Major milestone for ZMT’s new building: long-term leasehold agreement signed
The Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT) has reached another important milestone on the path to its new building in Bremen: The long-term leasehold agreement for the property on Otto-Hahn-Allee has been signed. This establishes a crucial legal foundation for the construction of the ZMT’s future home in Bremen's Technology Park.
The agreement, signed by the ZMT’s managing directors, Prof. Dr. Raimund Bleischwitz and Dr. Nicolas Dittert, has a term of 98 years. This long-term perspective reflects the commitment to establishing a permanent location for the ZMT and future generations of researchers and staff, and to creating an environment in which ZMT’s excellent research on tropical coastal ecosystems can continue to flourish.
The new building combines sustainability, functionality, and modern research infrastructure. The plans include spaces for exchange and collaboration as well as for focused work, hosting international guests, and state-of-the-art laboratory research. In this environment, ZMT can further develop its unique interdisciplinary research profile, which bridges the natural and social sciences and places a new emphasis on modelling.
Professor Raimund Bleischwitz, Scientific Director of ZMT, comments: “For the ZMT, the long term of the contract represents both an opportunity and a responsibility. The new building will not only to be a new workplace, but also a long-term home where future generations of employees can advance ZMT’s research on tropical coastal ecosystems and work towards sustainable and livable prospects for people and nature.”
Dr Nicolas Dittert, the institute’s Administrative Director, adds: “By signing this agreement, another decisive step has been taken toward bringing together ZMT’s activities previously spread across various locations into a single research environment and creating the best possible conditions for collaboration, innovation, and excellent marine research in the long term.”
The new building is to be built in Otto-Hahn-Allee in Bremen-Horn-Lehe. Following a Europe-wide architectural competition, the Vienna-based firm SWAP Architektur was commissioned to design the building. The concept combines offices, laboratories, and workshops within a flexible building structure designed to foster interdisciplinary collaboration while also adapting to future requirements. In August 2026, the Bremen-based firm Campe Janda Architekten was brought on board for the project planning and implementation of the new building. Sustainability and climate-friendly construction play a central role in the planning.
The signing of the current contract was preceded by another important decision: In August 2025, Bremen’s Budget and Finance Committee unanimously approved the granting of a long-term leasehold in favor of the ZMT for the approximately 7,938-square-meter property on Otto-Hahn-Allee.
According to the current schedule, construction is set to begin in early 2027. Completion is planned for late 2028, with the new building scheduled to open in 2029. The budget for the new building totals 42.423 million euros.
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