Why Düren

Why Düren?

… is a question we are often asked and there are many good reasons for this. For example: Düren is a paper town – the first paper mill was founded in Düren in 1710 by Rütger von Scheven, there was a lot of forest around it and the exceptionally soft water of the Rur was highly valued in paper and textile production.
Düren has also been an important junction between Aachen, Neuss, Cologne and Bonn since 1841 due to the construction of the railway network. With their universities and institutes, these cities form the scientific environment of Düren.

And today?

Today, around 10,000 people work in the paper cluster around Düren.
These jobs are jeopardised by the imminent end of lignite mining in the Rhenish mining area and the current energy prices, among other things. Structural change is in full swing and when the idea of the Modellfabrik Papier was born, it was the Düren Economic Development Agency (WIN.DN) that offered us an extremely suitable location with its visionary plans for the innovation quarter at Düren railway station.

With WIN.DN, the city of Düren has set itself the task of advising companies, supporting start-ups and thus maintaining and creating jobs. It mediates between politics, administration and business and is committed to the interests of Düren companies.
An area of around 100,000 square metres is being developed at Düren railway station and we are very proud that the first building in this complex will be the new building for the Modellfabrik Papier.
The modern building, which was designed by Düsseldorf-based HPP Architekten GmbH, offers enough space for our offices and laboratories and contains a well-equipped technical centre for our research project.
The building also lives up to the image of the Modellfabrik Papier from the outside. The façade appears to lie like folded paper in the rooms, complemented by large windows that lend the building openness and transparency. A PV system on the green roof, connected to the neighbourhood-wide geothermal network, and the use of wood make the climate inside pleasant and meet the current requirements for energy-efficient construction.

We have found our place in Düren. But our goal of achieving 80% energy savings in the paper manufacturing process by 2045 has no geographical boundaries. We work transparently and are constantly expanding our network in both the industrial and scientific sectors, thus opening up our perspective for ideas and innovations. At the same time, we focus our research work on the areas that we have defined in our consortium of industry and research institutions.
It is important to us that our work makes an important contribution to achieving the global climate targets and thus helping the paper industry move towards a more sustainable and secure future.