Siemens hands over the key to FAU
Progress is being made on expanding the University’s hightech campus in the south of Erlangen.
FAU’s Hightech Campus continues to grow and will now include an additional 105,000 square meters of floor space from the Siemens campus in south Erlangen. The key for the building in this location has now been symbolically handed over to FAU in the presence of Bavarian Minister President Dr. Markus Söder, Siemens CEO Dr. Roland Busch, State Ministers Markus Blume and Joachim Herrmann as well as many other high-ranking representatives from politics, science, business and society.
The new premises, which are in direct proximity to the existing FAU Campus Erlangen (South) where the Faculty of Engineering and Faculty of Sciences are located, comprise around 105,000 square meters, meaning that around a third of the total floor space requirements of the Faculty of Engineering can be realized on the site.
According to the master plan for the extension to FAU Campus Erlangen (South), the new premises are to house the Departments of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, in addition to other organizational units and professorships that are financed by the High-Tech Agenda Bavaria. The plan is to continue using parts of the existing building as office space, another part is to be renovated and some new buildings are being constructed for research and teaching so that the Faculty of Engineering will be consolidated at this location in the south of Erlangen.
The close proximity is set to benefit researchers from other faculties as much as students and cooperation partners at the Max Planck Institute, Fraunhofer Institute and Helmholtz Institute also located there.
As part of the master plan to extend the FAU Campus Erlangen (South), the purchase from the Siemens campus is setting the course for the future to further develop the University’s position as a driver of innovation.
Only very recently, major projects at FAU Campus Erlangen (South) have been approved, are nearing completion or have already been completed. Around 260 million euros are being invested in the new building for the North Bavarian High-Performance Computing Center for which planning approval was recently granted, and planning for the second construction phase of the Chemistry building worth over 420 million euros is at an advanced phase.
The new Technical Chemistry building, which is expected to cost 140 million euros, is one step further as construction work can now start. The new twin lecture halls, built using a sustainable timber frame construction method, are almost finished and the first lectures are expected to be held there in the fall. The new building for Astroparticle Physics has already been opened.
But that is not all – a whole series of large-scale projects are being implemented at other FAU locations in Erlangen and Nuremberg. The Free State of Bavaria is investing more than 1.5 billion euros in the modernization of FAU.
Reactions to the handover of the key at the Siemens Campus:
Bavarian Minister President Dr. Markus Söder: “This is a significant milestone for Erlangen. Here, science and business go hand in hand on over 100,000 square meters of floor space. With its building and renovation offensive, the Free State of Bavaria is investing almost 2 billion euros in FAU. Investments in academia and research are the best type of regional and economic policy. We are pushing towards digitalization and innovation. The future lies in technology. I wish FAU continuing success – now with much more space.”
“We are coming closer to FAU and our ecosystem of business and science continues to grow. This strengthens not only the innovative force of the region, but also of Germany,” says Siemens CEO Roland Busch. “We are taking the right approach: Combining top-level technology and top-level research at a top location.”
Science Minister Markus Blume emphasized: “This is the opportunity of a century for FAU as the additional space will offer the University significant prospects for development. We are expanding the extremely innovative Faculty of Engineering with a strong focus on research at a campus for innovation in Erlangen that has worldwide significance. This facilitates unique opportunities for collaboration, for example with the Max Planck, Fraunhofer and Helmholtz Institutes. In addition, we are strengthening the FAU’s symbiosis with its long-standing partner and neighbor, Siemens. Its incorporation in this environment secures the Faculty a leading position on an international level. With this purchase, we are demonstrating that Bavaria is setting the course for its flagship university in Franconia that has a strategic vision.”
“Friedrich-Alexander-Universität remains in the fast lane on its way to the top position in international university rankings. FAU is bubbling over with innovative spirit and dynamism. The State Government is doing all it can to continue to support the University on this path to success. As a native of Erlangen, I am proud of how this location for international research and science is developing. At the same time, the former Siemens administration buildings are perfect for housing FAU’s University Administration, so that the Schloss can be restored as quickly as possible,” says Joachim Herrmann, Bavarian Minister of the Interior for Sport and Integration.
“The close connection between academia and industry make Erlangen a top location and we are strengthening this position for the Faculty of Engineering with these new opportunities. The City of Erlangen will support this project to the best of its ability, both with the necessary support in terms of building law, but also with the connection of the campus to the ‘Stadt-Umland-Bahn’ and thus to environmentally-friendly mobility,” said Dr. Florian Janik, Mayor of the City of Erlangen.
“The purchase offers us the opportunity to consolidate the Faculty of Engineering in the south of Erlangen and expand the existing hightech campus during the next few years. This will enable us to create a modern environment in which we can further develop the field of engineering to a top international level. The unique proximity to companies and extramural research institutions is another benefit that will further strengthen the already close collaboration between them and FAU and pave the way for innovation. Researchers and students are set to benefit from this in equal measure in future,” explained FAU President Prof. Dr. Joachim Hornegger.
The changing face of FAU
The next few years will bring important construction projects that will have a lasting impact on the appearance of FAU and the cities of Erlangen and Nuremberg in the long term. An overview of site development at FAU is available on our website.
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