Award-Nominated TYPO3 Relaunch for DKFZ: Platform Optimization for a Global Research Leader

The German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum (DKFZ) is the largest biomedical research institution in Germany. The corporate website serves as an integral channel showcasing innovative research approaches, strategic partnerships, as well as important information for potential employees.

This project was nominated for a 2025 TYPO3 award in the healthcare category.

Known as an international leader in cancer research, DKFZ sought a website that reflected their standards and global positioning. XIMA Media GmbH was the selected partner to revitalize and relaunch the DKFZ website. TYPO3 was the CMS of choice, with a full relaunch based on TYPO3 v12. 

More than 3,400 employees work at DKFZ across over 100 departments, research groups, and clinical collaboration units. To accommodate this complex structure, XIMA developed a dedicated page type in the TYPO3 backend specifically for scientific department pages, along with a corresponding template. The objective was to enable decentralized content management across departments; therefore, editors were automatically assigned during the initial setup.

Thanks to TYPO3’s user-oriented navigation structure, the new DKFZ website presents information in a clear and accessible way. Users can easily find research topics, contact information, and career opportunities, helping to expand reach, foster collaborations, and enhance recruiting success.

A newsroom was implemented to bundle communication activities, amplifying exposure and public presence. Through these features, the TYPO3 website strengthens DKFZ’s external image and overall digital visibility. Another key enhancement is the prominent placement of the donation button, encouraging sustainable donations that are essential for funding vital research.

The TYPO3 relaunch delivered significant internal benefits, particularly for editors. With nearly 250 editors contributing to the corporate website, the updated system substantially reduced maintenance effort and increased the independence of individual departments. Clear style guides, standardized templates for departmental pages, and integrated training materials were introduced to ensure consistency and quality across all editorial teams.

Employee information that was managed manually in the previous installation is now automated through transfer from the AD. This automation significantly reduces the overall maintenance effort and ensures the DKFZ website is accurate, up to date and consistent. 

The new DKFZ platform now accurately reflects their positioning as a global leader in cancer research with a modern, sustainable web presence. Systems were centralized and legacy systems were replaced and updated to ensure a consolidated, centralized system. XIMA significantly reduced the complexity and resource consumption, further contributing to a more sustainable infrastructure with room for growth and expansion.