Ground-breaking ceremony for the new AGIT building

The start of construction of the new AGIT building on Campus Melaten at Pauwelsstrasse 17 was celebrated with a symbolic ground-breaking ceremony. Around 60 guests, including Thomas Hissel, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of AGIT and Alderman of the City of Aachen, and Sven Pennings, Managing Director of AGIT, gathered at the construction site next to the Center for Bio-Medical Technology.

A catalyst for the regional economy

“The new AGIT building on the RWTH Aachen Campus will provide an important space for start-ups and scale-ups, as well as being a concrete point of contact for innovative companies and thus boosting the transformation of our economy as a catalyst for transfer and innovation,” explained Mayor Sibylle Keupen. She particularly emphasized the building’s intended certification by the German Sustainable Building Council in gold, which sends a strong signal for more sustainability in the construction industry.

Strategic expansion on Campus Melaten

Thomas Hissel emphasized the strategic importance of the project: “The new Campus building marks another important milestone in AGIT’s forty-year history. AGIT is continuing its successful strategy and is not only offering new space in the immediate vicinity of the RWTH Aachen Campus, but will also act as an integrated part of the local ecosystem.” Together with the ZBMT acquired in 2020, AGIT will have invested over 30 million euros by the time the new building is completed.

Continuing a successful tradition

Sven Pennings recalled AGIT’s long tradition as a pioneer of technological innovation in the region: “Just one year after it was founded, in 1984, AGIT opened the first technology center in western Germany. Forty years, four innovation centers and 550 tenants later, we want to lead the way again and create space for development for the numerous start-ups and scale-ups – this time as an integrated part of the RWTH Aachen Campus.”

Outlook for completion

The construction, for which Köster GmbH has been commissioned as general contractor, is scheduled for completion in December 2025. Around 12,000 square meters of gross floor space will then be available, which will serve as the first company address for new start-ups.