On Thursday, Minister of the Economy Franz Fayot met with Esch-sur-Alzette Mayor Georges Mischo and Jean-Paul Scheuren, who is the administrator of the House of Biohealth. Their discussions revolved around the new "bio incubator" and the role of the sector in the age of the pandemic.
Both public and private companies can benefit from the offer of the House of Biohealth. The centre holds 9,500 square metres of laboratories and 7,800 square metres of office space. Currently, there are 450 employees with 100 different nationalities working in Esch-sur-Alzette. Scheuren elaborated that the House of Biohealth is thus at 95% capacity, and that a third building is set to open this summer. A quarter of the new space is already booked.
The facility now also holds its first bio incubator, an internal space where young and innovative start-ups conduct research and development across 350 square metres. The space can be used for up to three years to launch a new business. Minister Fayot emphasised that the government will guide those teams with resources and advice to support their first steps. It is therefore especially suitable to young university graduates.
One of the companies already installed in the House of Biohealth is Siemens Healthineers, who assigned their Fast Track Diagnostic team to the Luxembourgish facility. They helped develop and produce PCR tests, which have been used in the Large Scale Testing for Covid-19. Team member Alexander Soccarras noted: "This was a test that we developed very quickly in record time last year in 4 months. These tests typically take years to develop and we have done it here. And at the heart of this facility is where we both develop and manufacture these tests for the world. So, we are very proud to be a part of the Luxembourg establishment."
The competence centre brings together a variety of experts from different fields. The entire project costs around €60 million and is entirely funded by private investors.
