La Française is launching a €400m fund targeting Germany’s retail real estate sector with Wiesbaden’s EBS University.

The fund, structured as an open-ended Real Estate alternative investment fund, is the first in Germany to cooperate with a university.

Investors will benefit from research and teachings of the university’s real estate faculty, said Gregor Volk, managing director of the German branch of La Française AM International.

Assets will be sourced and managed by La Française Forum Real Estate Partners.

The goal of the fund is to generate sustainable cash flows from investments in core assets, the firm said.

The fund is expected to benefit from a positive consumer climate in Germany.

Local shopping centres, retail parks and discounters, as well as inner-city retail, commercial buildings and retail agglomerates, will be targeted by the fund.