Support for new IT department
The Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts wants to finance one third of the construction costs for the new Department of Computer Science through fundraising. The first companies have already pledged.
The new Department of Computer Science the Lucerne University in Rotkreuz finds prominent support from the business world. The Siemens Building Technologies Division and Roche Diagnostics AG are participating as the first main sponsors. Medela AG and Crypto AG/InfoGuard AG would also donate considerable amounts. In total, these companies plan to contribute 850,000 Swiss francs to the construction, according to the university. "We greatly appreciate this commitment. The generous support also reinforces our decision to strengthen the education of computer scientists with our own department in Rotkreuz," says René Hüsler, director of the new department.
"We have already been working very closely with the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts in a wide range of disciplines for many years. With our commitment to the new Department of Information Technology, we want to underline the proximity of our research and development in Zug in terms of content and location and make an active contribution to the promotion of young talent," explains Matthias Rebellius, CEO of the Siemens Building Technologies Division. The know-how that will be built up with the new department is of great importance not only for the industry, but for the entire region.
For René Hüsler, fundraising efforts continue. In total, the establishment of the new department will cost three million francs, a third of which is to be raised through donations. The Zug cantonal parliament is expected to decide on the start-up financing of one million francs in June of this year.
The plan is for the new Department of Computer Science to start operations in the fall of 2016 in a temporary solution on the Suurstoffi site in Rotkreuz. In 2019, a new building for the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts should be ready for occupancy at this location: In addition to the IT campus, a finance campus will also be built. However, the Zug cantonal council must create the planning conditions for this and define the location in the structure plan, according to the university.
