Berlin's universities face €8 billion overhaul to fix ageing campus buildings
Berlin (dpa/bb) – Berlin's crumbling university buildings are set to be renovated more quickly after the city's Senate approved plans to establish a dedicated higher education construction company (BHG). The new entity will centrally oversee all major construction and maintenance projects for the 11 state-run universities' publicly owned properties, streamlining planning under a single authority.
The costs cannot be covered by the state budget alone. Instead, the renovations will be financed through loans and rental income—universities will now lease their buildings from the newly formed BHG. In the long term, all university properties are to be transferred to the company. To cover rent payments, the Senate's science administration will allocate around €300 million annually to the universities, ensuring the funds do not come from teaching and research budgets, as officials confirmed.
Over €220 million in annual investments planned
Under the new financing model, between approximately €220.3 million and €298.6 million will be invested annually from 2032 to 2046. Recent years have seen an average of €290 million in investments, according to the legislation. The Senate anticipates that university space will shrink by 10% by 2032.
"This higher education construction company will help us systematically tackle the backlog of maintenance despite tight budgets and ensure our academic institutions are fit for the future," said Berlin's Senator for Science, Ina Czyborra (SPD).
Many buildings require complete overhauls
Berlin's universities occupy around 450 state-owned buildings, totaling 1.2 million square meters of usable space. Many of these structures, built in the 1960s and 1970s, now require full-scale renovations, as outlined in the law. Current estimates place the total renovation needs at €8 billion. The state's university development plan includes 389 construction projects, 240 of which address the maintenance backlog, a spokesperson for the science administration said.
Universities will be closely involved in the process and represented on the BHG's supervisory board. However, university leaders are demanding guaranteed co-determination rights while insisting there be no external influence over their strategic development planning.
The law will take effect once approved by the House of Representatives, with a vote expected before the summer recess.
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