Press Releases

Darmstadt, Januar 26, 2010

CASED achieves success in the “Spitzencluster” competition

The strategy board of the Software-Cluster

Europe’s largest software cluster, “Softwareinnovationen für das digitale Unternehmen”, was one of the winners during the second round of the “Spitzencluster” (top cluster) competition, which is being organized by the Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF). During the morning Annette Schavan, Federal Minister of Education and Research, announced the five winners who will be supported by the BMBF over a period of five years with funds of up to 200 million euros.

The cluster “Softwareinnovationen für das digitale Unternehmen” is already regarded as being the “Silicon Valley” of Europe and comprises the centers in Darmstadt, Kaiserslautern, Karlsruhe, Saarbrücken and Walldorf. With the support of the BMBF, the partners would like to turn Europe’s largest software cluster into a technology center of global significance. The computer science faculties at the TU Darmstadt and the LOEWE Center at CASED represent the key units of the software cluster with regard to core research areas, and one of the most important research topics in Darmstadt is IT security.

“Both science and business sectors trust the research and development services provided by the LOEWE Center at CASED for securing the IT world of the future. For CASED, this nomination as a top cluster is not only another outstanding achievement, it has also provided it with additional stimulus for participating in the global success story of information technology in future”, explained Prof. Dr. Johannes Buchmann, Director of CASED and member of the Cluster strategy board.

The President of the “Technische Universität Darmstadt”, Prof. Dr. Hans Jürgen Prömel, welcomed the decision of the BMBF. “This recognition highlights the fact that software innovations can best be achieved via close interaction between universities performing basic research and companies performing market-oriented product development. This award strengthens the position of the Technische Universität Darmstadt in relation to developing answers to decisive questions regarding the future together with its partners in one of the most potent metropolitan regions in Europe”, added Prömel.

CASED also acts as the headquarters of the superordinate coordinating body of the Cluster. In Darmstadt, both the Fraunhofer Institute for Secure Information Technology (SIT) and the Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Graphics (IGD) will be involved in the Cluster projects. Furthermore, the companies “intelligent views gmbh”, “ConWeaver GmbH”, “Corisecio GmbH” and the “IHK Darmstadt Service GmbH”, all of which are based in Darmstadt, will also be participating.

The BMBF would like to use the “Spitzencluster” competition to strengthen innovation policy in Germany. Partners from the science and business sectors will be able to turn their ideas into new products and services more quickly while making better use of their existing strengths.

Software Cluster “Softwareinnovationen für das digitale Unternehmen”:

Objectives:

Digital companies work in extremely flexible Internet-based corporate networks and dynamically align their business models and processes with these. All data concerning processes, facilities and resources of the real company are available at all times and in all areas for planning, control and optimization activities. The objective of the Software Cluster is to enable normal companies to be transformed into completely digital companies, in which ICT forms the decisive driver for product and process innovations. Studies forecast that 430,000 new jobs will be created in the software industry in Germany by 2030. Other objectives of the Software Cluster include the training of 5,000 specialists over the next 5 years, the foundation of 30 companies within the Cluster’s core area, and attracting leading foreign companies to settle in the Cluster region. Based on current figures, at least 300 million euros will need to be invested.

Approach:

The Software Cluster will develop concepts, technologies and business processes for emergent software within six projects – this represents an innovative leap within the corporate software sector, which is one of the most important areas of the German economy. Emergent software combines a wide range of components from different manufacturers in a dynamic and flexible manner, in order to fulfill the highly complex requirements of digital companies. Implementation of the Cluster objectives demands a great deal of shared effort from both the science and business sectors as well as cross-company cooperation within the Software Cluster.

Duration: 5 years

Support: The Federal Ministry of Education and Research(BMBF) with aproximately 40 million euros and cluster funds totaling approximately 88 million euros.

Region: The Software Cluster includes the centers in Darmstadt, Kaiserslautern, Karlsruhe, Saarbrücken and Walldorf.