Federal Research Center (BFZ) comes to Bautzen - Decisive contribution of TUD's cutting-edge research in the construction sector

The federal government and the states of Saxony, Thuringia and Baden-Württemberg have created fundamental clarity regarding the structure and locations of the Federal Research Center for Climate-Neutral and Resource-Efficient Building (BFZ). A corresponding key points paper has just been signed in Berlin.

The BFZ will advance the transformation processes in the construction sector with its research and make a significant contribution to achieving climate neutrality by 2045. In line with the requirements of the Budget Committee of the German Bundestag, the concept pursues a nationwide research network with decentralized core research areas. This will enable existing scientific institutions and structures in the participating founding states (Saxony, Thuringia and Baden-Württemberg) to be strengthened in a targeted manner and new ones to be established. The BFZ locations in the federal states coordinate the existing research institutions in the respective states, such as the TUD Dresden University of Technology for Saxony.

Saxony is one of the three founding states of the decentralized BFZ and integrates its scientific excellence in the construction sector, such as the TUD Dresden University of Technology (TUD), in particular with the Cluster of Excellence CARE (Climate-Neutral and Resource-Efficient Construction), as well as UNU-FLORES with the Institute for Integrated Management of Material Fluxes and of Resources.

Originally, a high-ranking team of initiators led by Prof. Manfred Curbach took part in the BMBF competition for a large-scale research center to support structural change in Lusatia in 2021 with the proposal to establish a new type of construction research center "Lausitz Art of Building". Ultimately, the LAB was narrowly defeated by the German Center for Astrophysics in September 2022. However, as you can't simply stop campaigning for resource-conserving construction, the initiators around Curbach continued to fight for the idea of this construction research center. The declared aim was to establish the LAB as the key to climate-neutral and resource-efficient construction in Lusatia after all. And this goal seemed within reach at the end of 2023. On November 20, 2023, the team was able to inform all partners involved in Bautzen that the Budget Committee of the German Bundestag had decided on November 17, 2023 to provide the construction research center with a total of 68.6 million euros over the next five years under the new name LAB - Living Art of Building. On June 26, 2024, the Budget Committee approved the establishment concept submitted by the federal government and released the budget funds. On the Saxon side, the districts of Bautzen and Görlitz had also originally agreed to provide up to 450 million euros from structural change funds for the development. Other federal states, including Thuringia and Brandenburg, have since expressed their interest in collaborating and participating in the funding.

Now the efforts have taken a new turn. Minister of State Regina Kraushaar, who has now signed the agreement in Berlin on behalf of the Free State of Saxony on behalf of the Minister President, explains: "After a long and intensive discussion process, we have come to a good result. It fills me with pride that the idea of a research center for climate-neutral and resource-efficient construction developed in the Free State of Saxony is now being implemented and that the construction sector will receive special support in this important area in the future. It was the declared joint goal of the Federal and State governments: the construction sector needs strong impetus here, which the BFZ will now provide. And I am expressly grateful that the excellence of the TUD Dresden University of Technology and the expertise provided by Professor Manfred Curbach made this result possible in the first place. Last but not least, I am grateful to the District Administrator of Bautzen for his great commitment and support along the way."

Following consultations between the Federal Ministry of Housing, Urban Development and Building (BMWSB) and the states of Saxony, Thuringia and Baden-Württemberg, the establishment of the BFZ in Lusatia was confirmed. It was agreed that the registered office of the future BFZ will be in Bautzen. Furthermore, an office of the BFZ is to be established in Bautzen, which will take on administrative tasks to support the work of the association. As things stand at present, these include supporting the supervisory bodies, the Scientific Advisory Board and Advisory Board, coordinating research activities as well as public relations work and increasing the visibility of the BFZ.

Structural change secured through accompanying measures
Saxony intends to establish a research infrastructure in Bautzen to support the BFZ. Funds of up to 100 million euros from the Coal Regions Investment Act are to be made available for this purpose. The establishment of a start-up incubator in Bautzen is planned at a later date. The aim of these projects is to establish new value chains based on newly developed technologies and thus create training and jobs for the future. "We are continuing to support the project with correspondingly strong investments. With the BFZ, we will ensure that we not only promote innovation and sustainability in construction in Bautzen, but that we naturally also give further impetus to structural change in Lusatia and the research path already taken in Lusatia. After all, the Center for Building and Living in Hoyerswerda, the Construction Future LAB in Görlitz, the Center for Green Circular Economy in the Schwarze Pumpe Industrial Park (CircEcon) and the Carbon LabFactory Saxony in Boxberg/O.L. are also important building blocks for ensuring that Lusatia is at the forefront of construction research," explains Minister of State Kraushaar.

Prof. Manfred Curbach, spokesman for the LAB initiator team, is somewhat more cautious about the current development: "This is a small step in the right direction, but construction research must be further intensified and institutionalized!"

CARE, which was approved as a TUD Cluster of Excellence a few months ago, also plays an important role in the plans for the new BFZ. Cluster spokesperson and Director of the Institute of Construction Materials, Prof. Viktor Mechtcherine, emphasizes "that CARE and LAB - Living Art of Building, now BFZ - were developed in parallel and in close coordination with each other. Both initiatives aim to make a substantial contribution to the enormous need for research in the construction sector. We now have the task of generating the greatest possible synergies for forward-looking, practice-relevant research with the funds available."

CARE aims to fundamentally change the construction industry. The cluster develops climate-neutral mineral building materials, resource-efficient construction principles and digitalized and automated production processes. In doing so, CARE is also pursuing acute social goals - improved working conditions, higher productivity, lower costs and greater resilience and social sustainability in the construction sector.

The BFZ focuses on the rapid and safe transfer of these findings into practice. In addition to faster approvals of new developments, this also includes opportunities for simpler and reduced building regulations. "This makes BFZ an ideal strategic partner for the basic research-oriented Cluster of Excellence CARE," says Prof. Mechtcherine.

In the view of the team of initiators led by Prof. Curbach, every initiative to conduct more building research is of enormous benefit, and all synergies should be used to get closer to the major goal of climate-neutral and resource-efficient construction.

Prof. Steffen Marx, Director of the Institute of Concrete Structures at TU Dresden and closely involved in the planning of the LAB and BFZ, emphasizes: "Together with the research platform (openLAB) in Bautzen, we must use the BFZ to quickly transfer basic research into practice so that climate-friendly, sustainable construction quickly becomes the standard."

Udo Witschas, District Administrator of the district of Bautzen, adds to the BFZ key points paper that has now been signed: "Building research of national to international standing in Bautzen - today we are a big step closer to this dream! As the runner-up in the competition for a large-scale research center in the Lusatian mining district, many had already written off the project. We have proven the opposite - that is not something to be taken for granted! I am proud of what we have now been able to achieve together with many stakeholders through many negotiations and compromises. At the same time, I am full of hope for what we will now develop with TU Dresden as a task and work plan for the Oberlausitz Campus. First of all, the BFZ must be founded as quickly as possible in 2026."

Contact for media:
TUD Dresden University of Technology
Institute of Construction Materials / Institute of Construction Materials / Institute of Construction Materials
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Viktor Mechtcherine, Director and Cluster Spokesperson CARE
Phone: +49 351 463 35 920
E-mail:
Internet: http: //tu-dresden.de/bau/ifb