The Database and Information Systems Group at Freie Universität Berlin focuses on both application-oriented and basic research issues in the domains of modeling and algorithm design for data management. Since its beginning, these aspects were carried out in two major fields of application, namely information retrieval (Prof. H. Schweppe) and spatial databases (Prof. A. Voisard). With the emergence of mobile devices, the focus has shifted to location-based services (e.g., navigation systems on smart phones). Orthogonally, an important part of the research work of the group tackles the appropriateness of event-based systems and event-driven architectures in this context.

The group has a close cooperation with Fraunhofer FOKUS, where Agnès Voisard is in charge of strategic development in the competence center “Electronic Safety and Security Systems for the Public and Industries (ESPRI)”.