Clear Road Ahead for "Campus West": Federal State NRW to Transfer Site to RWTH Aachen University

RWTH Aachen University will acquire a 170,000 square meter building site from the building and real estate management authority of the Federal State of North Rhine Westphalia and will develop on it one of the largest scientific research campuses in all of Europe featuring ten so-called clusters. This was announced today by Aachen's Minister President Armin Laschet, RWTH Aachen Chancellor Manfred Nettekoven, and Aachen's Lord Mayor Marcel Philipp. The sales agreement is to be executed by June of this year.

 

Minister President Armin Laschet: "This project is of great importance for the city of Aachen, for the region, and for our country. After already making possible Campus Melaten, now the Federal State of North Rhine Westphalia – after many years of negotiations – has made another huge stretch of land available to RWTH Aachen University. Finally, after years of stagnation, we have achieved a breakthrough and cleared the way. In close partnership with industry we are now free to develop a new research campus. This site will continue to internationally strengthen NRW's profile as a science hub as well as reinforce RWTH Aachen's status as a University of Excellence. I want to take this opportunity to thank all of those involved for their committment and cooperation– RWTH Aachen Unversity, the building and real estate management authority BLB, and the city of Aachen. Now we can finally make the Campus West project a reality."

RWTH Aachen Chancellor Manfred Nettekoven pointed out that this purchase offers great opportunities for the university: "With this campus we will develop a research landscape that sets new standards."

Trilateral Development Agreement

The Aachen City Council will deliberate in June about the exact form of collaboration between the city of Aachen, the NRW building and real estate management authority, and RWTH Aachen University for developping Campus West. A trilateral agreement between those same partners includes, among others, specifications about land-use planning, provisions regarding necessary traffic and development zones, as well as fundamental agreements regarding costs.

"We aim to position Aachen as a preeminent city of science and research. The development of Campus West, which is certainly one of the largest and most important urban building projects in the years to come, plays a central role in this endeavour. The course has already been set: The land-use planning process for the area has begun. All of the partners from city, university and federal state are convinced that we are on the right track in making Campus West a reality," explains Lord Mayor of Aachen, Marcel Philipp.

Land-use plan to be approved by 2020

In a next step, the Campus West masterplan is now being reworked. The land-use plan is to be approved by 2020. Then development of the site can begin. With this research campus, RWTH Aachen University aims to become a world leader among universities. The first step was already taken in 2009, when development in Campus Melaten began. Six research clusters have already been successfully established there since then.