The state of North Rhine-Westphalia granted 3.5 million Euro for an optics centre at the FH Münster campus at Steinfurt. The biggest part arose from the European Regional Development Fund (ERFD, german: Europäischer Fonds für Regionale Entwicklung - EFRE). The funding enabled the rebuilding of already existing premises to modern high tech labs. In addition, means for preparatory research were provided (personal costs of scientists and material).
The different groups of the Institute for Optical Technologies are conducting research on methods to obtain, use and manipulate light, e.g. for LEDs, lasers, photovoltaics, biomedical applications, or astronomical telescopes.
Prof. Wittrock, the speaker of the Institute for Optical Technologies: "The new labs will strengthen our position to compete with bigger research institutions". Especially, the better lab equipment will improve research activities, amongst other the new fluorescence microscope and an ultrashort pulse laser which could both be purchased through the material funds provided.
The project was sponsored by the European Funds for Regional Development and the Ministry for Culture and Sciences of the state NRW.