Roche has opened its new Pharma Research and Early Development (pRED) Center at its global headquarters in Basel, Switzerland. Equipped with cutting-edge technologies and housing around 1,000 state-of-the-art laboratory and office workplaces, the new centre brings together teams of scientists and researchers to accelerate scientific discoveries for patients.
Severin Schwan, Chairman of the Roche Group commented: “Roche has invested CHF1.2 billion (about £1.1bn) into the new pRED Center, underscoring our ongoing commitment to supporting Switzerland in remaining a leading innovative life sciences hub, the country where Roche was founded over 125 years ago.”
The new pRED Center consists of two high-rise laboratory buildings, with cutting-edge technology and digital solutions, alongside an office building and a convention centre. In total, there are 33 combined laboratories and office floors with 150 laboratories and workplaces for around 1,800 researchers. The state-of-the-art buildings have been deliberately designed to foster collaboration and an end-to-end mindset, aiming to deliver the most transformative medicines to patients faster.
Since 2009, Roche has invested CHF4.6 billion CHF into the Basel/Kaiseraugst site upgrade, of which the inauguration of the pRED Center marks the biggest single investment. In addition, the company is currently investing a further CHF1.2 billion across the Basel site.
Hans Clevers, Head of Pharma Research and Early Development (pRED) adds: “By investing in the new centre we are continuing to push scientific frontiers to translate innovation into medicines, to better meet the needs of our patients. The new centre will enable greater interaction and knowledge sharing across disciplines, for example, chemists, biologists and data scientists.”