Potsdam Science Park – Up and Running

Topping out ceremony for GO:IN 2

It was another milestone for Potsdam as a location for science: After its groundbreaking ceremony on November 28, 2019, the GO:IN 2 building (currently under construction) celebrated its topping-out ceremony on June 9, 2020 – with important guests such as Potsdam’s mayor Mike Schubert and the Managing Director of Technologie und Gewerbezentren GmbH Steffen Schramm. The official opening of the new office and laboratory complex is scheduled for June 2021. With 6,300 square meters of space, the GO:IN 2 will enable companies and research institutions to (co-)work in a stimulating and concentrated fashion. “The construction of GO:IN 2 is another important step in the development of the Potsdam Science Park. With a further business incubator in Potsdam-Golm, we can now offer the urgently needed small-scale and flexible office and laboratory spaces at the Science Park. New small and medium-sized companies and startups can now settle here and in the neighbouring new office and laboratory complexes within walking distance from the University of Potsdam and the Max-Planck and Fraunhofer Institutes.” says Agnes von Matuschka, Managing Director of the local park management, Standortmanagement Golm GmbH, at the Potsdam Science Park.

A space for business and research

Meanwhile, planning for the Technology Campus continues. On an area of around 10 hectares, further spaces for companies and the University of Potsdam are beeing created.

After completion of the development planning, the ProPotsdam GmbH received the go ahead to sell plots of land in March 2020, with a seven-hectare site intended for the creation of technology- and research-oriented as well as knowledge-based companies.

An additional three hectares are reserved for the University of Potsdam: With over 21,000 students and around 3,000 employees, the university ranks among the most renowned tertiary institutions in Germany. Now, to meet the increasing demand in the field of information technology, a new building for the Institute of Computer Science is to be constructed to offer space for around 800 students. In the future, further buildings will meet the existing high demand, accelerate expansion and create additional capacity for the University.

Behind the prominent building of the departmental university library (IKMZ), the new research building for the “Earth & Environment Centre” (EEC) and the Centre for Natural Product Genomics (NSG), where science and industry will meet, is also taking shape. In the future, it will not only provide space for studying and working to university students and employees, but will also allow employees of various companies to conduct workshops and trainings. Additionally, the new building will also house a drone lab and a 3D laboratory.

A success story – with a sequel

The extensions to the TECHNOLOGY CAMPUS and the further investment in the LAB CAMPUS with the GO:IN 2, the H-LAB are intended to continue the success story of the Potsdam Science Park.

With a total area of 60 hectares, the Potsdam Science Park is now one of the largest locations for science in the capital region and includes the Golm Campus of the University of Potsdam with the Faculties of Human Sciences and Natural Sciences, two Fraunhofer Institutes, three Max Planck Institutes, the GO:IN Technology and Start-Up Centre as well as the Brandenburg State Archive. As the largest and fastest growing location for innovation in Brandenburg and a vibrant place of knowledge, the Potsdam Science Park connects international top-level research and university education with research-oriented start-ups and companies.

Networking and mutual exchange between renowned research institutions and innovative companies are the focus. Over the next ten years, the park is expected to create around 1000 new jobs in the capital region.

A vivid entrepreneurial atmosphere

Interestingly, the atmosphere at the park did not lose any of its entrepreneurial drive during the recent pandemic. If anything, it became especially visible. The community at the park already has established formats to engage members from academia, startups and other corporations on a regular basis, most prominently in its two lecture series, Future2Go and Science2Go.

Future2Go is targeted at alumni of the various institutions, such as Students, PhDs and PostDocs and is intended to present alternative paths to a classical academic research career. Through presentations given by Alumni that have already successfully switched careers, young researchers are actively encouraged to think outside the box in regard to their future.

In the corresponding format, Science2Go, various scientific research topics are presented by researchers and other staff members working at and living nearby the Potsdam Science Park. Both lecture series are usually held in front of and in exchange with a live audience. During the pandemic, this became impossible. While both series had to be paused initially, their hiatus did not last for too long. Instead, they were quickly moved to a new online format. – With encouraging results. “From what we can observe so far, participation at these events has actually risen since we conduct them online.”, says Agnes von Matuschka, executive director of the location management (Standortmanagement Golm GmbH) at Potsdam Science Park: “To us, this confirms the special mindset that the community at the science park shares. People here are open to innovative solutions and curious to hear what has become of former colleagues or what they are researching. However, the majority would like to see our events of genuine face-to-face exchange return, soon.”

Photo: Standortmanagement Golm GmbH © Lutz Hannemann

This blog is funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the State of Brandenburg.