Complex health challenges require agile networks. The consortium ÖGD-FORTE aims at the development and establishment of new structures and processes between public health research and public health practice in order to enable the sustainable application of relevant research methods for the supra-regional conduct of research and to promote the transfer of knowledge. Through innovative and participatory networking, a supra-regional research network consisting of public health services from different federal levels is developed. This enables positive synergy effects to emerge, which, however, depend on structural continuity options.