Many modern applications rely on massive computing systems capable of processing millions of data points within seconds. They are used for climate modelling, medical research, and complex simulations. Leipzig is now set to get such a facility: the Leipzig AI Computing Center, or KIRZL for short. The center will be built on the site of the city’s former trade fair grounds and is expected to further strengthen Leipzig’s scientific community.
After around a year and a half of planning by Leipzig University and the State Enterprise for Real Estate and Construction Management (SIB), the design phase has now been completed. The construction project has already been put out to tender, with bids from general contractors expected by May 2026. “The project is currently in its final approval and planning phase and, according to current plans, the main construction work should be completed in the first half of 2028,” says SIB spokesperson Alwin-Rainer Zipfl.
Bridge to the future - without a gap
To ensure that research capacity remains available until KIRZL becomes operational, Leipzig University is already preparing an interim solution. “In order to meet demand during the construction phase, we have planned and commissioned an expansion of the existing data center facilities at the Augustusplatz campus together with SIB,” says Dieter Lehmann, Director of the University Computing Center. The expansion is expected to be completed in 2026.
Until KIRZL opens, the university’s existing computing center will remain fully operational. Its services include high-performance computing for complex scientific calculations, data storage, and virtual machines.
