The implementation of research projects at a national research centre requires equipment, installations and processes with extreme demands on function, operational safety and measuring accuracy. The main task of the Central Department of Technology (ZAT) is to provide the institutes and projects of the Research Centre with equipment, installations and processes commercially not available or to make these available by internal development and manufacture.

Apart from such orders for complete installations, ZAT also executes individual orders from different technical areas such as conceptual development, planning, computational design, construction, manufacturing, testing, joining technology, inspection and acceptance.

The Central Department of Technology collaborates with industry in performing these tasks and in many cases forms the link between the Research Centre's scientific institutes and industrial companies.

In order to satisfy the requirements resulting from these tasks in the long run, ZAT must constantly conduct development and the further development of equipment, components, processes and technologies