A beacon for the Hanover location: "TECH2" extension of the TECHNOLOGIE ZENTRUM officially inaugurated after almost two years of construction!

Hanover, May 10, 2023

The new extension at theTECHNOLOGIEZENTRUM (TECH2)provides3,100 square meters ofadditionalrentablespace for companies such as Umeleon GmbH, a 3D printing service provider for individual items and small series - one of the first new tenants at TECH2. A quarter of the additional space opened today has already been reserved for interested companies: "We are delighted that we can now meet the increased demand from technology-oriented companies with these new premises andcontinuethe success story of the first TECHNOLOGY CENTER," said a delighted DorisPetersen, Managing Director of hannoverimpuls GmbH, which has been operating the TECHNOLOGY CENTER (TECH1) for ten years, at the official opening ceremony.

The TECH2 expansion was made possible by funding from the state of Lower Saxony from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) in the amount of over 6.1 million euros. "As a highly dynamic business location, SCIENCE AREA 30X - formerly the Hanover Science and Technology Park in Marienwerder - combines science with production, cutting-edge research with start-ups and training with many years of experience. With TECH1 and TECH2, the TECHNOLOGY CENTER is now also the ideal home for the technology of tomorrow. Hanover is thus ideally positioned for the future," said Lord Mayor BelitOnay, underliningtheimportance of the expansion for the economic success of Hanover as a business location.

"Delivery bottlenecks, rising costs, shortage of skilled workers. The fact that we are able to open TECH2 here today after almost two years of construction, despite the immense economic challenges, is the result of the outstanding cooperation of all those involved. Together, we have mastered this mammoth task and set an important signal for the future. Space is being created here for innovative start-ups that will help shape the future of Hannover as a business location," added Ulf-Birger Franz, Head of Economic Affairs for the Hannover Region, in his welcoming address at the opening.

22 companies with 142 employees currently havetheir professional homein the TECHNOLOGIE ZENTRUM (TECH1). Seven companies alone, such as LaserApplication GmbH, have had tolook for other locations for their operations in recent years due to additional space requirements. The demand for space for technology-oriented start-ups and young companies in the city and region of Hannover is high, not least thanks to hannoverimpuls' funding instruments, the VentureVilla accelerator, the mechanical engineering campus in Garbsen and the starting business start-up service, which hannoverimpuls operates together with Leibniz Universität Hannover: "Spin-offs from universities and research institutions are drivers of economic growth. This is how technology-based companies such as Umeleon GmbH, which is supported by the HIGHTECH incubator SMINT and is now finding optimal conditions here for its further growth, are created," Prof.Dr. Volker Epping, President of Leibniz Universität Hannover, also underlined the economic importance and appeal of the TECHNOLOGY CENTRE far beyond the Hannover location.

With the expansion, the TECHNOLOGIE ZENTRUM now offers a total area of 6,500 square meters. In addition to the subsidized premises, hannoverimpuls supports the companies based at the TECHNOLOGIE ZENTRUM with comprehensive advice and services to help them get started - from networking with suitable cooperation partners to identifying suitable funding and sources of financing.
With its proximity to high-performance and internationally recognized research institutions, internationally active companies such as Clarios and FORVIA, the TECH1 & 2, embedded in an attractive landscape park, Hanover as a business location thus has a future-oriented commercial offer, which the participants of the inauguration were able to see for themselves during a joint tour.

The opening of TECH2 was used by companies such as the internationally successful Graphmasters GmbH, whose NUNAV technology ensures a world without traffic jams and has been a tenant in the TECHNOLOGIE ZENTRUM for ten years, for an open day in TECH1. Graphmasters is just one of numerous examples that demonstrate the concept of the TECHNOLOGIE ZENTRUM: The TECHNOLOGIE ZENTRUM concept is a complete success - and is now helping high-tech companies to conquer international markets from Hanover in even more space.