Monographie Bonn-Rhein-Sieg

SCIENCE REGION BONN – WORLD-CLASS RESEARCH
Know-how “made in Bonn/Rhein-Sieg”: the science region
of Bonn is among the most important research locations
in Europe. A dynamic culture of research is found
here, which secures the region innovative power at a high
level.
Discoveries are awaiting people in the infinite expanses of
the universe they hardly dare dream of. The deeper the
cosmic insights are to reach, the faster radio astronomical
soloists reach their boundaries. The sharpest image of
astronomy to date – the radio image of Galaxy BL Lacertae,
which is 900 million light years away – came into being in
that researchers linked the measurement data of a total of
15 radio telescopes on earth and an antenna in space with
one another in a computer, and as such created a virtual
telescope that has the eightfold diameter of the earth. The
angular resolution is so good that it could be used to
identify a two-euro coin on the moon. The Max Planck Ins -
titute for Radio Astronomy in Bonn (MPIfR) was involved
with its 100-metre Effelsberg antenna, and entered the data
of all measured signals into one special computer. The
example demonstrates that research lives from cooperation,
exchange and networking. It is also characteristic for the
direction science and research have taken in the science
region of Bonn: sky high.
Science region Bonn: strong and dynamic
Knowledge is the raw material of the future – it makes
innovation possible and, as such, is a crucial competitive
factor for every company. In the Bonn/Rhein-Sieg region,
science can look back at a long tradition. The National
Aeronautics and Space Research Centre of the Federal
Republic of Germany (DLR), three Max Planck Institutes,
the Fraunhofer Institute Centre Schloss Birlinghoven or also
the Research Society for Applied Natural Sciences (FGAN)
are among the most renowned research addresses. Within
the context of the Bonn-Berlin compensatory arrangement,
the well-established science location was further streng -
thened. With the budgetary resources provided and the
new formation of universities of applied sciences, it was especially
cutting-edge research that was supported in the
City of Bonn, the Rhein-Sieg and Ahrweiler district and here,
first and foremost, application-oriented research and vocational
training. Meanwhile, the region has developed into
one of the leading locations for knowledge and research in
Europe. The City of Bonn, the Rhein-Sieg district and the
Ahrweiler district, together with the science and research
institutions that have established themselves here, form the
science region of Bonn, which reflects a high degree of
regional and international networking.
High density of higher education and
research institutions
In the course of the past years, numerous new universities
of applied science have been established within the context
of the development of the science region of Bonn – among
these, the Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences,
the RheinAhr Campus and IUBH, a private International
University of Applied Sciences. More than 40,000 students
are currently registered and constitute and excellent reservoir
of specialised personnel. Additional new arrivals are the
research centre caesar in Bonn and the new Centre for
Development Research (ZEF) and European Integration
Research, located at the University of Bonn; the brain research
centre Life & Brain as well as the German Centre for
Neuro-Degenerative Diseases (DZNE). At the same time, the
region is also the place of residence for major German
scientific institutions. More than 20 national and inter -
national scientific institutions have settled around the
science centre of Bonn. Among these are also national funding
and intermediary organisations such as the German
Research Foundation (DFG), the German Academic Exchange
Service (DAAD) and the German Rectors’ Conference
(HRK).
Practice-relevant research for climate protection
In a perfect world, research, development and application
would be located in close proximity to one another. There
are exemplary projects that reveal how the areas that are of
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