The newly founded association Hightech Campus Buchs promotes the holistic development, revitalization and marketing of the campus. The aim is to strengthen Buchs as a location for education and research, to coordinate common interests and to represent them externally.
As a loose grouping, a community of interests has developed various project ideas to strengthen Buchs as a location for education, research and business. The development project is based on a master plan drawn up by the town of Buchs more than ten years ago. The institutions already located in Buchs have jointly sharpened their understanding of networking and positioning. The first projects have been initiated, are now being intensified or are already being implemented. In order to create clear structures, the association Hightech Campus Buchs was recently founded. Marco Thoma, head of the bzbs administration, is president of the association, and Rolf Pfeiffer, mayor of Buchs, was elected vice-president at the inaugural meeting. The office is run by Carola Koller.
Well-networked Board
To ensure that the interests of all participating institutions are represented on the Board of Directors, the Board consists of eleven members. In addition to the President and Vice President, the Board includes the following individuals Michael Auer (President of the University Council of the University of Applied Sciences of Eastern Switzerland), Richard Brander (President of the NTB Studienstiftung), Heiner Graf (Chairman of the Board of the International School Rheintal), Brigitte Haas (Managing Director of the Liechtenstein Chamber of Commerce and Industry), Werner Krüsi (Chairman of the Board of RhySearch), Roland Ledergerber (President of the Board of Directors Switzerland Innovation Park Ost AG), Cantonal Councillor Christian Lippuner (Managing Director Innovatis Treuhand AG), Daniel Miescher (Rector Vocational and Continuing Education Center Buchs Sargans) and Markus Probst (President Employers Association Sarganserland-Werdenberg). Samuel Mösle (Deputy Head/Team Leader Location Promotion Office for Economy and Employment Canton St.Gallen) and the Cantonal Master Builder Erol Doguoglu also attend the board meetings as guests in an advisory capacity.
A lot in motion
There is a lot going on at the Hightech Campus Buchs. In the last few days, RhySearch celebrated its tenth anniversary, the OST held an Open House Day and the International School Rheintal moved into its new premises. In addition, efforts are underway to establish the Smartfeld educational laboratory of the Switzerland Innovation Park Ost innovation network in Buchs, thus strengthening the future skills of students in the Sarganserland-Werdenberg-Rheintal region and preparing them for the digital age. The most visible project is the planned campus tower between the bzbs and the OST University of Applied Sciences. The construction of the centerpiece of the Hightech Campus Buchs is connected with a new traffic routing. In order to realize this project, agreements are necessary between the NTB Study Foundation as the initiator, various institutions as well as the city of Buchs, the canton of St.Gallen and the community of Buchs.
Picture caption: The board of the association Hightech Campus Buchs consists of the following persons: Daniel Miescher (front from left), Markus Probst, President Marco Thoma, Vice President Rolf Pfeiffer, Brigitte Haas, Heiner Graf, Richard Brander (back from left), Christian Lippuner, Werner Krüsi and Roland Ledergerber. photo credit: Ralph Dietsche
