uni.news

Cooperation between four powerful partners / Regional and national positioning / Leading project for regional competitiveness

Excellent conditions for research, teaching, and studying – that is the goal of the new "Campus Bielefeld". Over the next few years, it is set to become one of the most modern scientific locations anywhere in Germany. Between now and 2025, an innovative city district will be built up around Bielefeld University and Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences – a district in which people from all over the world will come to live and work. Over the coming 15 years, more than a billion Euros will be invested in four major building projects: the new building for Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences and the new building for Interactive Intelligent Systems (FBIIS) are being built on the North Campus (Campus Nord); the extension to Bielefeld University is going up on the existing South Campus (Campus Süd); and, starting in 2013, the entire main university building (UHG) will be undergoing a complete modernization.

Through the initiative of the Science Office at Bielefeld Marketing GmbH, four partners have joined forces in this future-oriented project designed to consolidate Bielefeld's regional and national position as a major science centre.

The Bau- und Liegenschaftsbetrieb NRW (BLB), Bielefeld Office, is responsible for developing, planning, managing, and organizing the funds for the building measures on the new Campus Bielefeld.

The City of Bielefeld has been a major partner in all the development concepts, city planning competitions, development schemes, and architecture competitions since the beginning of the 1960s. As a networking institution, the Science Office at Bielefeld Marketing GmbH is further developing the interface between the city and the universities to further enhance the status of Bielefeld as a centre of higher education and innovation.

Bielefeld University and Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences are continuously developing their profiles with centres of excellence and attractive facilities for research, teaching, and studying. These have attracted millions of Euros in investments in the state higher education modernization programme negotiated between the state government of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), the BLB NRW, and the higher education institutes.

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Gerhard Sagerer, Rektor of Bielefeld University, pointed out that "Campus Bielefeld will once again raise the international profile of Bielefeld University – we are acquiring very good conditions for carrying out research and teaching on a world level. At the same time, the new campus will have a strong impact on the region and further strengthen the identification with Bielefeld University".

Prof. Dr. Beate Rennen-Allhoff, President of Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences, added "Campus Bielefeld, will grant the Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences an explicit address and a new image. For the first time, all the different disciplines will be learning, teaching, and doing research under one roof – together with an excellent infrastructure and the most modern equipment. This can only encourage the interdisciplinary cooperation that is such a strong theme throughout the Campus".
 
According to current plans, the building measures commencing in 2010 will be completed in 2025.

The new building for the Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences on the new North Campus will have a surface area of approximately 31,500 square metres. At a cost of about 154 million Euros, it should be ready for occupancy in 2013.

The four-storey building for Interactive Intelligent Systems (FBIIS) on the North Campus should be ready in 2012. Total costs here are approximately 32 million Euros.

The new extension to Bielefeld University on the existing South Campus will be ready for occupancy in 2013. Providing an additional 28,000 square metres, it will cost about 130 million Euros. The Studentenwerk [Association for Student Affairs] will be opening a new central Mensa canteen here serving both the University and the University of Applied Sciences. A new boulevard will provide an attractive link with the main university building (UHG).

The complete modernization of the main university building (UHG) will commence in 2013. Six construction stages are scheduled over a period of 12 years. The building complex contains about 152,000 square metres of floor space. Each section of the building will have to be cleared completely while this work is being done.

Heinrich Micus, head of the Bielefeld office of the Bau- und Liegenschaftsbetrieb, has this to say about the dimensions of the task: "For all of those involved today, this will be the largest building project in their lives. That is both an incentive and a challenge".

For Pit Clausen, the Mayor of Bielefeld, it is clear that "Science and research are central topics of urban development and a decisive image factor for our city. Excellent facilities for research, teaching, and studying deliver the best possible preconditions for placing Bielefeld at  the cutting edge of national and global competition. For Bielefeld as a centre of science, these investments in Campus Bielefeld are a unique opportunity. We can proudly say that thanks to the joint efforts of all partners, we have succeeded in creating the preconditions for this future project".

To mark the start of building activity on Campus Bielefeld, the partners have produced a brochure containing all the main information. This is being accompanied by the simultaneous launch of a new Internet presence. The plan is to continuously expand the platform www.campus-bielefeld.de.  One new feature will be webcams enabling visitors to take a close look at all stages of construction.