New Fraunhofer Center in BioPark Regensburg
The Bavarian State Government has decided that a Fraunhofer research group is to be set up in the BioPark Regensburg for € 6 million. The group has the task of developing modern techniques for the diagnosis and treatment of disease associated with ageing, tumour and metabolic disease such as diabetes and will be coordinated by Prof. Gerd Schmitz, Director of the Institute for Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine at the University of Regensburg Clinic. With regard to contents, the research group will be led by Prof. Jürgen Borlak from the Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology at the University of Hanover, which will initially have around 20 employees. It is expected that means for initial finance will be supplemented by further research contracts and a third means.
In the BioPark the group has excellent opportunities to network with the other university tenants situated here, such as the Tumour Center led by Prof. Ferdinand Hofstädter, the Institute for Genomics led by Prof. Peter Oefner, the Competence Center for Fluorescent Bioanalysis (KFB), and the on-site biotechnology companies. “The location of the Fraunhofer Society in the BioPark is proof that the University of Regensburg has built a successful profile in the area of biosciences,“ said the Minister of Science Thomas Goppel. “This is an important breakthrough for the University“, Rector Prof. Dr. Alf Zimmer, also the Chairman of the Advisory Committee of the BioPark Regensburg GmbH was equally pleased to announce. “We have worked five years long for this success and in doing so demonstrated a lot of foresight“ praised Mayor Hans Schaidinger, the Chairman of the Board of Directors BioPark Regensburg GmbH, for the efforts made by the City and in particular the Office for Promotion of Economic Development and its leader Dieter Daminger.
The Fraunhofer Society is an institution of the country as a whole and its states, and drives applied research. The contract providers are business companies and public funds. The Society is operating currently around 80 research institutions at 40 locations in Germany. Approximately 12,500 employees work on research projects yearly for over €1 billion. The first step for the establishment of a new Fraunhofer Institute is the formation of a Fraunhofer research group. If this proves to be a success, an Institute can be formed after three to five years. Fraunhofer Institutes are mostly located at universities so as to have direct contact with science. A further goal is to allow new enterprises (establishments) to come into existence in this environment. The BioPark in Regensburg on the University Campus is ideal for this. The Fraunhofer Group will be accommodated on the premises that are becoming available in BioPark I. As Managing Director Dr. Thomas Diefenthal reported, the newly constructed BioPark II, which will shortly commence operation, is already well used to capacity. He reminds us of the next milestone, of the Technology Park Regensburg to be able to meet the increasing requirement for space on the University grounds.
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