The facility in Vienna, already the pharma company’s largest worldwide, is now being extended, with an additional 6,300m2 of usable floor space and a team that is expanding from 450 to 500 employees. The upgrade will cost the conglomerate EUR 60 million and is due for completion in 2024.
The research centre in Vienna focuses on three types of disease: lung cancer, bowel cancer and pancreatic cancer, investigating the development of medication that works directly on malignant cells. The second approach in their research explores boosting the immune system’s response to cancer. The company is already actively involved in basic research, applied research, clinical research and manufacturing in Vienna.
Sustainability and energy efficiency will be top priorities during construction, and both the roof and the facade are set to be fitted with a photovoltaic array. This is expected to save 40 to 45 tons of CO2 annually, equating to the electricity consumption of about 30 households. Shade in the building is being provided with electrochromic glass, which darkens entirely automatically, depending on the levels of sunshine, and is entirely independent of weather conditions, unlike external sun protection. This enables savings in air condition requirements of more than 30%.
