RWTH Aachen Campus Introduces Investor and Architect Team for the Integrative Production Technology Research Cluster
The RWTH Aachen Campus GmbH announced its decision on the investor and architect teams for the Integrative Production Technology research cluster, to be located on the University’s new research campus. In a Europe-wide selection process, the investor Capricorn Development GmbH & Co. KG, Düsseldorf, and the architectural practice Henn Architekten, Munich, were chosen.
The Chancellor of RWTH Aachen University, Manfred Nettekoven, and the Lord Mayor of the City of Aachen, Marcel Philipp, welcomed about 100 guests from politics, industry and academia to the presentation event. Professor Günther Schuh, Managing Director of the RWTH Aachen Campus GmbH and Head of the Integrative Production Technology cluster gave an overview of current developments and plans for the new research campus. Also, he explained the specifics of the future collaboration between the RWTH production engineering departments and industrial companies in the Integrative Production Technology research cluster, which investigates new methods and technologies along the value chain of manufacturing companies. The key research areas of the cluster will include electric vehicle production, tool making, and lightweight construction.
“We are delighted with the spectacular modular building complex, whose development will be managed by the renowned investor Capricorn, a company whose expertise in construction and production technology is unmatched. And it is just great that thus we were able to appoint the internationally recognized star architect Professor Gunter Henn for the project,” said Schuh at the presentation.
The Project Partners
„Production and construction are our specialties. We are very glad that we were chosen as project developers,” said Dr. Robertino Wild, the managing director of Capricorn Development. “For the Melaten Campus, we want to set a standard that fully lives up to the users’ expectations, or even exceeds them. “
Architect Gunter Henn presented the architectural design of the first building complex, emphasizing that “the design’s hallmark is its flexibility, modularity, and sustainability. And it is sustainable for the users as well, as innovation is made possible by the communication between the disciplines, the University, and the involved companies.
The Integrative Production Technology Cluster
The first building complex of the Integrative Production Technology cluster is built in close proximity to the RWTH Laboratory for Machine Tools and Production Engineering (WZL) and the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology (Fraunhofer IPT), at the southern end of the Campus Boulevard. In the start-up phase of the cluster, about 400 staff will be working on the the 11,000 m² cluster site, complete with offices and support spaces.
In addition, there will be about 3,000 m² of floor space for commercial use, providing space for restaurants, hotels, shops, and services providers. Once the first building phase, providing 25,000 m² of floor space, is complete, about 800 scientists and experts from industrial partners will be able to conduct joint research projects on future production technologies.
RWTH Aachen Campus
With the creation of the RWTH Aachen Campus research park, RWTH Aachen University provides unique opportunities for collaboration between research, industry, and academia. Over the next several years, the 800,000 m² extension site will see the development of up to 19 research clusters, with an investment volume of about two billion Euros.
At 473,000m2 with immediate proximity to the University Hospital, Campus Melaten is the first phase of construction for the new research park. In addition to the construction sites for research clusters, there are special spaces for infrastructural facilities, a center for continuing education, a hotel, a restaurant, a daycare center, and various service facilities. RWTH Aachen Campus will create up to 10,000 new jobs in research, services, and other areas.