The GAZETTE
 
 Issue nr. 3
 
 SAPHIRE NEWSLETTER
 
Date: October 2006  
 

Learn more about the OFFIS Research and Development Institute

Contents


http://europa.eu.int
European Commission Information Society & Media DG

Contact with SAPHIRE





 

OFFIS, short for „Oldenburg Research and Development Institute for Information Technology Tools and Systems” was founded in 1991 by the State of Lower Saxony, the University of Oldenburg and professors from the Department of Computer Science.

Today, OFFIS is also supported by professors of fields related to computer science.

Figure 1 OFFIS skyview

As an “An-Institut” of the “Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg”, OFFIS researches new forms of computer-based information processing in hardware and software systems and transfers the results into application-oriented developments.

This is used worldwide by institutions and industries. In terms of targeted technology transfer, prototypes created by OFFIS are further developed by cooperation partners into marketable products sold all over the world. This also takes place by OFFIS founded spin-off companies.

Figure 2 Panoramic view of the OFFIS buildings

The OFFIS Institute is organized into six research and development fields:

    • SC / Safety Critical Systems
    • HS / Embedded Hardware/Software Systems
    • IG / Healthcare Information and Communication Systems
    • BI / Business Information Management
    • MI / Multimedia and Internet Information Services
    • MN / Microsystems Technology and Nano-Handling

The work is performed in fixed-term projects, which can usually be associated with one of the following models:

    • preliminary projects geared towards fundamental research, financed by the Ministry of Science of the State of Lower Saxony
    • government-funded, often internationally oriented cooperation projects, mainly financed by the EU or the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF)
    • research, development, and transfer projects in cooperation with small or large medium-sized companies, sometimes partly founded by the state, federal government, or the EU.

The proportion of financing through third party funding acquired on our own initiative is more than 70%. As a result, OFFIS stands right at the top of all institutes in the State of Lower Saxony and has achieved an outstanding performance in a national comparison. This success is also reflected in the personnel development. Of the 200 employees currently employed at OFFIS, the average age of a good 85 % of the scientific staff is just over 30.