New building for the Max Planck Institute for Security and Privacy

The groundbreaking ceremony marked the start of construction for a new state-of-the-art building for security and privacy research
 

October 21, 2024

Politicians, representatives of the Max Planck Society, cybersecurity experts from the Ruhr Area, architects and planners, and employees of MPI-SP amongst others participated in the ceremonial groundbreaking for the start of construction of the new building. The new building will house 350 employees and is expected to be ready in 2027.

 

“Today is a special occasion for our institute: we start the construction work for our new building”, said managing director Peter Schwabe in his opening remarks.

Mark 51°7 is the new home of the Max Planck Institute for Security and Privacy (MPI-SP). Also known as the former Bochum Opel factory, Mark 51°7 has become a district for innovation, bringing together companies and research institutes. NRW Minister for Culture and Science, Ina Brandes, noted in her welcome addresses: “An old industrial site becomes home to top international research! On the old Opel site, world-leading scientists will in future conduct basic research into cyber security - one of the major issues of the future that directly affects the lives of all people.”.  Bochum’s Mayor Gaby Schäfer also addressed the transformation of Mark51°7 into an innovation hub and expressed her pride for the development of the area “We also look at the things that happen here with pride.”. The mayor also noted that there are over 500 IT firms located in Bochum, making the city “a hotspot for cybersecurity”.

The choice of founding MPI-SP in Bochum in 2019 was not haphazard. An institute with the concept of “scientific excellence as a nucleus for economic and social transformation,” proposed by the former President of the Max Planck Society, Martin Stratmann, suited the Bochum location perfectly.  “The Ruhr region is already home to an incredibly good and dense research infrastructure,” added General Secretary of the Max Planck Society, Simone Schwanitz.

The closing remarks from founding Director Christof Paar described the process of bringing MPI-SP to Bochum, emphasizing the lead role that Ruhr University Bochum has played in supporting this endeavor. Ever since its establishment in 2019, the MPI-SP has been in close collaboration with the Ruhr University Bochum: “Incidentally, I am delighted that not only the MPI but also the Faculty of Computer Science will find a home on the former Opel factory site in the future” stated the RUB Prorector, Günter Meschke.

The new building of the MPI-SP will be an energy-efficient, state-of-the-art workplace that will foster scientific excellence. Erasmus Eller highlighted in his speech that his architects’ team has focused on not only providing a space for scientists to work but also a place that they can identify with. The scientists will benefit from multiple meeting areas with different purposes that will enhance cooperation and foster interdisciplinary research. The building will be finalized in 2027. The total cost will be 62 million Euros. “We are grateful to the state Nord Rhein Westfalia […] for the special funding of 50 million [Euros]” said MPG General Secretary Simone Schwanitz.

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