The German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS) is located in the UN City of Bonn and is one of the world’s leading research institutions and think tanks for global sustainable development. Our work is based on the interplay between Research, Policy Advice and Training. IDOS is building bridges between theory and practice.

The research is theory-based, empirically driven and application-oriented. It provides the basis for the activities in policy advice of the Institute. We develop policy-relevant concepts, advises ministries, governments and international organisations, and refers to current policy issues. The training programmes of the Institute for university graduates and young professionals are integrated into the research and advisory process.

The institutional agreement ensures the principle of scientific independence of the Institute. The shareholders of the Institute – the Federal Republic of Germany (75 %) and the State of North Rhine-Westphalia (25 %) – appoint the Board of Trustees.

The German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE) was established in 1964 in Berlin as a non-profit-making limited liability company (gemeinnützige Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung – gGmbH). Back then, shareholders were the Federal Republic of Germany and the State of Berlin. According to the articles of the partnership, DIE provides post graduate training to qualify professionals in development cooperation. In the beginning, research and consultancy were secondary activities, today, both are central tasks of the Institute. Over the years, the Institute has moved from Berlin to Bonn and became one of the world's leading think tanks in development policy and global development. Since June 2022, the institute has been called the German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS).