Poznan is a centre of high research and development potential. Here, not only higher education schools conduct scientific research, but also almost fifty research institutions do as well. These are mainly ministerial units, often the only ones in a given industry in Poland, which participate in international research projects. In addition, eighteen Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN) institutions make their home in Poznan. These institutions are successful in, among other things, molecular, genetic, biotechnological, immunological and technological research. Poznan's scientific and research community, centred mainly in scientific and research institutes, as well as in higher education institutions, is implementing new interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary organisational arrangements, for example, centres of excellence, centres of advanced technologies and technology platforms, which participate in national and international research projects in the area of biology, environmental protection, logistics, biotechnology, bioengineering, space research, information technologies and nanotechnology.