(L to R) Prof. Dr. Thomas Hirth, vice president of KIT for Innovation and International Affairs at KIT; Prof. Dr. Michael Kaschke, president and CEO of Carl Zeiss AG; and Prof. Dr.-Ing. Holger Hanselka, president of KIT.
​
OBERKOCHEN, Germany—Zeiss announced plans to build a new shared innovation hub on the north campus of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) in Karlsruhe, Germany. Construction is scheduled to begin in early 2018. The €30 million hub will cover 12,000 square meters. Zeiss said it will house high-tech and digital start-ups at the hub, as well as its own innovation and new business activities.

The Karlsruhe Institute of Technology is a public research university and one of the largest research and education institutions in Germany. At the Zeiss Innovation Hub, KIT will be able to lease a portion of the space for its own carve-outs and innovation activities.

Prof. Dr. Michael Kaschke, president and CEO of Carl Zeiss AG said, “We look forward to opening a site in the new location of Karlsruhe. This new concept means the Zeiss Innovation Hub at KIT will become a shared center for science, start-ups and leading technology companies. Everyone will benefit from this unique combination of physical and thematic proximity.”

The hub will also be home to Nanoscribe GmbH. It has been a successful KIT carve-out since 2007, and Zeiss is a stakeholder. With this move, Nanoscribe will have more space to grow its technology for micro 3D printing.

The new building will encompass modern offices, labs and production areas on a total of 12,000 square meters. Construction is scheduled for early 2018. The building should be operational by the end of 2019. The agreement is currently being defined by the parties.