For more than ten years a multifaceted research alliance with focus on IT security has been growing in Darmstadt: at Technische Universität Darmstadt (TU Darmstadt), the Fraunhofer Institute for Secure Information Technology (Fraunhofer SIT) and the Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences. Since July 2008, the three institutions are bundling their competencies in the Darmstadt LOEWE Center for Advanced Security Research Darmstadt (CASED). LOEWE is an initiative to support the development and economic excellence in Hessen. The Hessian Ministry for Science and the Arts provides initial funding for this initiative, thus successfully promoting regional key aspects especially through interconnecting science, non-university research and economy.