Daimler has laid the foundation stone for its ARENA2036 'research factory for the automobile of the future' at the University of Stuttgart campus in Vaihingen.
Nils Schmid MdL, deputy minister-president of Baden-Württemberg and minister for finance and industry, and Theresia Bauer, minister for science, research and the arts, described the undertaking as a "lighthouse project for the state of Baden-Württemberg" and an "outstanding model for effective technology transfer".
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The research facility will create up to 160 jobs for extremely highly qualified scientists conducting research into flexible production technology and lightweight composite fibre construction for mass produced vehicles. Partners from the sciences and industry will work together under one roof with financial and political support from the federal government and the state of Baden-Württemberg. The aim is to realise innovative production models and systems which are both competitive and efficient in their use of resources by the year 2036 – the 150th anniversary of the automobile. The cost of EUR27m (US$30.4m) is funded by the University of Stuttgart and the state Baden-Württemberg.
Director of real estate and construction for Baden-Württemberg, Annette Ipach-Öhmann, said: "The new factory with workshops, laboratories and offices and a usable area of around 6500 square metres will allow direct cooperation between the sciences and industry under a single roof, emphasising the beacon-like function of this research project with its innovative architectural and technical concept. The aim of the ARENA2036 research campus is to conduct basic and applied research to shape the future of the automobile, and safeguard the industry's innovative strength and competitiveness in Baden-Württemberg."
