12.02.2009: Application for the title of "City of Science"

Mayor Beutel - "Strengthen the tight connection between the city and the Research Alliance"

The federal competition for the "City of Science," which is being held by the Federal Ministry for Education and Research, is intended to make cities aware of their potential, to encourage them to create sustainable networks, in particular between science and business and between science and culture, and to enhance the feeling of belonging by opening up science to citizens. Jens Beutel, Mayor of Mainz, presented the application concept to the city council. The city council gave its approval yesterday for the city's application to win the title "City of Science 2011."

The Mayor explained the reasons for applying: "We all agreed on the application for 2011, as we were convinced by the excellent and close cooperation between the members of the MAINZ RESEARCH ALLIANCE (Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz und the University Medical Center at Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, Mainz University of Applied Sciences, the Catholic University of Applied Sciences in Mainz, the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry and Polymer Research, the Mainz Academy of Sciences and Literature, the Institute for European History, the Institute for Historical Regional Studies at Mainz University, the Roman-Germanic Central Museum, and others), as well as the basic profile of Mainz as a location for science." First discussions between the city, the university and the Ministry for Education were apparently promising. Beutel said that he is optimistic that the members of the Research Alliance and the State will also support the application.

Close cooperation between science and the city is a high priority in Mainz and has been expanded in the last few years. "This includes the annual Science Market on the Gutenbergplatz, the traditional welcome to first-year students on the campus, as well as several lecture series, such as the 'University at the City Hall.'"

In view of that cooperation, the Mayor welcomed the recent announcement of a donation made by the company Boehringer to top-level research in the life sciences at Mainz University; "This dedicated donation of more than EUR 100 million to the Johannes Gutenberg University is not only beneficial for our state, but also provides a special stimulus for Mainz as a university town and location for businesses." Science and universities are important factors in deciding where to locate a business. "A successful application as 'City of Science' will further advance the important connection between the city and the sciences," emphasized the Mayor.

The financial expense for a successful application was estimated to be EUR 250,000 for the 2009 through 2011 fiscal years, which has to be balanced against income from subsidies, prize money and admission tickets.