Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg has a clearly defined profile as a university with a research focus on engineering, natural sciences and medicine. In addition, economics, social sciences and humanities are indispensable disciplines for a modern university in the knowledge society. The main areas of research at Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg are internationally connected and have umbrella structures in the research centers: Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences (CBBS), the Center for Dynamic Systems (CDS), the Center for Advanced Medical Engineering (CAME) and the Center for Health & Medical Prevention (CHaMP).

With an interdisciplinary focus, the research priorities are sustainably strengthened through institutionalized cooperation with the research institutes based in Magdeburg, such as the Fraunhofer Institute for Factory Operation and Automation (IFF), the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics of Complex Technical Systems (MPI), the Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology (LIN) and the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE).
As a driving force and engine of development far beyond the state's borders, the University of Magdeburg pursues innovation strategies to strengthen the transfer of technology and knowledge to regional and national companies. Research and transfer focuses include medical technology, automotive with the Center for Method Development (CMD), digital engineering and renewable energies. Affiliated institutes and the university's Transfer and Start-up Center (TUGZ) act as intermediaries between science and industry, enabling and facilitating companies' access to university research resources and strengthening their innovative power.