On 23 June 2000, the ground was broken for a new optics laboratory building of PTB in Braunschweig.
The new building replaces a building from the time before World War II, and is expected to be ready for occupation in 2002. It will provide 3000 m2 of scientific laboratories, workshops and offices offering PTB the opportunity to increase its support of measurement techniques and research for key technologies in modern optics. Particular emphasis will be laid on laser radiometry, quantitative microscopy for the nanometre range, radiometry and photometry of novel light sources and displays, as well as metrology for optical communications.