Gips Schüle Foundation

Ever since its foundation around 45 years ago, the Gips Schüle Foundation has been a firmly-established institution in Baden-Württemberg . To this day, its funding criteria focus on socially-relevant issues such as sustainability, fairness, the responsible use of existing resources and growth.

Particularly in times when public funds are scarce, the Foundation sees its task in promoting the common good as a non-profit organization. Global challenges such as climate change, food, mobility and housing call for the development of new technologies. The Gips Schüle Foundation promotes new interdisciplinary research methods accompanied by an ongoing dialog between theory and practice.

30 years of cooperation between the Gips Schüle Foundation and Fraunhofer IBP

How can indoor acoustics and productivity in offices be improved? Which recycling materials offer the best heat and sound insulation? Are membrane constructions a real alternative to ones made of glass? Researchers involved in the cooperation between the Gips Schüle Foundation and the Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics IBP have been dealing with these and similar questions from the building sector for more than 30 years.

History

The Gips Schüle Foundation can look back on a long history. In 1870, the couple Eduard and Marie Schüle founded the first gypsum works in Bad Cannstatt near Stuttgart. Thanks to entrepreneurial ability and technical expertise, the company continued to develop. In particular, implementation of innovative technologies such as the first steam engine or the early use of trucks in the Stuttgart area brought about the hoped-for growth.

As early as 1929, the Schüle family started collaborating with the Institute of Acoustic and Thermal Technology, the predecessor of the Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics IBP, thus laying the foundation for research funding. In 1965, the Gips Schüle Foundation was established and became recognized as a legal entity to support the company’s employees. In 1979, the purpose of the foundation was extended. Just as research and development enabled the Schüle company to grow back then, the aim was now to promote this more intensively in order to give medium-sized companies a further chance to expand.

The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft

Once the extended purpose of the foundation had been formulated by those responsible, an agreement was soon reached on the implementation of the new guidelines. The goal was to develop new and environmentally-compatible building materials and methods. The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, which was committed to promoting applied research, quickly found the ideal partner in 1979. The Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics IBP in Stuttgart was assigned a Gips Schüle Department, for which the foundation erected its own building in 1984. To this day, scientists continue to research a wide range of building physics topics here. A large number of projects in this field have been brought to production maturity in partnerships with medium-sized companies.

Promotion of young talent and teaching

The promotion of young talent is a key aspect of the Gips-Schüle Foundation. The Foundation has been awarding the Gips Schüle Prize to young scientists since 1993. Every three years, outstanding final theses are awarded the 3,000 Euro prize. Today, the Foundation focuses primarily on universities. For example, it supports doctoral colleges, awards scholarships to students or sets up endowed professorships. The Gips Schüle Foundation attaches great importance to the promotion of interdisciplinary research, including socio-psychological topics such as the interaction between humans and indoor areas.