Starting in May, the Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Graphics Research IGD and ISC Training und Assembly GmbH will be leasing premises on site and lay the cornerstone for the OTC Basecamp. Fraunhofer IGD is planning an underwater ocean engineering testing ground for research purposes in the Baltic Sea off the coast of Nienhagen that will allow partners from science and commerce to test new technologies under real-life conditions. This will close a critical gap in the development of forward-looking digital ocean technology in the business hub that is Germany. A multidisciplinary research team from various Fraunhofer institutes across Germany will begin their work in the new building at the SAB marina in May 2020 -- a temporary solution until Fraunhofer IGD’s planned on-site institute will give the researchers at the fishing port in the South of Rostock a new home. At the new premises at the fishing port, ISC Training und Assembly GmbH will offer training on occupational safety and emergency medicine specifically for the maritime and offshore sectors.

Kraken Power GmbH out of Bentwisch is also planning to move in once the building is complete. Port residents Warnow-Werkstatt Paap + Sohn will be expanding their space. Kraken Power GmbH represents a new kind of pressure hullless and fluid-free technology for use in mechanical, electrical and electronic underwater systems, in particular for in the deep sea down to 6,000 m, and will be the first industrial newcomer under the umbrella of the Ocean Technology Campus. At the fishing port, an expansion of offices and production areas is planned, along with the creation of various new workspaces.

But that’s just the beginning: The Hanseatic and university city of Rostock is working with Rostocker Fracht- und Fischereihafen GmbH to provide more commercial space and empty plots for businesses and scientific institutions. The city’s business development organization, Rostock Business, is also in intensive talks with property owners at the old slaughterhouse as well as with interested companies to help turn the vision of the Ocean Technology Campus into reality.

An underwater testing ground in the Baltic Sea¾the “Digital Ocean Lab” (DOL) -- will open up realistic underwater technology testing possibilities for research and industry starting in 2020. Starting from the artificial reef off the coast of Nienhagen, multiple testing areas will be constructed for various scenarios under the direction of Fraunhofer IGD. The area all around the onshore control center for this new underwater testing ground will become the “Ocean Technology Campus”, located at the Rostock Freight and Fishing Port and offering a productive environment where high-tech maritime solutions can be developed and tested in close collaboration with various research disciplines and industry. The spatial proximity is intended to promote even better technology transfer, leading more quickly and successfully to innovations, and helping Rostock into a leading position on the international technology market.