The number of patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes is increasing rapidly worldwide. This creates a need for the development of innovative strategies in diabetes prevention and therapy. The German Center for Diabetes Research [Deutschen Zentrum für Diabetesforschung (DZD)] was founded 5 years ago and now strikes out in new directions to make major contributions to solve these challenges. Interdisciplinary cooperation and translational research play a central role in the task.