One appointment, two ceremonies: First of all, the recently completed new building of the Peter Osypka Institute was opened on the morning of May 3 on the campus of Offenburg University. This was followed by the ground-breaking ceremony for the new building of the Regional Innovation Center for Energy Technology.
University rector Winfried Lieber described both measures as "innovative germ cells that give our University's very important impulses for intensifying the transfer of knowledge, especially to the region".
The "Peter Osypka Institute for Pacing and Ablation", founded in 2011 and researching and developing in the important field of cardiology, has developed into an international competence center in the field of medical technology, emphasized the head construction director Karl-Heinz Bühler of "Vermögen und Bau Baden-Württemberg", in his speech: "The state of Baden Württemberg contributed 0.14 million euros to the total cost of the new building, the lion's share of two million euros was donated by Professor Dr. Peter Osypka, President/CEO and founder and owner of Dr. Osypka GmbH. He also founded the Peter Osypka Foundation and made a great contribution to the promotion of teaching and research at Offenburg University. Since 2009, Osypka has been an honorary professor and honorary senator of Offenburg University. In his speech he emphasized the importance of research in the field of "pacing and ablation": In 1986, he developed high-frequency ablation for the treatment of cardiac rhythm disorders. He received a total of more than 300 patents. More than 680,000 people worldwide have been treated with the technology developed by Osypka and owe their lives without atrial fibrillation to catheter surgery. He wished the institute "growth, flowering and prosperity," said the generous donor.
On behalf of the State of Baden-Württemberg, State Secretary of Finance Gisela Splett thanked Professor Osypka for his donation for the construction of the research institute named after him. "Industry and the public greatly appreciate the work of the POI. It offers numerous teaching and further training courses that focus not only on theory but above all on the practical handling of the various processes," said Splett.
"With the Peter Osypka Institute (POI), the University now has the best prerequisites to further distinguish itself as a major player in the field of applied medical technology research beyond national borders".
"We are pleased as a city that we can accompany the positive growth of the university", said Offenburg's Mayor Edith Schreiner. Of course this also applies to the Regional Innovation Center (RIZ) of the Offenburg University. The city of Offenburg provided the municipal building site north of the campus area free of charge for the further development of the university. This would also bring the university closer to the city centre in terms of construction.
"Such a gift is not a matter of course", said Rector Lieber: "Certainly this decision was also an important argument to the experts to recommend the project for funding.
According to Lieber, an important goal of the RIZ is "to provide the region with an efficient research infrastructure and thus to give important new impulses in key technologies and to the transfer of knowledge and technology on the Upper Rhine".
The RIZ is financed from three sources. The university was so convincing in the RegioWIN 2015 competition with its application for a Regional Innovation Centre for Energy Technology that it was also able to raise EU funds for the project. The lighthouse project costs a total of ten million euros. Five million euros come from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and two million euros from the state of Baden-Württemberg. Offenburg University had to commit to financing the remaining three million euros.
The planned new research building is to bring together the diverse research activities relating to resource and energy efficiency in autumn 2019. It will comprise a 900 square metre pilot plant (plus outdoor laboratory space) and over 40 innovative workplaces.
"I would like to thank the first donors of the RIZ Foundation for their commitment," emphasized Rector Lieber: "Without your help, the co-financing of a total of three million euros from the University would not have been possible."
The circle of donors includes:
AUMA Riester GmbH & Co. KG
badenova AG & Co. KG
Badische Stahlwerke GmbH
BCT Technology AG
Energie Consulting GmbH
E-Werk-Mittelbaden AG & Co. KG
Herrenknecht AG
Klimapartner Oberrhein e. V.
MEIKO Maschinenbau GmbH & Co. KG
Peter Huber Kältemaschinenbau GmbH
Stadt Offenburg