Lower Saxony`s Ministry of Science and Culture is sponsoring the building of an embedded systems development center at the OFFIS research institute. The center`s scientific objective is to involve OFFIS` expertise in methodology and tool design in carrying out direct practical tests on industry-related issues and to feed back the results so as to further develop knowledge. This development center will also play an innovative role in the region and enable, in particular, SMEs to evaluate their products based on information-processing components using local expertise and options. The development center will also support the start-up of new companies offering high-quality technical products, especially those initiated by graduates from the University of Oldenburg and staff at the OFFIS institute.