This year’s “Innovation Radar” awards were presented on 24 November as part of the “Central Real Estate Committee e.V.” innovation congress at the Umweltforum Berlin.

The prize was awarded to the EUREF-Campus Düsseldorf, which is currently being built in the triangle between the motorway, airport and railway station in the North Rhine-Westphalian state capital. The prize was accepted by the Chairman of the EUREF-AG Management Board, Reinhard Müller.
The EUREF-Campus Düsseldorf impressed the high-calibre independent jury headed by its chairman, Prof. Dr Peter Russomit, with its contribution to overcoming the climate crisis through the use of a self-sufficient and intelligent energy system and CO2-neutral operation of the campus, as well as the establishment of a real-world laboratory for the energy and mobility transition.

The jury’s statement said: “The EUREF-Campus Düsseldorf can serve as a role model for the industry, as it brings together various innovative aspects from the fields of building technology, energy systems and new work in an overall project – a classic interface innovation. The aim of this real-world laboratory, which even includes research areas for mobility, is worth supporting from an innovation perspective.”
Further plus points are the CO2-neutral energy concept, which also ensures a reliable energy supply in the thermal sector, the immediate achievement of the climate protection targets for 2045 and the sustainable and intelligent integration into the natural environment.

The EUREF-Campus Düsseldorf sees itself as a showcase for the fact that CO2-neutral neighbourhoods are feasible with existing technology. Users benefit from energy security and independence as well as from the energy transition community.

Schneider Electric, SPIE Germany and Central Europe, NRW.Energy4Climate, LEE and Stadtwerke Düsseldorf are among the tenants of the campus, which will be completed in 2024. Managing and financing the energy transition while ensuring security of supply is one of the most urgent challenges of our time. With the EUREF-Campus Düsseldorf, a CO2-neutral location for a living energy transition will be created as a contribution to combating the global climate crisis through an intelligent system, the use of solar power and other renewable energies, which will achieve the climate protection targets for 2045 even before commissioning, at the price of conventional energies.

The location makes it possible to incorporate the existing geographical conditions into the energy concept and thus utilise the connected lake as a cold and heat storage facility for the entire campus. Furthermore, the use of the premises will enable companies to carry out their activities in a CO2-neutral location and provide start-ups and students with the right environment to drive forward the development of the future topics of “energy, mobility and sustainability”.
The climate crisis is the biggest global problem of our time – a problem that everyone is either already affected by or will be severely affected by in the future. Currently, the supply crisis is being compounded by the war. Innovative approaches and solutions must therefore be created and implemented in order to satisfy current energy needs while always keeping the climate crisis in mind. This is exactly what the EUREF-Campus Düsseldorf is creating: a CO2-neutral location with good transport links to promote networking between companies, start-ups and students and to drive forward future topics. The supply concept is unique of its kind in Germany.

EUREF AG sees itself as a project developer with its flagship properties in Berlin and Düsseldorf. The DNA themes are CO2-neutral development and operation of the properties, as well as the integration of research and teaching in the properties. These topics are scalable based on energy consumption and the number of students. Through the combination of the climate-neutral building and the promotion of young talent in cooperation with the entire EUREF community, the company offers an attractive location.

Due to the global climate crisis, it will be inevitable in the future that innovations, which are already being taken into account in the realisation of the EUREF-Campus Düsseldorf, will be used across the board. Furthermore, the promotion of young talent, in conjunction with university and industry partners, will help to ensure that innovations are created and further developed.

EUREF AG, with its two locations in Berlin and Düsseldorf, is not interested in being unique, but welcomes imitators who are happy to provide the necessary expertise. The campuses are places that can be visited and are therefore showcases for the energy transition. In future, 7,500 employees will work in Berlin and 4,000 in Düsseldorf, with further locations planned in Hamburg and Paris.