The two buildings bundle local IT security expertise, become an attractive meeting place for the tech community and are also a successful experiment in modern office and industrial architecture. Both the headquarters of Wibu-Systems in the first building and the House of IT Security in the second building directly next to it are intended to strengthen Karlsruhe as a location for IT innovations in the coming decades.

The new building on the old freight station site spans an arc from the economic and industrial past to the future of the city of Karlsruhe - a traditional location for trade and industry along the historic Rhine axis and a forge for technological talent in networked and intelligent industry.

The two six-storey buildings were built to high quality standards and with an ambitious ecological footprint and contain offices, laboratory and research facilities as well as high-tech production facilities. With photovoltaics, high-tech cooling and heating systems, a careful selection of building materials and charging stations for electric cars and e-bikes, special attention was paid to making the buildings as sustainable and environmentally friendly as they are inviting and appealing for entrepreneurs, employees and guests.

The Wibu-Systems building also has first-class access controls, special security zones and a particularly reliable power supply and internet connection - just as is necessary for a company operating in the sensitive field of IT security.

As a prominent advocate of modern smart industry concepts and innovative business models, Wibu-Systems decided to rely on the latest findings in plant and process design for the new production facility. With the expertise and innovative virtual modelling capabilities of the DigiFab4KMU project (funded by the BMWi) and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Wibu-Systems was able to flexibly design, optimize and perfect the layout and value streams of the new production facility. Most of the concepts and materials for the construction of the production and office space came from local partnerships or were sourced from suppliers in the region.

Located right next to Wibu-Systems' new headquarters, the House of IT-Security will be home to a stimulating collection of entrepreneurs, researchers and start-ups in its coworking spaces and permanently rented units. As it is specifically designed for IT security talent, it perfectly complements Wibu-Systems while providing a further boost to Karlsruhe's vibrant tech community.

For Oliver Winzenried, founder and CEO of Wibu-Systems, the new building marks another milestone for the company: "It was my personal vision, but it is also an expression of what Wibu-Systems is all about: built for the future, with state-of-the-art technology at its heart and with uncompromising standards and the highest quality. But also to offer our employees a friendly working environment, with well-equipped offices and facilities. I deliberately chose the city of Karlsruhe, where our roots lie, and I hope to contribute to strengthening the location with the House of IT Security and the newly founded "IT Security Club"."