Locations

The DKFZ headquarters are located in Heidelberg, one of the most important scientific cities in Germany. In Neuenheimer Feld, one of the largest campus locations in Europe, the DKFZ works in close proximity to Heidelberg University, the University Hospital and numerous other research institutes. This unique environment promotes interdisciplinary exchange and creates optimal conditions for excellent cancer research. State-of-the-art infrastructure and high-tech laboratories enable groundbreaking research results and the development of innovative therapies. As part of the Heidelberg Science Cluster, the DKFZ actively contributes to cutting-edge international research.

The DKFZ Dresden site, established in summer 2019, is the first nationwide branch of the DKFZ and is located on the campus of Dresden’s University Hospital. In collaboration with TU Dresden, its University Hospital, and the NCT and DKTK sites, the focus in Dresden is on technological innovations such as smart sensors and artificial intelligence to improve tumor diagnostics and therapy. With its high-tech profile, Dresden provides an ideal environment to significantly expand the DKFZ's technology-oriented cancer research portfolio. Together with the Free State of Saxony, a new state-of-the-art research building is under construction, co-financed by tax funds based on the budget approved by the Saxon State Parliament.

The National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT) is a long-term collaboration between the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), leading university medical centers, and other outstanding research partners across Germany. It operates at the following locations: Berlin, Dresden, Heidelberg, SüdWest (Tübingen-Stuttgart/Ulm), WERA (Würzburg with partners in Erlangen, Regensburg, and Augsburg), and West (Essen/Cologne). By conducting innovative clinical studies, the NCT combines cutting-edge research with patient-centered cancer care. Patients are valued as equal research partners and are actively involved in all processes. This approach provides access to state-of-the-art diagnostics and groundbreaking therapies, setting new standards in cancer research.

The German Cancer Consortium (“Deutsches Konsortium für Translationale Krebsforschung”, DKTK) is a joint, long-term initiative of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), the participating federal states and the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) as the core center. Scientists and clinicians from more than 20 university hospitals and academic research institutions with particular expertise in oncology have been successfully pooling their strengths in the fight against cancer in translation centers at eight DKTK sites since 2012. As one of the German Centers for Health Research (“Deutsche Zentren der Gesundheitsforschung”, DZG), the DKTK contributes through translational research to bring advances in prevention, diagnostics, early detection and therapy of cancer into application for patients more quickly.

At the Helmholtz Institute for Translational Oncology Mainz (HI-TRON Mainz), the German Cancer Research Center collaborates with the Translational Oncology Research Institute at the University Medical Center of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (TRON gGmbH), the University Medical Center Mainz, and Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz. This partnership combines the internationally recognized expertise of the partners in personalized immunotherapy with the translational cancer research excellence of the DKFZ. Located in Mainz, a leading hub for science and innovation, HI-TRON integrates exceptional expertise and cutting-edge technologies to advance innovative cancer treatment methods.

The DKFZ-Hector Cancer Institute at the University Medical Center Mannheim is a long-term collaboration between the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), the Mannheim University Hospital, and the Medical Faculty Mannheim of Heidelberg University, generously supported by the Hector Foundation II. The Mannheim location integrates translational and patient-centered cancer research with a state-of-the-art clinical infrastructure. This close partnership enables the direct translation of scientific discoveries into innovative approaches for prevention, diagnosis, and therapy, while also utilizing insights from clinical practice to advance cancer research (reverse translation).