The University of Florence is one of the largest and most productive public research systems in Italy. This result is related to the number of permanent and temporary researchers working in a wide range of disciplinary and scientific fields, and the numerous junior scientists in training. It is also due to an intensive participation in research programmes of national and international relevance, the significant scientific results achieved, and the financial flow from outside supporting activities of research and knowledge transfer. This combination of factors qualifies the Florentine institution as a modern research university, and accounts for its excellent ranking in national and international classifications.