The University of Oldenburg is expanding: a new building for the Research Centres Neurosensory Science and Safety-Critical Systems is being built on the Wechloy campus. At the centre: medical technology and human-machine communication.
The foundation stone for the building, known as NeSSy for short, was laid on 31 January in the presence of Lower Saxony's Science Minister Prof. Dr Johanna Wanka, Oldenburg's Lord Mayor Prof. Dr Gerd Schwandner and numerous guests of honour.
"The NeSSy research building is an important investment for Oldenburg as a centre of science and for the state of Lower Saxony. By closely interlinking life sciences with technical developments, we are strengthening neurosensor technology, for example, and sharpening our research profile in the face of international competition," emphasised Minister Wanka.
The new research building will offer the best working conditions for around 80 employees across 2,000 square metres. University President Prof. Dr Babette Simon is convinced: "A joint building for the two nationally and internationally recognised research focuses of neurosensor technology and safety-critical systems is being created here, at odds with the 'classic' School and subject structures. This will create excellent conditions for outstanding research." NeSSy is also of great importance for the European Medical School Oldenburg-Groningen (EMS): Neurosensorics is a cornerstone of the newly founded School of Medicine.
In the course of the nationwide competition for university construction, the German Council of Science and Humanities gave the building project a positive assessment. According to the advisory body, Oldenburg is already a Centre of Excellence in the field of hearing aid systems with an outstanding national and international reputation. The work on security features for embedded systems is of outstanding and international importance. Both research focuses are very strongly networked throughout Germany and Europe.
The research focuses are represented by the physicist and physician Prof. Dr Dr Birger Kollmeier, the neurobiologist Prof. Dr Reto Weiler and the computing scientist Prof. Dr Werner Damm. Birger Kollmeier is, among other things, head of the Department of Medical Physics, spokesperson for the Centre for Hearing Research and the HörTech Center of Competence for Hearing Aid System Technology (HörTech). Reto Weiler, Managing Director of the Research Centre Neurosensory Science, heads the Neurobiology working group. Computing Science expert Werner Damm, Director of the Research Centre Neurosensory Science and Safety Critical Systems, is also the spokesperson for the Collaborative Research Centre (Transregio) "Automatic Verification and Analysis of Complex Systems" (AVACS).
In the new NeSSy building, the two Research Centres Neurosensory Science and Safety Critical Systems will focus on advancing interdisciplinary basic research and applied research and supporting communication between scientists with a conference centre. The work will focus on innovative developments in medical technology and human-machine communication. Half of the floor space is intended for laboratories: Acoustics or hearing labs, a virtual reality/usability lab, neurophysiology labs for magnetic resonance imaging, magnetoencephalography and imaging techniques. There will be space for four working groups from both centres: "Medical Physics" and "Signal Processing" as well as a neuro-psychology and an engineering working group.
The Stuttgart architects Heinle, Wischer und Partner designed the new building. The total costs, including initial furnishings, amount to around 15 million euros, half of which will be borne by the federal government and half by the state. Completion is planned for June 2013.