Scientific working methods are changing. Teams of researchers now regularly work together in virtual environments, independent of time and place. This is facilitating new transdisciplinary approaches, as well as novel forms of collaboration. However, none of this would be possible without research environments that provide a common platform for all relevant digital resources while at the same time offering the tools needed to process, publish, store, and archive research data. Software applications used by researchers to manage and share information are essential. FIZ Karlsruhe implements and operates enhanced research (e-research) solutions in the following areas: - e-Content platforms - Research data management - Virtual research environments - Long-term digital storage The provision of these services generally relies on repository platforms that unite all services and features. FIZ Karlsruhe has extensive experience with such systems thanks to numerous joint research projects as well as partnerships with other research organizations, academic institutions, and the private sector.

RADAR offers researchers on publicly funded universities and non-academic research institutions in Germany a customized, cost-efficient and user-friendly service for the archival and publication of research data. With RADAR, project data can be managed easily via the web, indexed with meta data and published as desired. RADAR focuses on the "Long Tail", i.e. subjects in which discipline-specific research data management solutions do not yet exist. RADAR offers two interrelated services: The archival of data serves to securely store data (e.g., within the scope of good scientific practice). Researchers can define and modify a storage period and access rights (private, shared, public). The archival of data combined with the publication of data has an unlimited storage period (at least 25 years). Published datasets are always assigned a DOI via DataCite and can thus be internationally identified and cited. RADAR users may not only use the interface available on the web but also a programming interface (API). This enables institutions using RADAR to integrate the service into their own offers and workflows.

STN is an information service in the field of research and patent information. It is highly valued by firms active in chemistry, biotechnology, and pharmaceuticals, as well as patent offices, lawyers and research institutions. The neutral platform STN provides a single point of access to the premium content of the relevant databases from the world’s most important publishers in the areas of patents, the natural sciences, and technology. On STN this content is combined with highly developed tools and functions for retrieval, analysis and visualization. STN’s search system is specifically engineered for scientific and patent content, allowing searches for text matches, chemical structures, and biosequences. Several interfaces with specialized features and content are available. They have been tailored to the needs of different user groups. As an alternative, the FIZ Search Service is offered, where experts perform searches on behalf of clients using STN databases and compile the results for presentation. Subsequently, the integrated document delivery Service FIZ AutoDoc provides easy and fast access to full-text journal articles and patents.

The goal of the Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek (DDB) is to offer everyone unrestricted access to Germany’s cultural and scientific heritage, that is, access to millions of books, archived items, images, sculptures, pieces of music and other sound documents, as well as films and scores, from all over Germany. As a central national portal, the DDB is aiming to bring together and network digital content from all of Germany’s cultural and scientific institutions. The DDB should secure Germany’s connectivity and competitiveness in the areas of science, research and education, but also make it possible for anyone to access Germany’s unique cultural heritage and knowledge conveniently via one central point of entry. The DDB is supported by a competence network of renowned archives, libraries and museums in which FIZ Karlsruhe became a partner in 2016. As the technical operator, FIZ Karlsruhe is responsible for the IT infrastructure of the DDB.

ICSD is the world’s largest database for fully identified inorganic crystal structures. It is produced by FIZ Karlsruhe and currently contains about 193,000 crystal structures. Updates are made twice a year (in spring and in fall) with data taken from scientific journals and other sources. Thanks to these many heterogeneous data sources the database has a wide coverage. ICSD is also updated retroactively. As all steps of the value generation chain – looking for sources, database production, data management – are performed at FIZ Karlsruhe, high standards as to the reliability of the data are met and maintained. About 4,000 structures are added to ICSD each year. ICSD interface offers its users a modern, easy-to-use interface and state-of-the-art search options. The information contained in ICSD meets the expectations and requirements of scientists and materials scientists in an outstanding manner.

zbMATH is a service that collects abstracts and reviews on current publications in pure and applied mathematics. The idea behind the service is simple yet powerful: Mathematicians around the world exchange ideas through review articles on current publications; zbMATH makes these review articles available from a single source. This provides readers with a quick overview of current mathematics literature, eliminating the need to read a large number of professional journals. zbMATH is the most comprehensive review and abstracting service in mathematics. The database includes all available published and refereed articles, books, conferences as well as other publication formats from more than 3,500 journals and 1,100 serials – from 1755 to the present. More than 100,000 publications are added to the database each year. zbMATH is jointly published by FIZ Karlsruhe, the European Mathematical Society, and the Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities. It is distributed by Springer Verlag.

The dedicated computer center is the backbone of FIZ Karlsruhe's 24/7-services, providing the platform for data processing and data management as well as sustainable and secure access to large data collections and sophisticated applications.