With a combination of research, education and innovation, KIT aims to find sustainable solutions for the growing challenges concerning society, industry and environment. The main objective is to contribute substantially to the success of major societal projects, such as the “Energiewende”, a safe and sustainable mobility or intelligent technologies for information society. Further major topics are climate and environment; man and technology; and elementary particle and astroparticle physics. The institute focuses on engineering sciences, natural sciences, the humanities, and social sciences as well as their interdisciplinary interaction.

KIT addresses existing problems such as the energy turnaround but also the increasing use of scarce resources and the impairment of important ecosystem services. The KIT Climate and Environment Center – one of seven centres – in particular conducts research in the area of "Sustainability and Environment". Focusing on environmental research such as energy systems, land use, water supply and sewage disposal, the institute aims to find solutions to challenges in this field. One key topic “Renewable and non-renewable resources” highlights the technological, ecological, economic, and societal aspects of the management of scarce resources. Another main topic is “Urban areas and global change” prioritising suitable strategies for a sustainable development of cities or metropolises.

With more than 9,300 employees, 26,000 students and an annual budget of around EUR 861 million, KIT is among the biggest research and education institutions in Europe. Basing its activities on scientific sincerity and excellence, the institute aims to reach a top position in its specialised research areas on an international level. According to the “QS World University Rankings by Subject 2017”, the KIT is already among the 100 best universities in the world for nine subjects.

In 2009, KIT was established by the merger of the Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH, a multidisciplinary large-scale research centre of the Helmholtz Association, and the Karlsruhe University. This merger was based on a long-standing cooperation between two research and education institutions. In 1956, the Karlsruhe Research Center was established as Reactor Construction and Operation Company before it became a research centre of the Helmholtz Association, integrating multiple disciplines with eleven scientific programmes. The University of Karlsruhe was founded in 1825 as a Polytechnic School and has turned into a modern research facility with eleven departments.