Attached, I am forwarding you a press release from CISPA.
Foundation stone laid for the CISPA research campus in St. Ingbert
With the groundbreaking ceremony last Thursday in St. Ingbert, the construction of the new research campus of the CISPA Helmholtz Center for Information Security has begun. Together with CISPA CEO and founding director Prof. Dr. Dr. h. c. mult. Michael Backes, the Saarland Prime Minister Anke Rehlinger, Secretary of State Dr. Rolf-Dieter Jungk (Federal Ministry for Research, Technology and Space), Mayor Prof. Dr. Ulli Meyer, as well as representatives of the construction company Peter Gross Bau laid the foundation stone for the most important research construction project in Saarland.
In the coming years, a research campus will be established in St. Ingbert that will bring together the previously dispersed CISPA locations in Saarland into one place. With a usable area of around 28,000 square meters, the new building specifically creates the conditions for interdisciplinary collaboration, modern research infrastructures, and further growth. This allows CISPA to grow from its current approximately 725 to over 1,000 employees.
Since its founding, CISPA has developed into a globally leading research center in the field of cybersecurity and trustworthy artificial intelligence. An international panel of reviewers rated the research achievements of the center as outstanding in all areas last year, thereby confirming its international top position. The new campus creates the infrastructural conditions to further expand this position.
The Saarland is providing up to 350 million euros from the Transformation Fund for the construction of the research campus. The planned six-story ring building will create a research space that architecturally supports exchange and collaboration. A central entrance and meeting area – the "Green Forum" – connects the building with publicly accessible green and recreational spaces. This makes the campus not only a workplace for researchers but also an open place of encounter for the urban community and the region.
With the laying of the foundation stone, the implementation of a project begins that has an impact far beyond the region and makes an important contribution to the future viability of Saarland. The completion of the campus is planned for the end of 2028.
Quotes:
CISPA CEO and Founding Director Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Michael Backes:
"The cornerstone marks a milestone for CISPA, Saarland, and Germany. It represents 15 years of development work that began long ago without secured funding and without planned continuity – driven by the conviction that excellent research in cybersecurity and trustworthy AI needs its own dedicated place. That this project is becoming a reality today is also thanks to the courage and foresight of the Saarland state government to invest early in this vision and thereby strengthen the location internationally."
Minister President Anke Rehlinger:
“With the CISPA campus in St. Ingbert, we are creating a beacon for cutting-edge research and innovation in the Saarland. We are specifically investing in the future of our region to attract international talent, create high-quality jobs, and actively shape structural change. CISPA is a key component in positioning the Saarland as a strong science and technology hub in Europe. With this, we are laying not only a foundation here and now but a digital milestone.”
Lord Mayor of St. Ingbert Prof. Dr. Ulli Meyer:
"The CISPA is a once-in-a-century opportunity for St. Ingbert. Today, we are not only laying the foundation for a building but for the future of our city and the entire region. The fact that we have advanced this project from approval to this point in such a short time demonstrates what is possible when all parties work closely, solution-oriented, and with a common goal. Especially in structural change, we need projects like this: they create perspectives, bring innovation to St. Ingbert, and strengthen Saarland as a leading location for cybersecurity and research. My thanks go to everyone who has made this path possible with such dedication."
Nikolas Gross, Managing Partner Peter Gross Construction:
"The groundbreaking ceremony is the starting signal to develop a future location for CISPA that will provide long-term impulses for the city and the region. With the new center, we combine our traditional industrial expertise with CISPA's new technologies at an international level – thereby setting sustainable impulses for the city and the region."
Image: Florian Jung
Title: Prof. M. Backes (center) places the time capsule in the foundation stone.
