OREANDA-NEWS. The state of Bavaria and the city of Erlangen have pledged their support for the planning and construction of the new Siemens Campus Erlangen. After a study initiated some months ago by Siemens confirmed the feasibility of the ˆ500-million project, Bavarian Prime Minister Horst Seehofer, Erlangen's mayor Siegfried Balleis, Siemens President and CEO Joe Kaeser and Siemens Chief Financial Officer Ralf P. Thomas signed declarations of intent relating to the project at a ceremony held in Munich's Prinz-Carl-Palais. “By relocating our business units to a modern campus in Erlangen we are underscoring Siemens' long-term commitment to this greater metropolitan area. Together with the state of Bavaria and the city of Erlangen we have succeeded in creating attractive guidelines for this forward-looking project, which will benefit the population of the region and the state as well as our own employees,” said Joe Kaeser. In a next step, specifications will be defined for a design competition.

“Over the next 20 years, a leading-edge, future-oriented complex geared to the 21st century will be developed in Erlangen,” noted Bavarian Prime Minister Horst Seehofer. “At the same time, this project reflects the global company's clear commitment to Bavaria as a business location - because you stay where you build. The Siemens Campus is a symbol of the power of innovation for the employees of Siemens AG and for all of Bavaria. The state of Bavaria will do everything it can to ensure the speedy and successful implementation of this megaproject.”

Siemens plans to build a state-of-the-art, sustainably designed Siemens Campus on the grounds of its current location on the south side of Erlangen by 2030. Investment in the construction project, which will cover an area of 54 hectares, or the equivalent of about 75 soccer fields, is expected to total roughly ˆ500 million.

As part of a feasibility study conducted over the past months, Siemens examined the framework and conditions for implementing the project. The study entailed close coordination with the state of Bavaria and the city of Erlangen on points such as the integration of the campus into the transport network, necessary development measures, the preservation of historic sites and also the possible future use of the so-called “raspberry palace” in Erlangen's city center. Both the state of Bavaria and the city of Erlangen have assured Siemens of their support for the project's further implementation.

Part of the feasibility study also involved preliminary planning that shows the stages in which the previously closed site could be redeveloped and reopened step-by-step. These plans call for about 30 hectares of the location's total area of 54 hectares to be used for offices, hotels, conference facilities and parking, while apartments could be built on 17 hectares, or nearly one-third of the overall area. The use of the remaining seven hectares is to be specified in greater detail during the course of the ongoing project implementation.

Last week, the Erlangen city council approved a framework agreement with Siemens under which the city agreed to do everything in its power to facilitate the project's successful implementation. As a next step, Siemens, in close consultation with the city of Erlangen, will establish additional specifications for the design competition and commission the necessary studies, including expert opinions in the fields of transport and emission control. Twelve architecture firms are to present their project proposals in the second half of the year.

By implementing the Campus Erlangen project, Siemens will greatly promote urban development in Erlangen and substantially strengthen Bavaria's economic clout. Already today, Erlangen is Siemens' largest location in the world and one of the company's key competence centers. Siemens employs about 25,000 people in the city of Erlangen and some 46,000 in the greater metropolitan area.