Once again, the LOEWE center emergenCITY was able to convince the LOEWE boards and the Hessian Ministry of Science and Research, Arts and Culture with a comprehensive concept paper. On December 4, they decided to release a further nine million euros in state funding from the LOEWE program, which promotes excellent research in Hesse, for the years 2025 and 2026.

This will enable the interdisciplinary research network, in which the Technical University of Darmstadt plays a leading role as well as the University of Kassel and the Philipps University of Marburg, to continue its scientific work in phase 2. Since 2020, the center has been researching resilient information and communication technology to better protect cities from disasters. emergenCITY has already received around 22 million euros from the LOEWE funding program.

“We are delighted that our research achievements and our concepts for the future have been recognized and thank for the appreciation shown for our work,” scientific coordinator of emergenCITY Matthias Hollick said. “This is a clear signal from the Ministry of Science and Research.”

Future plans: Collaborative Research Center, Research Training Group and Innovation Center

The funds for the years 2025 and 2026 were only approved a year ago with reservations, as the LOEWE center was supposed to further develop an already presented continuation concept for the time after the end of LOEWE funding. emergenCITY submitted this in the fall of the year. Among other things, it provides the application for a DFG-funded Collaborative Research Centre (SFB) on the resilience of autonomous mobile robots, a Research Training Group (GRK) on networked critical infrastructures and the establishment of an innovation and transfer center.

Science Minister Timon Gremmels emphasized: “emergenCITY clearly demonstrates the important role which our universities and non-university research institutions play in tackling the challenges of our time. By providing further funding, we are strengthening Hesse’s leading position in this highly topical subject of digital emergency communication.”