In the frame of a systematic study activation cross sections of a few hundred deuteron induced reactions were measured up to 50 MeV on 25 metal targets having mostly natural isotopic composition. The majority of them have been measured for the first time. The recently measured data are still in the evaluation process. The experimental data were compared to the predictions of different theoretical codes. For better description developments of the theoretical models are in progress. The measured data find application in medical radioisotope production, thin layer activation and accelerator technology.