The BioRegion Rhine-Neckar Triangle with its scientific centre around Heidelberg is home of a network of competence in biotechnology which is outstanding in Europe. Three of the world's leading institutions in molecular biology and molecular medicine are located here: The European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), the German Cancer Research Centre (DKFZ) and the Centre of Molecular Biology of the University of Heidelberg (ZMBH). In addition, the Max-Planck Institute for Medical Research, the research institutes and University Hospitals in Heidelberg and Mannheim, the Mannheim University of Applied Science and the University of Kaiserslautern all contribute to the excellent science base with about 3,200 scientists working in the fields of gene technology and molecular biology.