The conference was part of the strategic programme development in the research field "Health", the second largest of the six research fields of the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres with around € 350 million per year.

On 15 and 16 March 2005, the IZT held a future conference for the Helmholtz Association in Bonn with almost 50 participants.

The participants consisted of the favourites from a Helmholtz-wide ideas competition as well as high-ranking officials from the Association and external "stakeholder representatives" from industry, the federal administration and social organisations.

The Future Conference was rated as very successful by the organisers and participants and the suggestions and ideas gained with the help of various creative techniques were gladly taken back to the participating research centres.