How accurate are numbers inferred from measurements and simulations? “Uncertainty quantification” (or “UQ” for short) is a research area that has sprung to prominence in the last decade at the interface of applied mathematics, statistics, computational science, and many applications, usually in physical sciences and engineering, but also in biology, finance, and insurance.

Since the foundation of the KOBV (Cooperative Library Network Berlin-Brandenburg), the KOBV Portal has been one of the most important services for libraries and library users in the region and beyond. The research portal makes it possible to search 60 library catalogs in Berlin and Brandenburg simultaneously. The year 2015 represents a milestone in the further development of the portal. With the completion of Project K2, a modern KOBV Portal with a completely new face and new features has come to life.

Digital Infrastructure for Public Participation. The IES Cities platform is a novel and practical way of building the digital identity of a city. Nine technical partners, from industry to research, and four city councils are creating a platform for Internet-enabled services for citizens in the form of mobile urban apps. These apps are based on an open platform which obtains information from open government data and enriches them through citizens’ contributions. Companies, citizens, and councils interact and collaborate toward achieving a smarter city. ZIB performs research and development of the scalable, distributed storage back end.