for decomposing waste ashes; MPI-FKF investigates ancient Roman cement samples and modern ash-based cements using advanced analytical methods including vibrational spectroscopy, solid-state NMR, PDF analysis, and X-ray diffraction.
• University of British Columbia (UBC) and University of Tokyo (UTokyo)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerMax Planck - UBC - UTokyo Centre for Quantum Materials is a joint center bringing together researchers from these institutions to collaborate on quantum materials research. The center organizes joint workshops such as the 'New Insights into Quantum Materials' international workshop (July 2026).
• European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative research partner in studying quantum materials using synchrotron radiation techniques. Joint work includes studies on excitonic insulators and high-temperature superconductors using X-ray diffraction and spectroscopy at ESRF.
• Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration partner in fundamental physics studies including investigations of charge order and pseudogap phases in high-temperature superconductors using advanced spectroscopic techniques.
• Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems (MPI-IS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNeighboring institute in Stuttgart with which MPI-FKF collaborates. Cyber Valley building under construction at MPI-IS will strengthen regional AI, quantum technologies, and materials science ecosystem. Joint activities include science festivals and public outreach.
• SolBat CenterflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCenter co-founded in 2024 by Prof. Bettina V. Lotsch (MPI-FKF director), focused on solar battery technology combining energy conversion and storage in single materials for on-demand release of captured solar energy.
• International research institutionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal collaborative network including MAX IV Laboratory (Sweden), Linköping University (Sweden), Trinity College Dublin (Ireland), Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (Germany), Chemnitz University of Technology (Germany), and Tohoku University (Japan) for joint research projects and researcher exchanges.
• Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBettina Lotsch holds honorary professorship at LMU Munich. Collaborative research and researcher exchange in solid state chemistry and nanochemistry. The institute also serves as a training ground for doctoral students through various programs.
• University of StuttgartcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBettina Lotsch holds adjunct professorship at University of Stuttgart. Collaborative research in materials science. The Max Planck-Humboldt Forschungspreis brought Pablo Jarillo-Herrero to Stuttgart for collaborative program with University of Stuttgart.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• ETH Zurich: Leading European STEM research university with strong condensed matter physics, materials science, and quantum materials research. Comparable in scale of fundamental research output and prize-winning faculty, though broader in scope.
• RIKEN: Japan's flagship multidisciplinary research institution with strong condensed matter physics, quantum materials, and nanoscience programs. Comparable in scale, government funding model, and fundamental research mission.
• Oak Ridge National Laboratory: US Department of Energy national laboratory with major materials science and quantum materials research programs using neutron and computational facilities. Comparable in scale of fundamental research and infrastructure-driven discovery.
• CNRS (Centre national de la recherche scientifique): France's largest fundamental research organization with extensive condensed matter and quantum materials laboratories. Comparable in scale, mission, and European public-funding research model.
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) - Department of Physics: Pablo Jarillo-Herrero holds a primary appointment at MIT, where twistronics was developed. MIT's physics and materials science departments are leading peers in quantum materials, superconductivity, and condensed matter research.

Direct peers

• Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics (MPQ): Sister Max Planck Institute focused on quantum optics, laser physics, and quantum information. Operates under the same Max Planck Society funding model with similar fundamental research mandate and overlapping quantum-materials research community.
• Forschungszentrum Jülich: German Helmholtz research center with significant quantum materials, condensed matter, and superconductivity research. Comparable in scale, public funding model, and research infrastructure role within Germany.
• Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB): German large-scale research facility operating synchrotron and neutron sources for materials research, with strong condensed matter and quantum materials user programs. Operates under similar public funding model with parallel infrastructure roles.
• Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids (CPfS): Closest peer within the Max Planck Society; conducts fundamental research on solid-state chemistry and physics of complex materials. Directly comparable in focus on quantum materials, crystal growth, and advanced characterization.
• Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI): Swiss multi-discipline research institute for natural and engineering sciences with strong condensed matter and quantum materials research using large-scale facilities (synchrotron, neutron sources). Comparable in fundamental research mandate and international collaboration model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mpifkf
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/maxplanckstuttgart
• Facebookfacebook.com/maxplanckinstituteforsolidstateresearch
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/max-planck-institute-for-solid-state-research-stuttgart-germany

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 Max-Planck Institute for Solid State Research, Stuttgart, Germany