Straubing Centre of Science

In 2001 the Federal State of Bavaria decided to concentrate its competences in renewable resources in Straubing. For basic research the Straubing Centre of Science was founded as cooperation of Technische Universität München (TUM) and the University of Applied Sciences Weihenstephan-Triesdorf (HSWT). Meanwhile, further universities became members, among them the Deggendorf Institute of Technology, the Universität Regensburg, the Ostbayerische Technische Hochschule Regensburg, and finally in 2012 as sixth member the University of Applied Sciences Landshut.

Due to the intersectoral and multidisciplinary character of biogenic resources colleagues of different scientific disciplines work closely together. These disciplines comprise natural sciences, engineering, ecosystem sciences and economics in order to cover the wide range of aspects along the whole value chain from the molecule, along the plant and energetic use and material use up to the marketing of the finished product.

In academic education the Straubing Center of Science offers a master degree program “Renewable Resources” since 2008 and since 2013 also a bachelor degree program “Renewable Resources”.

The original design for the Centre was to establish three professorships of TUM and three of HSWT. Meanwhile the other universities added three more and for having enough staff for the bachelor degree program an upgrade of further three TUM professorships and further three HSWT professorships was decided. Thus the Straubing Center of Science has currently ten professors and will have fifteen in the near future. Staff is currently about 100 employees and will rise to about 200. There are 130 students right now and potential up to 500 is foreseen. Available room is about 4.400 m² and with the invest of 43 million Euro nearly 10.000 m² will be realized.

The professorships:

• Resource and Energy Technology, TUM, Prof. Faulstich 2003 – 2012, new recruitment as Regenerative Entergy Systems in progress
• Marketing and Management of Biogenic Resources, HSWT, Prof. Menrad since 2003
• Chemistry of Biogenic Resources, TUM, Prof. Sieber since 2008
• Geothermal Energy Systems, Deggendorf University of Applied Sciences Prof. Walker-Hertkorn since 2008
• Economics of Biogenic Resources, HSWT, Prof. Zerle 2008 – 2011, new recruitment as Energy Technology in progress
• Organic and Analytical Chemistry, HSWT, Prof. Riepl since 2010
• Biogenic Polymers, TUM, Prof. Zollfrank since 2011
• Power Grid Integration, University of Applied Sciences Landshut, Prof. Haber since 2013
• Business Administration of Biogenic Resources, HSWT, Prof. Röder since 2013
• Organic Chemistry and Micro Reactor Systems, Universität Regensburg, Prof. Garcia Mancheno since 2013
• Bioinformatics, HSWT, Prof. Heider since 2014
• Resource Efficiency, HSWT, recruitment in progress
• Biocemical Prosess Engineering, TUM, recruitment in progess
• Composite Materials, TUM, recruitment on hold till availability of new building in 2020
• Industrial Microbiology, TUM, recruitment on hold till availability of new building in 2020

The professorships of Technische Universität München belongs to the faculty "Science Center Weihenstephan".
The Straubing Center of Science is also closely related to the project group BioCat of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, which started in 20011 and is led by Prof. Sieber. It has a new building next to the Campus and was extended by the project Chemical Energy Storage in 2012.