The LBI-HTA regards itself as an independent entity for scientific decision-making support in the health sector. We provide the scientific basis for decisions in favour of an efficient and appropriate use of resources. In this process, we adopt a broad socially-relevant view of medical interventions. We are committed to a qualitative concept of progress. We see ourselves as an innovative and creative interdisciplinary think tank that has also included the further development of HTA methodology within its objectives. We attach importance to the traceability of our results: systematic work and the disclosure of our methods make our results open to scrutiny. We work at a distance to interest groups, and refuse to fall within their influence, be they fund providers or market suppliers. Intensive international networking allows us to avoid redundancies and to remain at the leading edge of knowledge.