"The qualities of the location are beyond question"

House of Lab Science AG is planning two innovation parks in Winterthur and the surrounding area. CEO Christian Hugo Hoffmann tells us in a brief interview what significance these innovation parks will have for Winterthur.

Christian Hugo Hoffmann is CEO of House of Lab Science AG.

From left to right: CEO Christian Hugo Hoffmann, Oana Monica Vrabie, Vice President Marketing and Hans Noser, Chairman of the Board of Directors.

Mr Hoffmann, may I ask you to briefly introduce yourself and your organization?
With pleasure. As a passionate entrepreneur and financial economist, I am the CEO and co-founder of House of Lab Science AG. The House of Lab Science is a start-up that has been in existence since 2021 and solves the problem that there are not enough well-equipped and ready-to-occupy laboratories, especially for life sciences start-ups. For this reason, we convince partners such as real estate developers and owners to invest in the expansion of laboratories, which we at House of Lab Science operate as innovation parks throughout Switzerland after completion. Through a high level of service orientation towards tenants, we will not only enhance the property, but also make life sciences start-ups even more productive. In short, the House of Lab Science is the place to be to sustainably strengthen the life sciences start-up ecosystem.

What plans does House of Lab Science have for the Winterthur region and why did you choose this location?
Our pilot building with over 8000 m2 is located in Hombrechtikon and focuses on laboratory technology. We see great and lucrative expansion potential for the House of Lab Science in the Winterthur region. Together with Mettler2Invest, we are planning to open a major foothold in the vibrant FoodTech cluster The Valley in Kemptthal. We would like to offer local FoodTech and BioTech start-ups a home for their laboratory needs in the direct vicinity of Givaudan, Bühler or the scale-up planted . The qualities of the location are therefore beyond question. In addition, we have taken a closer look at Neuhegi, where we would like to build a House of Lab Science covering several thousand square meters in parallel or in the immediate aftermath together with our partners. The network effect emanating from the House of Lab Science in Kemptthal, as well as general location factors in Winterthur such as very good connections, ZHAW on site, etc. also play a role here.

Thanks to the House of Lab Science, 600 jobs will be created. Which companies will the House of Lab Science provide a home for in the future and what kind of jobs will be created?
The House of Lab Science basically serves the entire life sciences spectrum, from food to biochemistry and laboratory technology, and from small start-ups to corporations that want to place spin-offs in a House of Lab Science. The latter, i.e. the right mix of companies and company sizes, is central to the fruitfulness of a cluster, which the House of Lab Science establishes at each of its locations. Nevertheless, start-ups are probably the ones that need our laboratories the most, as the large companies can build their own laboratory space in case of doubt. However, the former, i.e. the reference to the entire life sciences sector, should not obscure the fact that we pursue a clear innovation profile at each individual site. As already mentioned, the focus in Hombrechtikon is on laboratory technology and in Kemptthal on foodtech, in order to underpin this sharpening of profile with examples. Overall, however, it can be said that highly qualified jobs are being created which, with the focus on life sciences and innovation, will secure Switzerland's key industries for the future.

Interview: October 2022