The Importance of Life sciences.   Life sciences and other related disciplines have developed into one of the most important fields of innovation of the 21st century. This has led to the establishment of the Centre of Competence in Bioengineering at the Universities of Applied Sciences in Aachen and Bonn-Rhein-Sieg, supported by the government of North Rhine-Westfalia. Within this framework ten Scientists have teamed up to establish centralised, high-profile, long-term research acitivity at the above Universities.

Definition:   Bioengineering is the application of the principles of engineering and natural sciences to tissues, cells and molecules. Closely related to this is biotechnology, which deals with the implementation of biological knowledge in industrial processes. Applications from both fields are widely used in medical and natural sciences and also in engineering.

Why set up a Centre of Competence?   The cooperation of scientists in the Centre of Competence in Bioengineering aims to strengthen this discipline in Germany:

• Through the centralisation of knowledge, the competitiveness of the scientists both on a national and international level is enhanced.
• The structure of the Centre of Competence means that it forms an attractive and strong scientific partner for both industry and surrounding universities.
• The centralisation of know-how and knowledge encourages an atmosphere of scientific synergy.
• The infrastructure is significantly improved due to the mutual sharing of ressources.

Prominent location.   Jülich und Bonn already occupy a prominent position in the field of biotechnology in the "BioRegion Rhineland" in North Rhine-Westfalia, supported by the BMBF. The region is characterised by a unique combination of research, its application via young biotechnology companies and the development of modern course structures at the participating universities. In this way the establishment of the Centre of Competence will not only increase the quality of research and development but also integrate the newest technological advances into university education.

Integrated education.   In parallel to their research activities, the Universities of Applied Sciences in Aachen (Division Jülich) and Bonn-Rhein-Sieg offer a corresponding educational programme. The content of the courses can thus be constantly adapted to include the latest cutting-edge insights, thanks to the integration of the Centre of Competence. This enables the participating universities to offer students tailored programmes and courses to match the changing demands of the job market.