The Ecological Research Network (Ecornet) is a network of eight independent, non-profit institutes for environmental and sustainability research in Germany. Their joint mission: to help shape societal change towards sustainability and to scientifically substantiate it. Since their inception, the Ecornet institutes have specialized in dealing with complex issues practically and across the boundaries of scientific disciplines. They have come together to form Ecornet with the goal of expanding their skills and of putting their combined expertise to use in the research landscape.