HOCHTIEF AG has been awarded a €230 million (US$273 million) public-private partnership contract by the Federal Agency for Real Estate (BImA) to design, build, finance, and operate a new research center for the Max Rubner Institute (MRI) in Kiel, Germany.

The new center is located in the immediate vicinity of the Christian Albrecht University. It will bring together the Kiel and Hamburg units of the federal research institute. Scientists will work together on an interdisciplinary basis in the building, which has a usable floor space of approximately 6,250 square meters. Because the institute relies on extremely sensitive microscopes and precision measuring equipment, HOCHTIEF AG will structurally isolate the building from external influences to minimize vibrations and impact. The microbiology and food research laboratories will be designed in accordance with stringent safety standards. In addition, a comprehensive security system aligned with the requirements of the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) will safeguard both the facility and its personnel.

HOCHTIEF AG and its affiliated companies are presently delivering a wide range of research and laboratory projects worldwide, including large-scale developments at the University of California, Berkeley, Cleveland State University, and the Technische Hochschule Rosenheim and the University of Duisburg-Essen. Recently, the company also completed and handed over a new laboratory facility in Schwarzheide to the chemical group BASF.

Under the PPP model, HOCHTIEF PPP Solutions will be responsible for the design, construction, and operation of the facility for over 30 years.