After four years of construction, a modern innovation park with 23,000 m2 of clean rooms, laboratories, precision workshops, offices and meeting rooms has been created next to Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) in Villigen (AG). On Thursday, 25.04.24, Federal Councillor Guy Parmelin celebrated the opening with guests from politics, business and research. Today, 80 percent of the building has already been rented. PSI is both a strategic partner and the largest tenant.
In just four years, Innovaare Park in Villigen next to Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) has become a state-of-the-art, research-oriented innovation park. The first start-ups and technology transfer centers moved in at the beginning of the year. On Thursday, Innovaare Park celebrated its opening in the presence of Federal Councillor Guy Parmelin, the Vice-President of the Aargau Government Council Dieter Egli, PSI Director Prof. Dr. Christian Rüegg, the President of Switzerland Innovation, Andreas Rickenbacher, as well as numerous guests from politics, business and research. For Dr Christian Brönnimann, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Park Innovaare, it is a very special day: “It is a great pleasure and honor for me to officially open Park Innovaare. My special thanks go to the commitment of our shareholders, the canton, the federal government, investors and PSI, who together with many others have created an innovative meeting place for industry and cutting-edge research. With the move into Park Innovaare, a vision has become reality.”
Technology transfer from research to industry
PSI's unique research infrastructure, large-scale research facilities and know-how provides companies at Park Innovaare with important technological proximity and a corresponding head start. Prof. Dr. Christian Rüegg, Director of PSI, sees a major economic benefit for Switzerland in the transfer of technology and knowledge: “New findings, methods and specialists from research should be made accessible to industry. This will further strengthen Switzerland's high level of competitiveness.” PSI also supports and encourages its researchers to exploit their inventions and results in their own company. Several start-ups from PSI alone have already rented space at Park Innovaare. Park Innovaare focuses on four areas: Photonics and Quantum Technologies, Life Sciences, Advanced Manufacturing & Semiconductor Technologies and Energy & Sustainability.
One of six sites of Switzerland Innovation
Park Innovaare is one of six sites of Switzerland Innovation. The umbrella organization Switzerland Innovation forms an ecosystem in which research activities are driven forward together with universities and colleges. Andreas Rickenbacher, President of Switzerland Innovation, points out: "Switzerland has been one of the most innovative countries in the world for many years. In order for our excellent education and research to result in marketable products and services, our universities must be linked to the economy in the best possible way. Park Innovaare is the best example of how cutting-edge research can be optimally linked with the economy.
Strong support in the region, good capacity utilization
The strong backbone of Park Innovaare is formed by over 40 shareholders, including international corporations, innovative SMEs, leading industrial R&D companies, renowned financial institutions, highly specialized service providers and suppliers as well as the municipalities of Villigen and Würenlingen, the Canton of Aargau, PSI and the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland. Robert Rudolph, CEO of Park Innovaare: “To date, we have attracted 21 companies, including a total of 15 spin-offs from PSI, ETH or FHNW, two technology transfer centers and large international companies. The overall occupancy rate is around 80% and we are very confident that we will be able to increase this even further in the coming months.”