The Society for Materials Research and the Leipzig Testing Institute for Construction (MFPA) and the Institute for Façade and Fastening Technology (IFBT) celebrated their 25th anniversary
On 5 June 2026, both research institutes hosted a ceremony on the grounds of the InnovationsPark • Bautechnik • Leipzig/Sachsen in Leipzig-Engelsdorf. At the same time, a newly constructed IFBT research hall was officially opened. It is situated between two large research halls belonging to HTWK Leipzig, which has established its Weigelstraße Campus on the site: To the left is the Timber Construction Research Centre, headed by Prof. Dr Alexander Stahr; to the right is the Carbon Concrete Technology Centre run by the teams led by Prof. Dr Klaus Holschemacher and Prof. Dr Tilo Heimbold.
Together with MFPA and IFBT, HTWK Leipzig is creating conditions within the Innovation Park that accelerate the transfer of new construction methods and materials into practical application. The site in the Engelsdorf district of Leipzig looks back on a long tradition: Building materials, components and construction methods have been tested experimentally here since the 1950s. In recent years, the site has increasingly developed into a research and innovation campus where science, testing and commercial application work closely together.
Carbon-Based Materials Technology Centre and Timber Construction Research Centre
The Carbon Concrete Technology Centre at HTWK Leipzig opened in 2022. This model factory, the only one of its kind in the world, is dedicated to research into and the automated production of carbon concrete components. The aim is to further develop resource- and CO₂-saving construction methods and prepare them for widespread use. Researchers from the Institute of Concrete Structures are testing manufacturing processes here for the construction industry of the future. Since 2024, the Timber Construction Research Centre (HBFZ) has complemented the research landscape at the Innovation Park. The research and production hall, covering around 1,100 square metres, enables full-scale (1:1) testing and offers optimal conditions for developing digital planning and automation concepts for timber construction and testing them under real-world conditions. The focus is on resource-efficient and circular construction methods, as well as the industrial production of timber elements.
Anniversary celebration attended by distinguished guests
In their opening remarks, representatives from the worlds of politics and business highlighted the importance of the InnovationPark for Saxony. Guests included Saxony’s Minister for Science, Sebastian Gemkow; Saxony’s Minister for Economic Affairs, Dirk Panter; and Leipzig’s Mayor for Economic Affairs, Clemens Schülke, who congratulated Mathias Reuschel, Managing Director of MFPA and IFBT, on the company’s 25th anniversary. The new IFBT building was described as a further important building block for the development of the location. At the same time, the close collaboration between testing institutes, research organisations and the construction industry was highlighted as a decisive factor in bringing innovations such as carbon concrete or novel timber structures into practical application. Representing HTWK Leipzig were Rector Prof. Dr Jean-Alexander Müller, Vice-Rector for Research and Sustainability Prof. Dr Faouzi Derbel, Vice-Rector for Education Prof. Dr Axel Klarmann, and the heads of department Prof. Dr Alexander Stahr, Prof. Dr Klaus Holschemacher and Prof. Dr Volker Slowik.
Jean-Alexander Müller, Rector of HTWK Leipzig: “Many of the MFPA’s staff, and indeed some of the guests, are alumni of HTWK Leipzig. The connection between academia and industry, working in harmony, was evident here once again. Academia gives rise to industry, and where there is industry, academia thrives.”
During the subsequent tour of the laboratories, the MFPA and IFBT presented their research and testing capabilities to the approximately 150 invited guests. In the afternoon, the celebrations drew to a close with staff, partners and guests enjoying live music and a retrospective on the developments of the past 25 years.
For HTWK Leipzig, the anniversary underlines the importance of the InnovationPark as a research hub: with the Carbon Concrete Technology Centre and the Timber Construction Research Centre, the university has two specialised research centres there that directly support the transfer of knowledge and technology between academia and construction practice.
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