As of: February 16, 2024, 9:00 a.m
By: Wolfgang Schörner
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View of the construction site of the new diagnostics research building: the complex is 33 meters high.
© Wolfgang Schörner
The biotech company Roche gave an overview of current and planned investments in Penzberg on Thursday.
One of these is the future “Leap” diagnostics research building in the south of the factory site, which is already under construction.
This year, two construction projects will also start on the northern expansion area.
Penzberg – The groundbreaking ceremony for the new diagnostics production center is scheduled to take place next May in the north of the Roche factory site in Penzberg, and the foundation stone will be laid in November.
The company announced the investment of 600 million euros - the largest single investment ever in Penzberg - a year ago (we reported).
The building is being built on the northeastern edge of the expansion area, which covers a total of over 13 hectares.
Expansion area in the north: biomass heating plant
There is now a second construction project for this expansion area in the north: a biomass heating plant with which Roche says it wants to save 780 tons of CO2 per year in the future.
According to plant manager Paul Wiggermann, the heating plant burns residual wood from forests within a radius of 100 kilometers and wood that is produced as a waste product in sawmills.
The groundbreaking for the 22 million euro investment is scheduled to take place next April.
There are currently no further concrete projects for the expansion area in the north of the plant, it was said.
Plant manager Wiggermann and Claudia Fleischer, managing director of Roche Diagnostics GmbH, gave an overview of developments specifically at the Roche Penzberg site at an annual media discussion on Thursday.
As reported, the company had already taken stock of all German locations in Mannheim last week.
The gene therapy center is scheduled to be inaugurated in mid-March
Accordingly, a development center for gene therapies is to be inaugurated in Penzberg in mid-March, in which Roche is investing around 90 million euros.
This is not a new building, but an older building that incorporates the latest technology.
According to Roche, the technical development and production of clinical material for future gene therapies will be prepared and manufacturing processes will be developed there.
Managing director Claudia Fleischer announced - as she did last week in Mannheim - that Roche implemented or started investment projects worth over 1.4 billion euros in its German locations last year.
In addition, Roche is examining additional investments in Germany of around one billion euros for the next three years.
She was not yet able to say whether and to what extent the Penzberg location would benefit from this.
Fleischer referred to the group-wide location competition.
Therefore, it is ultimately a decision of the group whether and how much of it is invested in the German locations.
Already clearly visible: the new Leap research building
An investment project that is now clearly visible around 33 meters high is the new “Leap” diagnostics research building on the southern edge of the factory site, in which Roche is investing around 250 million euros.
The topping-out ceremony was celebrated this week.
800 Roche researchers are to move in there, who are currently spread across 28 buildings in Penzberg and Munich.
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Plant manager Wiggermann explained that the new research building, like the planned production building, does not mean that hundreds of new jobs will be created.
It would primarily be employees from existing buildings who would move in there.
According to him, the number of employees in Penzberg is 7,728 (as of December 31, 2023), who come from 80 nations.
In the model laboratory for testing work processes;
In the picture (from left) construction project manager Hubert Mock and plant manager Paul Wiggermann as well as the scientists Felix Quitterer and Simone Stamm from the “Leap Change Team”.
© Wolfgang Schörner
Another challenge is that the building brings together researchers from 28 other buildings with their own building and work processes.
To make this successful, there is a seven-person “Leap Change Team” consisting of researchers who have a say in the planning.
These include the biotechnologist Simone Stamm and the doctor of chemistry Felix Quitterer.
According to them, the goal is to design offices and laboratories, processes and work flows in such a way that collaboration is strengthened and future users can work efficiently and are satisfied.
Office complex mostly made of wood
On Thursday, Roche also provided a look into the shell of the new research building.
Construction project manager for the “Leap” (the abbreviation for “Laboratory Excellence Accelerator Penzberg”) is Hubert Mock.
He explained that the complex consists, on the one hand, of a pure laboratory building, built with concrete.
Stability is necessary because micro-oscillations can distort measurements.
On the other hand, the complex consists of a pure office building, which is largely built with wood.
This will replace 3,500 tons of concrete, he explained.
According to plant manager Wiggermann, efficient air conditioning technology can also reduce CO2 emissions by two thirds compared to today's laboratories.