ZEISS plans to build a new shared innovation hub on the north campus of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT).

Construction is scheduled to begin in early 2018; the €30 million hub will cover 12,000 square meters. With the ZEISS Innovation Hub, the global technology leader in optics and optoelectronics is making a sustainable investment in Germany as a place for innovation.

As an active sponsor of the sciences, these closer links between industry and science mean that synergy effects can be utilized more intensively. 

ZEISS wants the hub to house high-tech and digital start-ups, as well as its own innovation and new business activities. KIT will thus join forces with ZEISS experts to pave the way for the technologies of the future. 

Long-term prospects for KIT carve-outs

KIT, whose third pillar is innovation – alongside research and teaching – aims to use this hub to provide long-term prospects for carve-outs at the site. The space currently available to this end has been maxed out. At the ZEISS Innovation Hub, KIT will be able to lease a portion of the space for its own carve-outs and innovation activities.

This collaboration between KIT and ZEISS is based on solid foundations as the hub will also be home to Nanoscribe GmbH. It has been a successful KIT carve-out since 2007, and ZEISS is a stakeholder. With this move, Nanoscribe will have more space to grow its innovative technology for micro 3D printing. 

The new building will encompass modern offices, labs and production areas on a total of 12,000 square meters. Construction is scheduled for early 2018. The building should be operational by the end of 2019. The agreement is currently being defined by the parties.

Strategic partnership between ZEISS and KIT

The longstanding successful collaboration between ZEISS and the KIT is set to develop into a strategic partnership. The collaboration agreement, which is currently being finalized, will regulate work in research, teaching and innovation, as well as in internationalization, the careers service and dialog with society. The focus will be on topics such as machine learning and computer vision applications. 

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