Ingolstadt University´s new Research and Test Center CARISSMA. Committed to society. Moving towards a secure future together. 

Ingolstadt University's new Research and Test Center

With its new Research and Test Center Ingolstadt University will significantly contribute to the development of effective responses to mid- and long-term challenges in the field of road safety. The approval of CARISSMA by the German Council of Science and Humanities (Wissenschaftsrat) on July 2, 2010 is a real novelty for the German research lanscape: for the first time a university of applied sciences, apart from other big research institutes and universities, meets the Council's strict requirements regarding the selection process for large-scale facilities. The construction work will commence early in 2012 and is scheduled to be completed in 2015.

Committed to society

Despite the “Vision Zero” campaign, which sets itself the long-term vision of zero road deaths, there are still large numbers of deaths on Europe’s roads (approximately 39.000 per year). This means for Germany: every 77 seconds a road user is injured, every 2 minutes a car passenger is involved in an accident, every 2 hours there is a road death, every 13 hours a pedestrian is killed and every 19 hours a cyclist dies. Children and young people are particularly vulnerable: they are involved in accidents three times more often than other road users. Furthermore, old people often fall prey to car accidents due to their limited reaction capacity and physical condition. Researchers of Ingolstadt University will take on the challenge of the “Vision Zero” campaign in an interdisciplinary way.

Moving towards a secure future together

Ingolstadt University is embedded in European and global networks, e.g. European University Association (EUA) or Car-2-Car Communication Consortium, which enable global networking with excellent research teams. Particular attention is not simply drawn to the protection of vehicle occupants, but primarily to the protection of the most vulnerable road users. CARISSMA  comprises test facilities for substitute tests at an early development stage and facilities for mechanical component tests, setups for driving, traffic, vehicle and component simulation as well as an outdoor area for driving and vehicle tests. The test facilities enable researchers to develop these systems and demonstrate the feasibility of new systems in substitute tests at an early stage.