OFB starts construction work for “BioSquare Leipzig” technology campus

OFB Projektentwicklung has started the first construction phase of the “BioSquare Leipzig” on a partial area of around 11,600 m² of the construction site 6a on the street “Alte Messe.” The symbolic groundbreaking ceremony on September 22, 2022, took place in the presence of Thomas Dienberg (Mayor for Urban Development and Construction of the City of Leipzig), Dr Marc Struhalla (CEO of c-LEcta GmbH) and Dr Christoph Wiechmann (Office Manager for Leipzig at OFB Projektentwicklung). The ceremony marks the start of a modern campus for biotechnology and the life sciences that comprises several buildings. The excavation of around 35,000 m³ of soil is scheduled to be completed by mid-November this year.

As early as February 2022, a facade competition was held for the project with five architectural firms and a jury consisting of politicians, architects, scientists, the tenant c-LEcta and OFB. The Leipzig-based firm KLM Architekten und Ingenieure GmbH has now been commissioned as building planner for the first construction phase with the facade design.

Above ground, the first construction phase consists of two independent buildings with a total of around 18,500 m² of rental space. Five floors are planned for Building A, which will be used by the biotechnology company c-LEcta GmbH in the future and will have around 10,500 m² of above-ground rental space.

c-LEcta has been located at the “Alte Messe” site since the company was founded in 2004, and moved into its headquarters in the BioCube in 2012. The company has changed significantly since then: What began as a university spin-off with five employees has now evolved into a leading global player in industrial biotechnology. In 2021, c-LEcta worked with over 400 customers from more than 40 countries in the food and pharmaceutical industries, and once again significantly increased its sales compared to the previous year. Along with this, the number of employees has also developed rapidly over the years. Since 2018 alone, the number has doubled to 120 employees. Further growth in the workforce is also planned in the years ahead, so that not enough space for the office and laboratory space will be available in the current building.

The neighboring Building B in the direction of Prager Strasse comprises seven stories and thus offers a view over the old trade fair grounds after their completion. The slight offset of the second building will create a forecourt that provides an inviting access to building B with a good quality stay. Furthermore, a shared underground parking garage with around 110 parking spaces is being built.

Construction work on c-Lecta’s new corporate headquarters is scheduled for completion in the first half of 2025. In the second building of the first construction phase, another 8,000 m² of rental space is being created. With floor heights of four meters and modern construction grids, both buildings offer maximum flexibility in terms of use, so that both office space and laboratory space can be realized.

“The BioSquare project development underscores Leipzig’s importance as an innovation center for biotechnology and the life sciences. We want to keep innovative companies in these future industries at the location and attract new ones. Of course, we are particularly pleased that c-LEcta, a Leipzig success story, is moving into the first construction phase,” said the mayor and alderman for Urban Development and Construction of the City of Leipzig, Thomas Dienberg.

“The groundbreaking ceremony for our new headquarters in Leipzig is obviously a very special moment. In 2025, we will move into a high-tech building here with state-of-the-art workplaces and laboratories. This will not only secure sufficient space for further development in the long term, but at the same time provide a state-of-the-art design concept for our employees. Collaboration, concentrated work and regeneration go hand in hand. We are pleased to be able to continue our history at our home location,” emphasized Dr Marc Struhalla, CEO of the tenant c-LEcta.

Dr Christoph Wiechmann, head of OFB’s Leipzig office, is also quite pleased: “It is great to see that the excavators are now turning and the realization phase of BioSquare has begun. The ‘Alte Messe’ has made a name for itself as a location for innovative companies. On our campus, we offer research institutions and technology companies completely new development opportunities and perfect framework conditions.”

The project site is located within sight of the well-known double M of the Leipzig Mustermesse. The neighboring S-Bahn station “Völkerschlachtdenkmal” as well as several streetcar and bus lines offer very good public transport connections. The freeway ring road can also be reached in less than five minutes. Several innovative research institutions and companies such as the Fraunhofer IZI, the Max Planck Institute, Bio-City or the German Center for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) have settled at the “Alte Messe” location in recent years.

OFB: WE CONTINUE TO DEVELOP.

OFB Projektentwicklung GmbH has been in the real estate business for over 60 years.
And is still as committed as on the first day. As a subsidiary of Landesbank Hessen-Thüringen and part of the Helaba Immobiliengruppe, high-quality and sustainable large-scale real estate is our focus. Project development, project management and real estate management are our passion.

At our headquarters in Frankfurt/Main and in our branches in Berlin, Erfurt, Munich, Düsseldorf and Leipzig, around 140 employees realize successful real estate projects throughout Germany. In doing so, we want to work harder than others – and therefore take the interaction of economic, ecological and social components into account as early as the planning stage of our projects. The goal: to develop our projects further, and ourselves as well.
www.ofb.de

About c-LEcta

c-LEcta is a global biotechnology company specializing in the development, production and distribution of enzyme products. The company uses world-class enzyme engineering and production technologies to provide its partners in the food and pharmaceutical industries with superior biotechnological solutions for innovative industrial applications. Product development is based on the proprietary enzyme technology platform ENESYZ® and is carried out both in-house and in close cooperation with industry partners worldwide. c-LEcta supplies its products to more than 400 customers in over 40 countries. c-LEcta currently employs more than 120 people at its headquarters in Leipzig.

c-LEcta is part of the Kerry Group. Kerry is the world’s leading taste and nutrition partner for the food, beverage and pharmaceutical markets. The company employs 22,000 people across over 150 locations and uses its broad range of ingredient solutions to innovate with its customers and create great tasting products, with improved nutrition and functionality, while ensuring a better impact for the planet.