Start of construction for I-City in Reinach imminent

According to UBS, Innovation City (I-City) in Reinach (BL) is to become "a new home for biotech and life sciences companies" in the Basel area. Around 10,000 square meters of flexible laboratory space and modern workplaces will be built on the Kägen site. It will be the largest offering of flexible laboratories in the region, UBS said.

The I-City concept comes from Vebego, the real estate service provider is implementing it together with its subsidiary Move Consultants. According to Vebego CEO Giuseppe Santagada, the focus is not only on the tenants, but above all on their employees. The aim is to offer them a working environment in which they find their needs for inspiration, self-realization, exchange, wellbeing and work-life balance fulfilled. This in turn helps the tenant in the competition for the best employees.

I-City in Reinach targets start-ups and companies alike. Tenants receive services, space and workstations as needed, enabling them to save costs and increase their flexibility. Vebego also sees the concept as a response to the high vacancy rate for office space in Basel, which it says has been exacerbated by the home-office requirement. With I-City, the company wants to pick up on the trend that employees are increasingly allowed to work at a mobile workplace anywhere they choose. The I-Cities are intended to be the "third space" that combines the advantages of home office and office work.

In addition to the I-City in Reinach, the Alba Haus on the Baselink campus in Allschwil is another building based on the innovative office concept. (ah)