history | Esslingen University

[Please translate to English] Zu sehen ist eine Grafik bei der die Disziplinen Mechanik, Elektronik und Informatik zu Mechatronik verbunden sind.

1988: First degree programmes offered in Göppingen

A lack of space in Esslingen led the Council of Ministers of Baden-Württemberg to pass a 1987 resolution to establish a campus in Göppingen for Esslingen University of Applied Sciences. The great level of commitment demonstrated by all parties concerned meant that the first students were able to begin their studies in Göppingen in 1988: in the Department of “Mechanical Engineering / Manufacturing Systems (MS)”, whose aim was to do justice to the existing economic structure of the region, and in the Department of “Microelectronics/Micromechanical Engineering (MM)”, which was tailored from the very start towards one of the biggest growth markets of the future, the microtechnologies.

Investments of more than DM 10 million (EUR 5.1 million) enabled a laboratory environment to be created which was unique among universities of applied sciences; at its heart were the manufacturing automation laboratory with its mechanical engineering focus, and the microelectronics laboratory where the emphasis was on the microtechnologies. A key element of the latter and unique among universities of applied sciences is the cleanroom covering an effective area of approx. 250 square metres, which will become the nucleus for the further development and restructuring through to the upcoming expansion of the campus to focus more on microsystems technology.

Today: Mechatronics and Electrical Engineering

Today, the Faculty of Mechatronics and Electrical Engineering in Göppingen is among the best in Germany. This is confirmed time and again by independent rankings and surveys of personnel managers.
Mechatronics is at the heart of the teaching in the faculty - this is where students can specialise and over seven semesters they are thus trained to become engineers whose skills are in great demand and who are well equipped to deal with the challenges facing industrial companies.

Mechatronics is a combination of mechanical engineering, electronics and information technology -and the teaching and research undertaken at Göppingen bring together these three disciplines.

Timeline

Building 4 at the Göppingen site from the inside.

[Please translate to English] Fotos KD Busch

University students in the corridor of building 5.

The building in Göppingen from outside with a couple of students in front of it.

The history of Göppingen Campus at a glance

Esslingen University of Applied Sciences is one of the oldest schools of Mechanical Engineering in Germany. In 1914, the “Königliche Baugewerkeschule (Royal School of Construction), Department of Mechanical Engineering” was transferred from Stuttgart to Esslingen.

On 1 October 2006, the two universities of applied sciences in Esslingen, the Technical University of Applied Sciences (FHTE) and the University of Applied Sciences for Social Work (HfS) were combined to form a new institution - Esslingen University of Applied Sciences.

Göppingen Campus: Since 1988

14 March 1988

Mechanical Engineering/Manufacturing Systems (MS) degree programme at Göppingen admits its first students

3 October 1988

Microelectronics/Micromechanical Engineering (MM) degree programme admits its first students

1 September 1990

MM changes its name to Electronics/Microelectronics (EM)
Department head EM: Prof. van der List
Department head MS: Prof. Feiler

7 June 1991

Minister v. Trotha opens Building 1, which has been completely renovated

September 1995

A new department - Mechatronics (MT) - offering Mechatronics/Electronics (EL) and Mechatronics/Precision Engineering as its degree programmes is established.
The previously independent Department of Precision Engineering is transferred to Göppingen and integrated into the new department.
MS is moved to Esslingen and integrated into the existing Mechanical Engineering degree programme.
The IAF is founded in Göppingen.
Prof. Schwarz becomes Dean of the Mechatronics Department.

September 1997

After the closure of the Geislingen campus of Ulm University of Applied Sciences, the Mechatronics/Automation Engineering degree programme starts in Göppingen.

September 1999

Start of the Information Technology and Automation Systems (IA) Master's degree programme in cooperation with the IT department.

June 2000

Start of the cooperation with ITESM (Mexico); professors from Mexico attend an advanced training programme.

September 2000

Start of the Mechatronics/Microsystems Technology degree programme
Start of the first Bachelor degree programmes at Esslingen University of Applied Sciences in Göppingen.
Curricula have a modular structure.

September 2002

The MT Department is merged with the Electrical Engineering (ET) Department to form a ‘Mechatronics and Electrical Engineering’ (ME) Department. The new department is spread over two campuses and offers the following degree programmes:
General Electrical Engineering (ET)
Electronics/Microsystems Engineering (EM)
Mechatronics/Automation Engineering (AT)
Mechatronics/Precision Engineering
MechatronikPlus.

With MechatronikPlus, a new model of degree programme (apprenticeship + degree course) is introduced at Esslingen University of Applied Sciences.

The Dean of the new department is Prof. Würslin.

The Department of Business Administration starts its new Business Information Systems degree programme at Göppingen

October 2002

Inauguration of the new building (Building 4)

May 2003

Anniversary celebrations - 75 years of Precision Engineering

4 June 2005

Anniversary "10 years of Mechatronics in Göppingen"