Spaces

Accommodating the teams of the future

In 2023, the Leucine building will be open and development will start on a further 23,000 m2 due for completion by 2025. Ludwig Cancer Research and the CHUV have also started construction of a major R&D centre on site, due by 2024.

In terms of industries, Olivier notes that, having created the space and ecosystem on campus for R&D and innovative companies, more and more companies focusing on those areas are bringing their research work to Biopôle.

More recently, companies have also been requesting space for their biotech and pharma production projects, indicating a potential future trend towards that part of the industry.

Olivier is also mindful of the effect that new ways of working are having, with workspaces potentially affecting talent acquisition and teamwork. ‘Companies need to understand how the premises can work to best accommodate the teams of the future,’ he says. ‘And, following Covid, that includes remote and hybrid working, which affect the way you design how a space is used.’

Spaces

Co-working spaces for new businesses

Co-working spaces are essential for those setting up activities in a new region or launching a new business. To respond to an increase in demand for such spaces, Biopôle SA created an additional co-working space in the Serine building in 2022. Today, more than 45 desks are available on site across three different co-working spaces, including StartLab. All spaces are bright, modern and fully furnished, featuring individual desks (160 cm by 80 cm) with access to private lockers, Wi-Fi and a shared printer, plus shared meeting rooms, a kitchenette and showers.

Small to medium offices (ranging from 30 m2 to 250 m2) are popular on campus: companies enjoy the privacy of their own space while having other like-minded people and companies close by. To meet increasing demand, Biopôle SA has worked extensively in recent years to find the right solution for existing members and newcomers. In 2022, Biopôle SA created, in collaboration with the property owner EPIC Suisse, more than 25 new small private offices in the Serine building. By the end of 2022, more than 60 small offices had been set up across the campus. All spaces benefit from shared meeting rooms, kitchenettes and showers.