News Release

Position No. 1 at the Euroscience Open Forum in Munich

Baden-Württemberg presents six outstanding projects from the region

Peer-Reviewed Publication

Sympra

The State of Baden-Württemberg is represented with six innovative research projects at the Euroscience Open Forum. The projects exemplify the wide spectrum of science conducted in a region with the most universities and research opportunities in Europe. The Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Heidelberg, the Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe, the Institute for Industrial Manufacturing and Management of the Universität Stuttgart as well as the Universities of Applied Sciences in Mannheim and Ulm will be exhibiting some of their most innovative research results at Stand No. 1 on the ground floor of the "Deutsches Museum" in Munich. In addition, Baden-Württemberg International (bw-i) will provide information on the higher education, research and economics landscape of the German Southwest.

The success achieved in Baden-Württemberg has not happened by chance: Approx. 12.3 billion Euro, around 4% of the state's GDP, is invested in research and development per year. This puts the German Southwest in the top slot internationally: The European Union spends approx. 1.9 percentage of their GDP on research on average, Japan 3.1 percent and the USA 2.9 percent. Therefore Stand No. 1 for Baden-Württemberg is considered to have more than a symbolic value.

Around 10 billion Euro, and therefore the lion's share of money, spent in the German Southwest on R&D comes from industry with international players, such as DaimlerChrysler, Porsche, Bosch, SAP, but also many small and mid-sized enterprises, who show a great interest in innovation. Investment in high and highest performance technology certainly pays off – with 120 registered patents per 100,000 inhabitants the "Land of Inventors" holds the record nationwide. Did you know, for example that it was here that Ludwigsburg-born Friedrich Kammerer invented phosphorus matches in 1832, Carl Benz, Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach are renowned for their invention of the automobile and the invention of aspirin by the chemist Felix Hoffmann still helps people the world over.

Due to this tradition of creativity in the State, it is no wonder that Nobel Prize winners spent formative years in their careers in the German Southwest: Physician Albert Einstein comes from Ulm, Professor Klaus von Klitzing, Nobel Prize winner for Physics in 1985, conducts research in Stuttgart and Professor Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard (Nobel Prize winner for Medicine in 1995) in Tübingen.

With over 70 universities and 100 research institutes, Baden-Württemberg has a unique, broad and yet diverse research landscape Europe-wide involved in numerous international cooperation projects. Alongside large-scale research institutes of the Helmholtz-Gemeinschaft, there are eleven research institutes of the Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, seven institutes of the Leibniz-Gemeinschaft, fourteen Fraunhofer institutes as well as thirteen institutes for contract research. Thus the complete spectrum from basic research to product-oriented applied research is covered.

The dynamic formula of knowledge and technology transfer into the economy plays a vital role. Many research institutes in Baden-Württemberg have recognised the sign of the times and have committed themselves in this area. As does the Steinbeis Foundation with its over 400 transfer centres in Baden-Württemberg, the offerings of which are tailor cut to the requirements of small and medium-sized enterprises.

The Max Planck Institute for Astronomy (MPIA) will be presented twice at the ESOF: On 17th July at 5:15 pm there will be a seminar entitled "Towards other Worlds – Extrasolar Planets" in the Forum of the Deutsches Museum. Scientists will talk about the current status of exploring planets outside of the solar system and give insight into the future. At the Baden-Württemberg Stand, the MPIA will present astronomic top research of a world-class standard – a model of the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT) currently being built and which is set to become the largest and most modern single telescope in the world.

The Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe is also dedicated to the universe with the Neutrino experiment in the international project KATRIN. The project explores the mass of neutrinos and the question of the role it had during the evolution of the universe. KATRIN is a project involving several European and American institutes. At present approx. 100 scientists, technicians and students are working on the experiment headed by the Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe.

The Institute for Industrial Manufacturing and Management of the Universität Stuttgart is to in-troduce the factory planning table at the ESOF. Here one can simulate in a digital factory production processes and changes in modern companies in the most varied ways. Would you like to push around machinery weighing several tonnes? It can be done by the click of a mouse! This is all possible on the digital planning table - one can plan machines, rooms or whole factories by simply moving around small blocks. In addition, visitors are able to learn a lot about joint planning and digital factories.

The Ulm University of Applied Sciences will be introducing a mini ECG device developed by re-searchers at the Universities of Applied Sciences in Ulm and Offenburg. The device has been designed to monitor high-risk patients and accidents victims from a distance, a so-called CardioScout. Weighing in at a mere 40 grammes, the ECG device is equipped with a 24-hour recorder and based on Bluetooth technology. The device will be produced and sold by the Firma Picomed in Überlingen. The development was financed by state means promoting research in universities of applied sciences.

Researchers from the institute for databases and knowledge processing at the Mannheim University of Applied Sciences (Institut für Datenbanken und Wissensverarbeitung der Hochschule Mannheim) have developed a research guide of all Baden-Württemberg universities together with the company winformation (Wiesloch) with the aid of inphonation technology. This detailed guide, which can be comfortably called up on the mobile, includes the institutes' focus, contact addresses and images. Every mobile supported by Java and Bluetooth will be equipped to call up a wealth of information.

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The highly rated European science conference ESOF is initiated by the Robert Bosch Foundation and the Stifterverband der Deutschen Wissenschaft and hosted by Wissenschaft im Dialog. Following the opening event in Stockholm 2004, the ESOF will take place combined with the seventh science summer in the Forum am Deutschen Museum and in the Deutsches Museum in Munich from 15th – 19th July 2006. ESOF was founded by Euroscience, an international science organisation.

About Baden-Württemberg International

Baden-Württemberg International is since more than 20 years fostering international collaboration and promoting the region worldwide. Since 2005, Baden-Württemberg International has also promoted the region as a stronghold of higher education and research.

Contact:
Georg Overbeck
Baden-Württemberg International
Project Manager Science, Research and the Arts


Telephone: +49(0)711.22787 - 36
Telefax: +49(0)711.22787 – 66
Mobile: +49(0)17624651752
Email: georg.overbeck@bw-i.de

The Baden-Württemberg Stand (No. 1) is located on the ground floor of the Deutsches Museum.


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