The institute conducts application-oriented basic research in the fields of astronomy, astrophysics and solar physics.

The KIS lost its membership to the Leibniz Association at the end of 2023 due to a negative evaluation of the institute while both the scientific and instrumentation directors left.

The Coudé refractor became operational in 1966, and from that time the solar telescope on the Schauinsland continued to be used only for testing equipment.

[10] Finally the Spanish island of Tenerife was chosen, due its dry weather and stable atmosphere.

[12] In 2013, GREGOR Solar Telescope, equipped with a 1.5 m primary mirror, started its science operations at the Teide Observatory.