CUI: Advanced Imaging of Matter
Cluster of ExcellenceCUI: Advanced
Imaging of Matter
Imaging of Matter
DESY Innovation Factory – Kick-off for integrated technology and start-up centre
28 October 2020
Photo: photomontage, DESY/R. Schaaf, Atelier Disko
The DESY Innovation Factory will have two locations: On the Bahrenfeld Campus and in the Altona Technology Park at the Vorhornweg.
Science as a driver for innovation: DESY is building a technology and start-up centre in the heart of the future Science City Hamburg Bahrenfeld site. This major project – the first federal facility of its kind in Germany – is entering the implementation phase.
The close networking of the scientific hub with industrial companies is a long-term vision for the Science City Bahrenfeld. A major advantage is the scientific excellence on the campus - among others, the two clusters of excellence "CUI: Advanced Imaging of Matter" and "Quantum Universe" of Universität Hamburg. Such a sturdy and well-networked system strengthens innovation in both research and in business and industry. Against this background, the ground-breaking ceremony for a joint project of DESY, Universität Hamburg and the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg took place in 2019 already: an innovation centre which, when completed at the beginning of 2021, will offer around 2,600 square meters of office and laboratory space for start-ups working in the fields covered on the research campus.
The location is one of a kind
In this environment, the DESY Innovation Factory is now also emerging as an innovation hub for new ideas, products and services, connecting scientists, start-ups and established corporations. “The location is one of a kind, as the DESY Innovation Factory is located in the direct vicinity of unique large-scale research and analytical facilities. Here, we can actively foster cooperation and innovation between research and application,” says Dr. Arik Willner, Chief Technology Officer at DESY. “With the launch of the DESY Innovation Factory project we are strengthening Germany as a location for innovation and high-tech.”
Building strong ties between research and industry
DESY, a national research centre, is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research together with the City of Hamburg. Federal Minister of Education and Research Anja Karliczek underlines: “The DESY Innovation Factory is a catalyst for driving innovation in Germany. It focuses on two topics that are of central importance for the future of the industrial location and our society: New solutions for the healthcare sector, e.g. by developing promising technologies for medical imaging, and research looking into materials, which can support a circular economy. This will be a centre, which builds strong ties between research and industry and it is here, where we see a real need.”
The call for architectural project tender will be launched at the beginning of 2021. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2023, and the DESY Innovation Factory is set to open its doors in 2025. DESY is responsible for planning, the construction process and the operational management for this institution. The total costs for construction, installation and the first years of operation are estimated at 105.5 million Euros. Ninety percent of this is borne by the federal government, the other 10 percent by the City of Hamburg. Dr. Peter Tschentscher, Mayor of the City of Hamburg: “Hamburg is one of the most attractive and economically dynamic regions in Europe. We are an excellent location for founders with new ideas. With the DESY Innovation Factory, a business incubator consisting of basic research, industry and business is being created in Hamburg that is unique in Germany. The innovations that are developed here can be groundbreaking in areas such as materials development, nanotechnology and life sciences.”
Sustainable solutions for pressing future issues
With a view to the Science City Hamburg Bahrenfeld, Science Senator Katharina Fegebank says: “The DESY Innovation Factory offers founders excellent conditions for putting new ideas from research into practice even faster. A creative and lively place is being built here, bringing together bright minds from science and industry to work together on sustainable solutions for pressing future issues. As an important part of Science City Hamburg Bahrenfeld, the DESY Innovation Factory will be another valuable innovation driver for the entire city.” DESY Press Release, ed.
More about the joint Innovation Centre in the UHH Newsroom
Science City Bahrenfeld as a driver of innovation
In the Science City Hamburg Bahrenfeld, science becomes the motor of urban development. New scientific institutes and facilities as well as around 2500 apartments are being built around the research campus in Bahrenfeld. The vision of the future in 2040 is intended to link three main topics: the expansion of the DESY research center, the development of Universität Hamburg and "Living at Volkspark". The aim is to create a lively quarter in which working, researching, studying and living are combined.
The close networking of science and industry is also a key focus. After all, new solutions and innovations are created through a cross-border exchange between science, business and civil society. Only in this way can basic research, applied research and transfer successfully come together in marketable products.
