The appeal of the innovative Braunschweig Research Airport is being further enhanced by a new flagship project: Today, the foundation stone was laid for the state-of-the-art Lilienthalhaus. It is designed as a central service center for aerospace and mobility and is being built by Volksbank BraWo Projekt GmbH. It is intended to provide aviation-related companies, engineering firms, and scientific institutions with the opportunity to develop within the core of this internationally important research and technology location. Completion of the building is scheduled for spring 2017. Construction costs amount to approximately €16 million.

"This substantial investment once again underscores Braunschweig's position as a city of science. It is also a renewed commitment by Volksbank BraWo to Braunschweig as a business location. I am very pleased about this. With the Lilienthalhaus, we can close a gaping gap and satisfy the strong demand for office space in the immediate vicinity of the research airport. This is the foundation for expansion and economic development," said Braunschweig's Mayor Ulrich Markurth, pleased with the new property directly opposite the historic ensemble of Braunschweig Airport. The "Direktorenvilla" (Director's Villa), built in 1939 and the home of the then managing director, had to make way for the Lilienthalhaus. The building would have been in dire need of renovation.

Jürgen Brinkmann, CEO of Volksbank BraWo, explained that Volksbank BraWo considers it its duty to make its contribution to regional development. As a proven partner of small and medium-sized businesses for generations, the bank has long considered itself a supporter of research and development. "We feel the direct interaction and the positive effects this will have on the region, on the job market, and on young people's interest in studying here. The Lilienthalhaus represents all of this. It will be a place where the future is shaped," he predicted.

The office building will be built with a modern and striking architecture based on a design by the Braunschweig-based architectural firm Rüdiger. The four-story building's design underlines the research airport's forward-looking orientation. With a gross floor area of ​​approximately 7,440 square meters, 5,000 square meters of high-quality office space will be created. The ground floor will house the reception, airport service facilities, and a bistro. The atrium, the event hall, and the exclusive Skylounge will accommodate specialist seminars and conferences. Flexible, divisible rental units are planned for the upper floors. This allows for various office concepts, such as individual, combined, or group offices.

Gerold Leppa, the city's economic affairs director, is convinced that the Lilienthalhaus has the potential to become a true research hotspot. "A central facility is being built here where engineering firms, startups, and scientific institutions can work on collaborative projects between science and industry in a campus-like atmosphere. The investment in the Lilienthalhaus documents the increasing importance of Braunschweig's research airport," he said.

As if to confirm this position, a first lease has been signed with the avionics IT company etamax space GmbH long before the Lilienthalhaus is ready for occupancy. "Interest in the property is very high. Having already impressed and convinced a major anchor tenant is the best proof for us that the concept is tailor-made for the intended target group," explained Martin Pietsch, Managing Director of Volksbank BraWo Projekt GmbH.

For Reinhard Manlik, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Flughafengesellschaft Braunschweig-Wolfsburg GmbH, the Lilienthalhaus is another successful and attractive building block for the development of the research airport cluster: "It will further strengthen the fiscal effects of the research airport. Investments like these will make the research airport more important for local tax revenues. I am convinced that the Lilienthalhaus will stimulate follow-up investments."