The state of Lower Saxony is funding a joint campus in Wolfsburg with 11.5 million euros.

As part of the international specialist conference ‘Circularity Days’, the funding decision from the Ministry of Science and Culture of Lower Saxony (MWK) for the development of a campus was transfered in Wolfsburg on 15 May 2024, according to the project participants. In the project, the Technische Universität Braunschweig, together with the Open Hybrid LabFactory, the Ostfalia University of Applied Sciences and the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft as scientific partners, want to develop a joint campus that will become a regional and international flagship location in the automotive circular economy - with a strong focus on research expertise as well as study, further education and transfer programmes. The joint Wolfsburg campus is to become a fully-fledged university location and establish itself as one of the leading engineering research and education centres in Germany and Europe. Volkswagen is also reportedly involved in the project as a partner. In addition to the state of Lower Saxony, the city of Wolfsburg is also supporting the joint Wolfsburg campus and is reportedly providing up to one million euros annually over a period of ten years to ensure long-term stability for the activities at the campus and a permanent interdisciplinary research network. Research at the campus will focus on sustainable mobility solutions and circular economy technologies for new approaches in industrial vehicle production in the sense of a circular economy. High-calibre research projects that are closely interlinked with industry will form the cornerstones of the planned campus. Interdisciplinary research groups, so-called ‘Joint Research Groups’ (JRG), are to establish the fields of action for the circular economy in mobility, addressing topics such as ‘Automated complete vehicle disassembly’, ‘Sustainable material and surface systems’, ‘Adaptive processing of bio-based materials’ and ‘AI-based product development and optimisation’. With a strong international focus, the campus also aims to attract talent from all over the world to Wolfsburg. The campus was already characterised by intensive cooperation between university, higher education and non-university research institutes and companies and offers a good basis for young companies and start-ups in the region. The close networking is said to enable students and researchers to realise their ideas in cooperation with industry and place them on the market.
 
In the picture: Prof. Dr Klaus Dröder (Circularity Days), Ulrich Grethe (Chairman of the Management Board, Salzgitter Flachstahl), Jens Hofschröer (WMG), Stefan Schmitt (OHLF), Thomas Schmall (Volkswagen), Dennis Weilmann (Mayor of the City of Wolfsburg), Prof. Dr Joachim Schachtner (State Secretary MWK), Prof. Dr Angela Ittel (President, TU Braunschweig), Prof. Dr Peter Hecker (Vice President, TU Braunschweig). Dr Peter Hecker (Vice President Research, TU Braunschweig), Prof. Dr Christoph Herrmann (Director Fraunhofer IST), Prof. Dr Heinz-Dieter Quack (Vice President, Ostfalia University of Applied Sciences) at the official handover of the funding decision on 15 May 2024 at the MobileLifeCampus (MLC) Wolfsburg
 
Sources:

• Press release TU Braunschweig (15.5.2024)
• Photo: © Kristina Rottig/TU Braunschweig