101 million euros for the future of digital transformation: Cornerstone Laid for TUD's New Research Building

A modern new research building, the Lehmann Center office building, is being constructed south of Nöthnitzer Straße for the future use by the Center for Interdisciplinary Digital Sciences (CIDS) at Dresden University of Technology (TUD). It is located right next to the Lehmann Center's data center, which opened in 2015.

Today, Michael Kretschmer, Minister President of the Free State of Saxony, Saxony’s Minister of Science Sebastian Gemkow, Prof. Ursula M. Staudinger, Rector of TUD, Prof. Wolfgang E. Nagel, Director of CIDS, and Christine Behrens, Branch Manager of Dresden II at the Saxon Real Estate and Construction Management State Enterprise (SIB), laid the foundation stone.

© AWB Architekten GmbH

In the new building, up to 600 CIDS staff from the fields of research, development, IT infrastructure, and science-related services will work in a space of approximately 11,000 square meters and address key issues related to digital transformation. The EU and the Free State are investing around 101 million euros in the project.

Michael Kretschmer, Minister President of the Free State of Saxony: "Many of the challenges of our time can only be overcome through excellent research and strong partnerships. That is why we are creating the best possible conditions for our scientists to work and develop their careers, so that they can collaborate on the digital solutions of the future at our Dresden hub. Together with the European Union, we are making a modern new building a reality. "This strengthens Saxony as a hub for science and creates opportunities for future generations of researchers."

Prof. Ursula M. Staudinger, Rector of TUD: "The successful advancement of digital sciences at TUD plays a pivotal role in our ability to innovate and remain competitive. We would like to thank the EU and the Free State of Saxony, which are investing not only in a building, but also in talent, cutting-edge research, as well as the ability to translate scientific findings into societal benefits. With TUD as a University of Excellence, a national center for high-performance computing, and a center of expertise for artificial intelligence—as well as the scientific driving force behind Europe’s largest semiconductor location here in Dresden—this research facility fits seamlessly into a high-performing environment for interdisciplinary digital sciences."

By constructing the new building, TUD will gain modern office space, seminar and meeting rooms, and state-of-the-art laboratories and workshops. The open building layout—featuring five stories, a central lecture hall, two lobbies, and flexible meeting and project spaces—provides a setting for academic exchange, knowledge transfer, and public events. Conferences, workshops, exhibitions, and demonstrations can make research visible and bring it to life here.

Impressions from the ceremony

The building is scheduled to be completed by 2029. Construction began in August 2025 under the leadership of SIB.

Background: Lehmann Center

While the Lehmann Center data center, which opened in 2015, provides the digital infrastructure—including high-performance computers as well as central server and storage systems—for TUD and numerous partner institutions, the new Lehmann Center office building creates space for the people behind the digital sciences: Researchers, faculty members, developers, service teams, and partners from academia, industry, and politics. In the immediate vicinity of the Faculty of Computer Science, this creates a unique environment that fosters digital innovation, from fundamental research to practical applications. Together, the two buildings form the Lehmann Center, a hub for digital infrastructure, research, and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Background: Center for Interdisciplinary Digital Sciences (CIDS) the TUD

The CIDS brings together research, digital infrastructure, and research-related services under one organizational umbrella, thereby laying the foundation for innovative forms of interdisciplinary collaboration. Researchers from the natural sciences, engineering, humanities, social sciences, and life sciences work together at CIDS to find solutions to the challenges of digital transformation. The spectrum ranges from high-performance computing, data analytics, and artificial intelligence, through digital education and communication technologies, modeling, simulation, and networked systems, to issues of societal transformation and the interaction of complex technical and social systems.

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