The Minister for Economics on a visit to the Materials Testing Institute in Braunschweig

The Lower Saxony Minister for Economics, Employment, Transport, and Digitalisation, Dr Bernd Althusmann visited the Civil Engineering Materials Testing Institute (MPA BS) in Braunschweig.
During a joint tour through the test halls, MPA’s Scientific Directors Professors Martin Empelmann, Dirk Lowke and Jochen Zehfuß as well as Thomas Rusack as commercial/technical head explained MPA’s tasks and fields of activity to the Minister and gave him an overview of the technical equipment and testing facilities in various halls and laboratories.

In personal talks, the Minister gathered information about the capabilities and the importance of highly qualified materials testing for Lower Saxony’s economy, and about the importance of the collaboration between the Materials Testing Institute and the Institute of Building Materials, Concrete Construction and Fire Safety (iBMB) of Technische Universität Braunschweig.

As an independent public institute with key activities in fire protection, structural integrity and sealing of structures, MPA Braunschweig performs mechanical materials testing and testing of structural members, as well as tests of the fire behaviour of structural members and building materials. In addition, MPA Braunschweig conducts chemical and physical examinations in its own high-performance laboratories. MPA offers monitoring, inspections and certifications of building products for manufacturers, retailers and construction companies on the basis of recognised technical regulations. The customers come from the region but also from all over Germany, Europe and the rest of the world. The materials tested by MPA Braunschweig are used across the globe.
MPA Braunschweig is recognised and notified by the German building authorities. It is accredited as testing and calibration laboratory, as well as a certification body. As a state-owned company, MPA Braunschweig is technically supervised by the Ministry for Economics, Employment, Transport, and Digitalisation.