Establishment, development and management of a successful research and development group require systematic knowledge and skills and a target-oriented process model. It begins with a vision and requires a clear mission and accordant strategy in order to achieve these goals. The people involved in the team work are of primary importance; everything depends on the interaction of this team. To create this team, to develop, scaffold, advance and lead is a challenge. However, even the best team is ineffective if there is no funding. Money is not everything but without money everything is nothing. A substantial budget is required to cover staff costs, premises and basic equipment, travel, computers and basic software, a scientific software portfolio, hosting, special equipment, literature, workshop organization, visiting researcher invitations, etc. In an environment of decreasing public budgets, external funding becomes increasingly important in order to sustain international competitiveness, quality and to maintaining excellence. Ultimately, the team is assessed by output, which is composed of measurable, published "items". "If you ask what real knowledge is, I answer, that which enables action (Hermann von Helmholtz)”.