Institute

Mission and location

The Institute for Technical Systems Research is a publicly funded and independent institute for applied research. Its subject is reliable technical systems and how people use them. The institute is based in Erlangen, Bavaria.

Organisation

The model assumes around 35 staff: 2 in institute management and scientific coordination, 7 each in the three research areas, 6 in research software and lab operation, and 6 in transfer and administration. The twelve profiles on the People page are a selection from this team; other staff members are not shown.

The three research areas are Networked Systems, Simulation and Modelling and Human-Technology Interaction. Each project has a clear primary responsibility in one of these areas. Four small test environments, described on the Facilities page, support the work; they are equipment concepts, not existing facilities.

Target groups and application fields

The institute addresses research partners, public institutions, companies and students. The application fields are public infrastructure, energy and industry. The work consists of research and transfer; no certifications, security clearances or guaranteed consulting services are offered.

Research profile

Networked Systems examine components, communication and failures, for instance with protocol models, trace analysis and fault injection. Simulation and Modelling look at scenarios, sensitivity and uncertainty using discrete-event simulation and model comparison. Human-Technology Interaction deals with tasks, contexts of use and prototypical evaluation. Research software and lab operation keep experimental set-ups reproducible, and transfer and administration connect questions from practice with the areas. Project results are planned or illustrative.

Good practice

The institute follows three principles. First, assumptions, experimental set-ups and parameters are documented so that results remain traceable. Second, the limits of models are stated, and model data is kept separate from knowledge about real sources. Third, evaluation is planned responsibly: no ethics approvals, accreditations or certifications are claimed, and there are no real studies with participants.

The information refers to 1 November 2026.