On June 20, 1986 the Laser Zentrum Hannover e.V. (LZH) was founded under the patronage of the German State Ministry of Trade, Industry, Technology, and Transportation in Lower Saxony. The institution’s legal form is that of a registered association. The association’s main task is to support applied research in laser technology on a non-profit basis. The LZH is involved in:

• R&D projects in the field of laser development and laser applications
• Technical and scientific consulting to link research and practice
• Industry-oriented training of experts for applying and operating laser systems

In Hannover, the LZH cooperates closely with the Leibniz University of Hannover. With the aim to further promote and strengthen the cooperation with partners in Lower Saxony, the LZH concluded cooperation contracts with the Technical Universities of Brunswick and Clausthal in 2009. The LZH is thus connected to the Technical University of Lower Saxony, which is the alliance of the three technically-oriented universities in Lower Saxony. According to the statues, the association mainly serves charitable purposes in terms of the AO paragraph.