# Centre for Advanced Laser Applications

> facility in Garching bei München, Germany

**Wikidata**: [Q1168300](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1168300)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/centre-for-advanced-laser-applications

## Summary
The Centre for Advanced Laser Applications (CALA), also known as the Munich Centre for Advanced Photonics (MAP), is a research institute and Cluster of Excellence located in Garching bei München, Germany. Established in 2006, it operates as a collaborative facility under the parentage of Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Technical University of Munich, and the Max Planck Society.

## Key Facts
- **Founded**: 2006
- **Location**: Garching bei München, Germany (coordinates: 48.26868°N, 11.67388°E)
- **Classification**: Research institute and Cluster of Excellence
- **Parent Organizations**: Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Technical University of Munich
- **Affiliation**: Part of the Max Planck Society
- **Website**: http://cala-laser.de/
- **Alternative Names**: Munich Centre for Advanced Photonics, MAP, The Munich-Centre for Advanced Photonics, Munich-Centre for Advanced Photonics
- **GRID ID**: grid.469346.a
- **ROR ID**: 04j4kfb22
- **ISNI**: 0000000492360790
- **Ringgold ID**: 460527 (listed under Ludwig-Maximilians University Munich Munich-Centre for Advanced Photonics)
- **Google Knowledge Graph ID**: /g/121765xh
- **Open Funder Registry ID**: 501100007221
- **Wikipedia Language Editions**: Commons, German (de), Russian (ru)
- **Wikidata Description**: Facility in Garching bei München, Germany

## FAQs

### What is the relationship between CALA and MAP?
CALA (Centre for Advanced Laser Applications) and MAP (Munich Centre for Advanced Photonics) refer to the same entity. MAP is listed as an alias for the facility, which operates as both a research institute and a Cluster of Excellence.

### Which universities operate the Centre for Advanced Laser Applications?
The facility operates under two parent universities: Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München and Technical University of Munich. It is also part of the Max Planck Society.

### Where is the Centre for Advanced Laser Applications physically located?
The facility is located in Garching bei München, Germany, at coordinates 48.26868° latitude and 11.67388° longitude.

### What type of organization is the Centre for Advanced Laser Applications?
CALA is classified as both a research institute and a Cluster of Excellence. As a research institute, its primary purpose is to conduct research, distinguishing it from teaching-focused universities or commercially-driven corporate research.

## Why It Matters
The Centre for Advanced Laser Applications represents a significant collaborative research infrastructure in Germany's scientific landscape. As a Cluster of Excellence—a prestigious designation in German academia—CALA brings together the resources and expertise of two major universities (Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München and Technical University of Munich) alongside the Max Planck Society. This multi-institutional structure enables concentrated, interdisciplinary research in advanced photonics and laser applications that would be difficult to achieve within a single university department. The facility's establishment in 2006 reflects Germany's strategic investment in photonics research, a field critical to advances in medicine, materials science, and quantum technologies.

## Notable For
- Designated as a Cluster of Excellence, indicating top-tier research status within the German academic system
- Multi-institutional governance structure involving two major Bavarian universities and the Max Planck Society
- Focused exclusively on research activities without teaching obligations typical of university departments
- International recognition with Wikipedia presence in multiple languages (German, Russian, Commons)
- Registered in multiple global research identifier systems (GRID, ROR, ISNI, Ringgold)

## Body

### Organizational Structure and Governance
The Centre for Advanced Laser Applications operates under a distinctive multi-institutional framework. Its parent organizations include Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München and Technical University of Munich, two of Bavaria's most prominent research universities. Additionally, the facility is part of the Max Planck Society, Germany's premier network of research institutes. This tripartite structure combines academic research capabilities with the resources and prestige of the Max Planck Society.

### Classification and Designation
CALA holds a dual classification. It is recognized as a research institute—an organization whose primary and sole purpose is conducting systematic investigation to generate new knowledge. Simultaneously, it carries the designation of Cluster of Excellence, a classification in German higher education that identifies elite research units receiving enhanced federal and state funding.

### Geographic Location
The facility is situated in Garching bei München, a municipality north of Munich that hosts one of Germany's largest concentrations of research institutions. The precise coordinates are 48.26868° latitude and 11.67388° longitude. This location places CALA within the broader Garching research campus, which includes facilities from both parent universities and numerous Max Planck Institutes.

### Nomenclature and Branding
The entity operates under multiple names. "Centre for Advanced Laser Applications" (CALA) and "Munich Centre for Advanced Photonics" (MAP) are used interchangeably, along with variant stylizations including "The Munich-Centre for Advanced Photonics" and "Munich-Centre for Advanced Photonics." The acronym CALA appears consistently across identifier systems.

### Research Identity Systems
CALA is registered across multiple international research identifier frameworks:
- **GRID (Global Research Identifier Database)**: grid.469346.a
- **ROR (Research Organization Registry)**: 04j4kfb22
- **ISNI (International Standard Name Identifier)**: 0000000492360790
- **Ringgold ID**: 460527, registered specifically under "Ludwig-Maximilians University Munich Munich-Centre for Advanced Photonics"
- **Open Funder Registry**: 501100007221, enabling tracking of research funding flows
- **Google Knowledge Graph**: /g/121765xh

### Online Presence and Documentation
The facility maintains a web presence at http://cala-laser.de/. Visual documentation is available through Wikimedia Commons under the category "Munich Center for Advanced Photonics," with an associated image file accessible via the Wikimedia Commons file repository. Wikipedia coverage exists in German, Russian, and the multilingual Wikimedia Commons, totaling three sitelinks across these platforms.

## References

1. GRID Release 2017-05-22