What makes our community tick?

August 15, 2024

People working at Main Campus Innovation District talk about their experiences

Working at Switzerland Innovation Park Basel Area Main Campus in Allschwil has many benefits. One of them is being part of a bigger life science community. We have visited employees from six different companies and organizations at their workplace and asked them what it’s like to work at Main Campus Innovation District and how they connect to each other. With the dynamic Medtech Congress and the cutting-edge Switzerland Innovation Park Basel Area – Jura, Courroux is the place to be for medtech innovation. Add to this the world-class hubs in pharmaceuticals, biotechnology and digital health found within the region, and it’s clear why so many entrepreneurs and companies are looking to base themselves here.

Johannes Merkelbach, Manager Operations at Eldico Scientific

«Personally, I like the fact that I can easily get here by bike”, says Johannes Merkelbach about his workplace at the Switzerland Innovation Park Basel Area Main Campus HQ. «The building is centrally located and yet in a quiet neighbourhood with very little distraction,» he adds.

Johannes works at Eldico Scientific. The company has closed its previous office locations and now operates exclusively out of Main Campus HQ. Eldico Scientific builds innovative machines for the chemical industry and offers analytical services for clients. Allschwil seems to be the right place for them. «We often have clients visiting. Most of them are based in the area. They like coming here because it’s beautiful here», says Johannes. The facilities are also great to run demos, open days and events.

The community is often cited as a major advantage of the Main Campus HQ. According to Johannes, you can really feel it. «I think that there is less distance between the employees of the individual companies here than in other places between individual departments of a company.»

In addition to informal exchanges, there are also organized events: «For example, we were able to test the coffee for the kitchen and choose it together. There are events such as wine tasting, a jogging group and you can sit at foreign language tables in the canteen. I particularly like the Lunch & Learn sessions, where different startups in the building present their work and you get to know the other residents at an informal lunch.»

Photos by David Walter

Essi Niemi, Life Science Product Manager at UPM Biomedicals

«I enjoy that there are a lot of scientifically very knowledgeable and talented people here, experts in their own fields» says Essi Niemi about working in the Switzerland Innovation Park Basel Area Main Campus HQ. «If I am looking to learn about a specific topic, there is always an expert in the community with whom I could talk with to learn more. And if someone needs support in my areas of expertise, I am always happy to help of course.»

Essi works as a Life Science Product Manager at UPM Biomedicals. UPM is Finnish based forestry industry corporation and within UPM, UPM Biomedicals produces high quality nanofibrillar cellulose biomaterials for clinical and life science applications. Essi and her colleague Marlies currently represent the DACH region for the company in Allschwil, while the rest of the company is located in Finland and the UK. «We are currently still a small team here but at Main Campus HQ we are part of a bigger life science community. Also, as a newcomer to Switzerland and Basel, the community has been extremely welcoming, and it has been effortless to become part of it.»

As the Bachgraben area is still developing, Essi likes that the campus is still growing and there is always room for something new. «Companies and people are not necessarily yet set their ways and there are endless possibilities for growth here. I’m curious to see how Main Campus HQ and the area around it will look in a few years.»

Essi’s favourite element of the campus is the green courtyard that brings daily office life closer to nature and offers a view to the changing seasons of the year.

Beichen Gao, Data Scientist at Engimmune Therapeutics

«Here, everybody is nerdy about science», appreciates Beichen Gao. The data scientist joined the Switzerland Innovation Park Main Campus HQ as an external collaborator in September 2022. Since then, a lot has happened, and the community has been growing every month.

Beichen currently works at Engimmune Therapeutics, a company dedicated to developing soluble T-cell receptor (TCR) based therapies for treating solid tumour cancers. Trained as a molecular biologist, he transitioned to computational work during his PhD and now focuses on analysing experimental data to discover and develop more effective soluble TCRs.

Originally from Canada, Beichen likes the international atmosphere and cultural diversity at the Main Campus. «There is a mix of cultures here, and because we are all interested in the same things, it’s easy to get along with everyone. Sometimes it feels like working with friends.»

The shared kitchen is a popular gathering spot at the Main Campus HQ, where various work-related and social events take place, such as jogging groups, science talks, and organised networking sessions. Because he is passionate about his field of work, Beichen is also working with colleagues from other companies to establish an apéro for data scientists. «We can learn so much from each other. Every company has its own techniques,” he notes. He is curious about the future: «The place is still growing. It feels more and more like a community. I sometimes wonder how it will look in three years.»

Sabina Beatrice-Matter, Head of Communications at Swiss TPH

Swiss TPH is an international microcosm within an international microcosm. 950 people from over 90 countries work at Swiss TPH, about 700 of them in Allschwil at the headquarter of the organization just next to the Switzerland Innovation Park Basel Area – Main Campus. They are all focused on improving health worldwide, especially for people living in low-and middle-income countries.

«Previously, Swiss TPH staff and students spread over eight different locations in Basel-Stadt. It was important for us to be able to research, study and work together under one roof,» says Sabina Beatrice-Matter. She is Head of Communications at Swiss TPH. «The new building fosters dialogue and inspires innovation through the beautiful architecture and the modern office and laboratory landscapes.»

The open structure of the building also encourages collaboration between different departments, units, and groups. These daily encounters, such as in the cafeteria or the tea kitchens on each floor, are indispensable for the work of Swiss TPH, which operates in over 130 countries. Working under one roof has also had a positive impact on the work of Sabina and her colleagues, as news and stories from all around the world now quickly arrive on the communication team’s desks.

Swiss TPH was an anchor institution for the whole area when they moved to Allschwil in 2022. Now the whole area has grown into a campus of innovation for life sciences. «The vibrant area is an ideal location for Swiss TPH. We look forward to strengthening our connection and building a community with the many organisations from the life sciences and biotech industry,» says Sabina.

Simon Ittig, founder and CEO of T3 Pharma

The home of T3 Pharma, on the top floor of the Switzerland Innovation Park Basel Area Main Campus HQ offers a view over Basel and as far as the Gempen tower. However, Simon Ittig and his team’s gaze is on research. Literally, because the walls of the laboratory are made of glass and positioned at the centre of the offices.

His company was a «planned coincidence», says founder and CEO Simon Ittig, who has a scientific background in microbiology. For his current work, however, he also draws on knowledge from long before his studies. Simon grew up in an entrepreneurial environment and thanks to his circle of friends, he encountered technical innovations and set up a small business while he was still at school. The combination of this expertise and scientific curiosity for innovation ultimately led to T3 Pharma. The vision of the company is to improve the lives of cancer patients with highly innovative treatments.

For the company, it was important to integrate laboratory units at the heart of their own premises, which was possible thanks to the flexibility of the rooms in the Main Campus HQ. After several work locations, this was the first time that T3 was able to organize their space according to their needs. «The team is in constant dialogue, which strengthens their sense of teamwork and makes them aware of our common goals. The architecture of our space enables the ‘T3 microcosm’», says Simon. «The openness of the whole area in Allschwil offers an exciting environment and enables creative input among neighbours.»

Michaela Maintz, PHD candidate at the Department of Biomedical Engineering (DBE) of the University of Basel

«As Biomedical Engineers, we love the challenge of solving complex healthcare problems. The pioneering companies in the life science and technology sectors in the immediate vicinity  push, inspire and also help us with networking», says Michaela Maintz. She is a PhD candidate at the Department of Biomedical Engineering (DBE) of the University of Basel.

With her colleagues she works on the 2nd floor of the Main Campus HQ. Here, the future of biomedical technology is tangible: Researchers are developing smart implants, surgical robots, ultra-thin biosensors, growing nerve tissue, building devices that can extract precise diagnoses from just a breath, or teaching computers to independently measure the effects of drugs in medical images.

«I create a so-called digital twin from the data of a CT scan of a patient. I can then design and test the bone implants on this model,» says Michaela. Her simulations show precisely where the implant must withstand the strongest forces and be adjusted accordingly. She is also developing a method using biomimetic algorithms that resemble bone growth to automatically adjust implants structurally. Such «smart» implants are very stable, no larger than necessary and perfectly adapted to the individual anatomy.

In the projects at DBE, no person or discipline gets anywhere on their own. Collaboration is the key to success, which is why the new neighbourhood in and around the Main Campus HQ feels exciting to Michaela. The spirit of innovation is palpable and arouses curiosity in the community. «Here, the future of medicine is tangible, and so new ideas for interdisciplinary projects sometimes emerge during a break or at an event on campus», says the PhD candidate.

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