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Submillimeter continuum emission traces high molecular column
densities and, thus, dense cloud regions in which new stars are
forming. Surveys of the Galactic plane in such emission have the
potential of delivering an unbiased view of high-mass star formation
throughout the Milky Way. The location of the Atacama Pathfinder
Experiment (APEX) telescope on the Chajnantor plateau in Chile is
ideally suited for mapping the inner Galaxy. After a brief
introduction to this telescope and its instruments, our ongoing
Galactic plane survey, ATLASGAL, will be described. Its scope,
current status and first results will be presented. Aimed at mapping 360
square degrees with a uniform sensitivity of 50 mJy/beam using the
Large APEX Bolometer Camera (LABOCA), this survey will provide the
first unbiased sample of cold dusty clumps in the Galaxy at
submillimeter wavelength - targets for molecular line follow-up
observations and high resolution studies with ALMA and the EVLA. Our
mid-term strategy for this project will be described, and preliminary
results will be shown.
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