Next steps on the way to the Campus Neuburg

The Neuburg campus of the Ingolstadt University of Technology (THI) is taking another important hurdle. After the Bavarian parliament had approved the purchase of land on the site of the former Lassigny barracks by the Free State of Bavaria Real Estate at the beginning of July, the majority of the land to be purchased, the approximately 31,000 square meters of land owned by the federal government, has now been notarized. The acquisition process for the other smaller areas, which are owned by the City of Neuburg and the district of Neuburg-Schrobenhausen, is scheduled to take place in August.

At a press event in Neuburg an der Donau, the State Minister for Science and Art Bernd Sibler gave the promise of support from the Free State of Bavaria. In a first step, building 6 on the campus will be renovated by September 2021 for 2.2 million euros, which will accommodate the first study groups. At the same time, a letter of commitment was signed by the Free State, the city and the district in which the city of Neuburg and the district of Neuburg-Schrobenhausen pledge to contribute 3 million € to the campus. The focus of the total project of approx. 130 million € will be taken over by the Free State.

THI President Prof. Dr. Walter Schober informed about the further procedure at the press conference: After completion of the entire land acquisition, the next step will be the announcement of the architectural competition, which is planned for the second half of 2020. By the start of the 2021/22 winter semester, the first of the listed buildings on the Lassigny site will have been renovated, so that the first 80 students can begin their studies directly on site with up to seven professors. At the Neuburg site, THI is launching two study programmes that are unique in Bavaria: the Bachelor's degree programme in Sustainability and Environmental Management and the Bachelor's degree programme in Industrial Engineering and Construction.A further nine Bachelor's and Master's degree courses will be successively established by 2030; in a first step, the campus will thus grow to 1250 students. By 2025/26, the renovation of the old buildings and the construction of the new buildings should be completed.

After the refurbishment of Building 6, where the first study groups will move in, an attractive modular building will be constructed for about 500 students. Its completion is planned for autumn 2022. On the campus, students in the faculty "Sustainable Infrastructure" will be trained in the fields of construction, energy and environment. Therefore, the campus has the claim to consider these aspects in its design.

Minister of State for Science and the Arts Bernd Sibler: "The THI branch office in Neuburg is a campus with a future. Here, excellent conditions for studying, living and working meet a highly innovative range of study and further education opportunities: right in the middle of the city and for the benefit of the entire region. With the strong tailwind of the Bavarian High-Tech Agenda, we can further accelerate the construction of the campus. The agreement we have signed today is an important step towards achieving this goal. We have also given the go-ahead for the renovation of the first building on the campus - an important nucleus for the planned start of student operations in about a year's time.

Bavaria's Vice-Minister of Economic Affairs, Roland Weigert: "I am pleased that we have succeeded in creating the Neuburg Campus as a special prime example of our future-oriented approach to the Bavaria-wide High-Tech Agenda technology offensive. For our region, it is even more: perspective and sustainable opportunity".

Prof. Dr. Walter Schober, President of the Ingolstadt University of Technology: "With the Neuburg Campus we are creating something unique: a lively knowledge quarter where students can learn, research and live. Leisure facilities, rooms for start-ups and the design of the campus as a "Living Lab" are part of this. We look forward to starting next year with the courses of study "Sustainability and Environmental Management" and "Industrial Engineering and Construction", which are unique in Bavaria.

Neuburg's Lord Mayor Dr. Bernhard Gmehling: "The agreement between the property owners and negotiating partners and the accompanying news that it is now possible to buy and thus develop further is incredibly valuable for Neuburg an der Donau, especially during the difficult corona period. I am very pleased that this milestone on the way to Neuburg as a university town has been achieved. On behalf of the city council and the citizens, I would like to thank all those who have contributed to this important step.

District Administrator Neuburg-Schrobenhausen Peter von der Grün: "I am very pleased that we are now moving towards the home stretch. The District of Neuburg-Schrobenhausen is fully behind the THI Campus and is therefore doing its part to support the rapid progress of the planning to the best of its ability. This is done both through a financial contribution and through the sale of two county plots of land."