Uppsala Business Park mixes tradition with flexibility

For life science companies, Uppsala Business Park offers the ideal combination of office, laboratory and production facilities.

Uppsala Business Park has inherited a strong life science tradition as it occupies just over half of the former main site of Pharmacia. Conveniently located on the southern outskirts of the city, close to the main E4 motorway within easy reach of Arlanda airport, the park continues this tradition with the many of the current tenants working in the sector. Here Kicki Werdenberg from real estate management company Klövern and Fredrik Lehmann of tenant company Recipharm OnTarget Chemistry outline Uppsala Business Park’s many attractions for both local and international companies.

Occupancy has grown steadily since Klövern acquired half of the site (80,000) in 2006. Currently there are 78 tenants with more than 2200 employees and according to Werdenberg this success is based on a combination of the site’s location and the flexibility and suitability of space on offer. “Uppsala Business Park is easily accessible from both within Sweden and abroad. Our strategy is to create internal and external environments that positively contribute to a tenant’s business development. The premises must be able to change with their needs and to ensure this we remain in close contact to accurately be able to predict future demands.”

For life science companies, Uppsala Business Park offers the ideal combination of office, laboratory and production facilities. “We are looking to attract two main kinds of companies, start-ups and established international companies looking for a Nordic/European base. Since start-ups can have only a few employees initially, but then need to rapidly scale up, the key is providing flexibility,” continues Werdenberg. “Laboratory units from 24 sq m to 600 sq m are available, fully equipped with lab benches, fume cupboards, autoclaves, disposables and media. There are also clean rooms and safety labs available to hire. Offices are integrated into the lab or adjacent to the premises. For international companies, this flexibility also comes into play, but also the confidence that facilities meet international norms. IT infrastructure is also excellent – Sweden has one of the world’s fastest networks. As for overall costs, we believe we can be competitive with any other location in northern Europe. Whichever category you belong to, once you’ve signed your lease, you’ll very quickly be ready to move in and get your business operation started.”

The current occupancy level is about 65%. In addition to life science companies such as Fresenius Kabi AB, OT Chemistry, Orexo AB and Cavidi AB, there is a wide range of tenants, including head offices (ex. Uppsala Vatten, Landstinget), restaurants and other service businesses.

“Quality always trumps low cost in the end”

Frederik Lehmann, site manager of Recipharm OnTarget Discovery is a keen champion of Uppsala Business Park:

What is your company and when was it established?
We are a pre-clinical chemistry CRO, established in 2008

What were your main reasons for setting up in Uppsala Business Park? Would you recommend it to other pharmaceutical service companies?
We knew the facilities since many of us had worked at Pharmacia and were thus confident they were a very good fit for us when we started OnTarget. We would definitely recommend this environment to other companies. The lab space is of the highest standard, there is a good collaborative spirit, international connections are good, pricing competitive and there is room to grow.

Who are you customers, are they just in Sweden or international?
This varies from time to time but a rough estimate is a little less then half in Sweden and for the rest our customers span from Vancouver to Tokyo.

Sweden has an image of high costs - how are you able to be competitive?
This is a bit of a myth, the proof being the increasing number of companies setting up and professionals moving here. In our business, which is highly competitive, we succeed by bringing more value for money. We firmly believe that quality always trumps low cost in the end.

You have grown rapidly in the last year, what are your future plans? 
Continuous organic growth until we reach 80-ish people (we are halfway right now). We are confident that the park will help us accommodate our requirements. 

 Meet Uppsala Business Park in Exhibition Booth 67.