An architectural design competition has been announced for a new development project at Sahlgrenska/Medicinareberget. The ambition is to get proposals for a science facility divided in three new buildings that will connect the Sahlgrenska University Hospital with the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, as well as business operations. Linking applied research, basic research and clinical research will yield better treatments in the form of new medical devices, pharmaceuticals and therapies.
An architectural design competition has been announced for a new development project of Sahlgrenska/Medicinareberget. The competition has attracted great interest among architectural firms, both in Sweden and abroad. The jury will decide on the winning contribution in the beginning of next year and construction of the property project is scheduled to start in 2018.
The project has an estimated budget of SEK 2.5-3 billion and comprises approx. 70,000 square metres of space divided on three buildings. The first building will be placed on Medicinareberget, where the Sahlgrenska Academy is concentrated. The second building will bridge the street of Per Dubbsgatan and connect to the third building adjacent to the Sahlgrenska University Hospital. The project is estimated to be completed in 2021.
The new properties will house a big generic laboratory space that fits the needs of many departments and operations; offices and other space suitable for businesses; and new facilities for the Sahlgrenska University Hospital.
The developer is the newly formed project development company Vitartes Development AB, jointly-owned by SveaNor Fastigheter and Hemsö. Sveanor has a history of developing a number of life science projects in Sweden and Norway, while Hemsö is a property company that owns, manages and develops buildings for community services in Sweden, Germany and Finland.
Stronger Linkage Between Research Sectors
The business concept of Vitartes is to create an environment that facilitates interaction between applied research, basic research and clinical research.
”The basic idea is that stronger linkage between these research sectors will yield better treatments in the form of new medical devices, pharmaceuticals and therapies,” says Steinar Stokke, CEO of Vitartes Development AB.
The concept is in line with the University of Gothenburg’s developmental programme for Sahlgrenska/Medicinareberget ’Vision 2020 – Medicinareberget’ – currently in process and led by professor Margareta Wallin Peterson, as well as ambitions and objectives of other stakeholders.
The purpose of the project is to present the needs, the strategies and a central idea for the University’s future presence in the Medicinareberget area. The disciplines from the Sahlgrenska Academy, the Faculty of Science and the Faculty of Social Sciences will be tied together in a physical neighbourhood.
”For a project like this to be successful it’s absolutely essential that executive management of the hospital welcomes integration with the academy and industry; and that the University management wants to collaborate with the hospital and has a clear ambition for life science research. All these parts are in place in Gothenburg, which makes me confident that the project shall be a success,” says Steinar Stokke and points out that a translational research environment is of great value for, and therefore attractive to, the life science industry.
”Should this project reach its highest potential I think it could contribute to approx. 1,000 new jobs in the industry, as well as strengthen AstraZeneca’s position in the region,” he comments.
Nordic Ambition
Today, the Sahlgrenska Academy (Medicine, Odontology and Health and Care Sciences) and parts of the Faculty of Science are situated at Medicinareberget, but there is a potential for the University’s strategic development on approx. 140,000 sq. metres that ’Vision 2020 – Medicinarberget’ has access to via several estate owners, for example Akademiska Hus.
Apart from the project of Sahlgrenska/Medicinareberget, Vitartes is developing a number of life science projects in Sweden. In Stockholm, for instance, they’re engaged in two big contracts with the Karolinska Institutet (KI).
”In Solna, we’ll provide 50,000 sq. metres of space for KI, the Karolinska Hospital and life science businesses in a building with the New Karolinska Hospital as closest neighbour. In Huddinge, we’ll build 20,000 sq. metres of new laboratory space for KI, as well as 30,000 sq. metres of space for the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) and the Red Cross in direct connection to the Karolinska Hospital in Huddinge,” tells Steinar Stokke.
The ambition of Vitartes is to expand the concept of integrated life science projects to the other Nordic countries as well.
