Anyone who passes the Berghof in the Marbach district of Marburg often will have noticed it long ago: several of the buildings within the Behringwerke site have been vacant for quite some time. This is exactly the picture that the local councillors of Marbach were shown on Thursday, who had been invited together by Pharmaserv, the operator of the pharmaceutical park, and Marburg's Lord Mayor Dr Thomas Spies. ‘We want to develop the area in a future-oriented way and create space for innovation,’ said Dr Martin Egger, Managing Director of Infrareal Holding and Pharmaserv.
The new Berghof at the Behringwerke pharmaceutical park
Flexibly rentable laboratories and offices
Pharmaserv's plans for the Berghof have been coordinated in detail with the city of Marburg for months, and they have already been presented to the committees. Several buildings on the site will initially be demolished, including the former lecture hall. New buildings will then be constructed there. The centrepiece will be an innovation hub with around 11,500 square metres of space where start-ups and companies from the biotech and life science industries can flexibly rent laboratory space. In addition to exclusive units of up to 908 square metres, laboratories that can be booked flexibly from 74 square metres are also planned. Offices and storage space for pharmaceutical, biotech and life science companies can also be shared. ‘In the future, you will be able to conduct independent research here while also benefiting from direct contact with our on-site companies – contact that we will actively promote through events, conferences and mentoring programmes, for example,’ explained Martin Egger. Numerous internationally active pharmaceutical companies are active in research, development and production at the Behringwerke site.
Mixed-use building with co-working spaces and restaurants
A second building will be a mixed-use building with co-working spaces and conference rooms, a convenience store, cafés and restaurants, among other things. ‘These two innovative buildings are an important step for the future of our pharmaceutical park and the future of the city,’ said Martin Egger. Marburg's Lord Mayor Dr Thomas Spies emphasised: ‘With this project, Pharmaserv is strengthening research and development in Marburg. We are pleased about the good cooperation and the innovative plans of Pharmaserv.‘
Dynamic ecosystem
‘We not only provide our new users with access to high-quality premises and services in a GxP environment, but also to direct contact with the internationally renowned pharmaceutical companies here at the site,’ says Johannes Franz, project manager at Pharmaserv. The new tenants will be able to network with the pharmaceutical companies already located there. ‘We are creating a dynamic ecosystem that optimally promotes cooperation between various players in our industry, universities and other network partners,’ Johannes Franz continued.
