Switzerland Innovation Park Targets Growth Through Collaborative Biopharma Infrastructure

The Switzerland Innovation Park Main Campus, housed within the Basel Area Life Sciences Supercluster, is undergoing a new phase of expansion, with additional research institutes, laboratory facilities, and collaborative workspaces planned over the next few years, according to Johannes Eisenhut, PhD, CEO of Swiss real estate development company SENN Development.

In the final installment of an interview with BioPharm International®, Dr Eisenhut explains that, when development of the campus began in 2016, the vision of creating a concentrated life sciences ecosystem remained largely aspirational. Since then, organizers have worked to recruit academic institutions, public organizations, multinational companies, and startup firms to establish operations at the site.

According to Dr Eisenhut, the campus currently hosts approximately 50 companies and institutions spanning a range of sizes and functions, from global pharmaceutical organizations to early-stage biotechnology startups and university departments.

“We don't imagine Switzerland Innovation Park Main Campus to be a place where just startups are,” he emphasizes. “We're not going to put a divider between the R&D people and the people who are going to market the product or produce the product. Those people [can] all profit from this kind of innovation mindset."

How can integrated life sciences campuses accelerate biopharma innovation?

Dr Eisenhut says the campus was intentionally developed to encourage interaction among organizations with different expertise and business objectives. While companies remain focused on their individual goals, he notes that proximity can facilitate knowledge exchange and create opportunities for collaboration across the life sciences value chain. The ecosystem was built through partnerships with organizations including the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, the University of Basel, and the Switzerland Innovation Park Basel Area.

Looking ahead, Dr Eisenhut highlights several developments expected within the next 24 months. These include the arrival of the Botnar Institute of Immune Engineering, a newly established research institute focused on immune engineering, as well as construction of additional campus facilities.

He says that one planned project, known as House of Partnership and Engagement, is intended to support public health organizations and nongovernmental organizations, while another project is expected to provide approximately 25,000 square meters of combined laboratory and office space. The latter is being positioned to accommodate research groups, data-focused organizations, and life sciences companies, he adds.

Click to watch the first and second installments of Dr. Eisenhut’s interview about the growth of the Switzerland Innovation Park Main Campus.

About the speaker

Johannes Eisenhut, PhD, CEO, SENN Development

Dr. Eisenhut leads strategic development and innovation initiatives as a member of the group management board of SENN. With a career spanning international marketing, brand development, and real estate, he previously served as head of Marketing Europe for Burton Snowboards and co-founded /Department United Creative Forces (now FCB Zürich). A former professional snowboarder, he holds a PhD in cognitive linguistics from the University of Fribourg and has co-founded several Swiss innovation initiatives, including X27 and Made in Zurich.