The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has officially opened its new headquarters, the IPC Campus, in Bonn, Germany. This event marks an important milestone for the organization since its founding in 1989. The opening ceremony, held on Monday, was attended by 250 guests, including federal, state, and local politicians, members of the IPC Governing Board, and Paralympic athletes, among others.

The event was led by Andrew Parsons, IPC President, together with IPC CEO Dr. Mike Peters PLY, Minister President of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia Hendrik Wüst, and Deputy Mayor of Bonn Nicole Unterseh. The new headquarters, located next to the Rhine River and close to Bonn’s parliamentary district and the UN Campus, has become one of the most accessible office spaces in Germany following extensive renovation.

An inclusive and accessible design

The IPC Campus stands out for its inclusive design, which reflects the organization’s values. The building has an accessible auditorium with a capacity for 170 people, 157 adapted workstations, six elevators, accessible bathrooms, and kitchens on each floor. It also has automatic doors and tactile paving, even in the gardens, to facilitate mobility for people with visual impairments.

One of the most notable innovations is the incorporation of an indoor navigation system via a mobile app, making it the first building in Germany to offer this technology. According to Dr. Mike Peters PLY, this headquarters “is not only a workspace, but a symbol of the IPC’s commitment to a more inclusive world through sport.”

A boost for the region and the Paralympic movement

The Minister President of North Rhine-Westphalia, Hendrik Wüst, emphasized the “importance of the IPC Campus for the region,” highlighting the “€42 million investment made by the state government. This space not only reinforces the commitment to inclusion and sporting excellence, but also positions the region as a benchmark for the organization of Olympic and Paralympic events.”

For her part, the mayor of Bonn, Katja Dörner, expressed her satisfaction with the inauguration, describing it as the “continuation of a successful relationship between the city and the IPC since 1999.” Dörner highlighted the growth of the organization in Bonn and expressed her desire for the city to be “as recognized by the IPC as Lausanne is by the IOC.” In this regard, on the same day as the inauguration, the first day of the fourth IPC Athletes’ Forum took place, bringing together more than 70 athlete representatives from around the world.

A historic evolution since 1989

The IPC, founded in 1989 in Düsseldorf, moved its headquarters to Bonn in 1999, settling at Adenauerallee 212–214, opposite the Palais Schaumburg. At that time, the organization had only 10 employees. Today, the IPC has grown to more than 130 employees from 47 countries, with 16% identifying as persons with disabilities and more than half of the team made up of women.