32 million euros for Interactive Intelligent Systems research building

The University of Bielefeld has already claimed its place as a world leader in robot research with the excellence cluster Cognitive Interaction Technology (CITEC). CITEC is due to move into a new research building on Campus North in the fourth quarter of 2012.

The scientists have had to work in temporary quarters for the last few years. That’s set to change in 2012. In its recommendation on promoting research buildings at universities and colleges the Science Council approved the University of Bielefeld’s application to build a new Interactive Intelligent Systems research building and awarded it First Place.

This decision in mid-2010 is further proof of the outstanding scientific quality of the internationally unique competence and research centre for Interactive Intelligent Systems at the University of Bielefeld. Construction of the new research building costing 32 million euros started in January 2011. The main planner is CARPUS+Partner AG, Aachen.

Outstanding quality and international significance

In its ‘Recommendation on the Promotion of Research Buildings (2011)’ the Science Council in its report on the University of Bielefeld emphasised the outstanding quality of the expected research results and also their international significance: “The expected progress in knowledge will have considerable significance for a number of applications (robotics, intelligent everyday appliances, assistive environments, active media) and will be of great interest both to external scientific partners and to decision-makers in business. The Bielefeld applicants have an excellent network, both nationally and internationally.”

A total of 37 research teams from six disciplines – Informatics, Biology, Linguistics, Mathematics, Psychology and Sports Science – will work on the Interactive Intelligent Systems research programme. 17 of these groups will benefit from ultramodern working conditions in the new Interactive Intelligent Systems research building. Of the total cost of 32 million euros, large scientific equipment alone accounts for 2.3 million euros.

Interdisciplinary central laboratory

The heart of the research building will be an interdisciplinary central laboratory where cognitive interaction processes will be explored using the very latest instruments in a hitherto undreamt-of resolution. 

Following on from the Cognitive Interaction Technology excellence cluster (CITEC), special research area 673 Alignment in Communication and the Research Institute for Cognition and Robotics (CoR-Lab, a public-private partnership with Honda Research Institute Europe) have profiled the University of Bielefeld as an internationally prominent centre of expertise and research in the field of interactive intelligent systems. The research building on Campus North will give that scientific excellence an architectural profile to match.

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