Future in the Making: New Construction Projects in the Potsdam Science Park

The Potsdam Science Park offers life science-researchers, start-ups and companies the opportunity to realize every step along their value chain. Start-ups take their first steps in the two innovation centers GO:IN and GO:IN 2, while larger or fast-growing companies find the space they need for their ambitious plans in the properties of private project developers. At the same time, the location management supports the entire local community – whether scientists, start-ups or companies – through numerous services such as language courses, events, seminars and advisory services with partner institutions for entrepreneurs. Now, the location west of the state capital of Potsdam is looking forward to some major changes: With BIOCYC GmbH & Co. KG, a successful company from GO:IN has just moved into its own headquarters built in the park, while three major construction projects aim to create spacious new office and laboratory spaces for potential future tenants:

QUADRATUM POTSDAM

The HEGEMANN-REINERS GROUP acquired its construction site directly next to the train station back in 2018. In the future, it intends to construct the four-part building ensemble QUADRATUM POTSDAM with office and laboratory spaces, event rooms, restaurants and an underground car park. In the first construction phase, the Group will initially focus on the office building ‘Am Mühlenberg 5A’ and the laboratory building ‘5B’, creating 6,000 square metres office space and 5,000 square metres laboratory space.

iQ space Potsdam

At the same time, iQ spaces is creating new opportunities for research and work with iQ space Potsdam on the Technology Campus. On a total of 10,000 square metres, the company intends to offer its tenants a modern working environment with office spaces, modular and flexible laboratory concepts as well as conference and meeting rooms and a café.

THE SODA

THE SODA by project developer GARBE Institutional Capital will also redefine the Technology Campus. With its planned timber-hybrid facade and intensive greening, the complex will clearly stand out from other buildings in its immediate vicinity. Inside, visitors will not only find 8,400 square metres of office and laboratory space, but also an attractive ›Science Café‹ with an outdoor terrace as an open meeting place for tenants and members of surrounding institutions and organizations.

Highest sustainability standards and scientific excellence

Thanks to their location on the Technology Campus, iQ space Potsdam and THE SODA will also benefit from their immediate vicinity to the Institute of Informatics and Computational Science at the University of Potsdam, which are part of the expansion of the Golm Campus of the University of Potsdam. In this way, they will further deepen the growing network between science and business in the Potsdam Science Park.

In addition, all three construction projects – the QUADRATUM POTSDAM, the iQ space Potsdam and THE SODA – are characterized by their high sustainability standards. All three projects are aiming for DGNB Gold certification and rely on sustainable supplies of energy: Notably, all three projects intend to use geothermal energy, in the case of iQ space Potsdam, even including its own ice storage facility. Additionally, both GARBE and iQ space plan to install photovoltaic systems on the roofs of their buildings.

Creating space for the success stories of tomorrow

Kai Metzing, representative of the HEGEMANN REINERS GROUP, explains: »With the QUADRATUM POTSDAM, we are not only creating a modern office and laboratory complex with attractive outdoor facilities for the best possible mix of uses by our potential tenants. We are also making an important contribution to the development of the ›Neue Mitte Golm‹. After the completion of the two buildings ›Am Mühlenberg 5A‹ and ›5B‹, the construction of which will begin as soon as we have found a main user, we will dedicate ourselves to the construction of the remaining complex – with many offers for the local community. «

Florian Sakowski, Managing Partner of ROCKSTONE Real Estate and joint venture partner of project developer iQ spaces, adds: »iQ space Potsdam creates space for modern work and research. We want to create a place where our tenants can develop their potential to the full and feel comfortable at the same time. With iQ space Potsdam, we want to make a formative contribution to the ›Neue Mitte Golm‹ and the Technology Campus.«

»With THE SODA, we want to create a place in the Potsdam Science Park where work and research meet well-being and sustainability for companies. At the same time, we want to make our contribution to developing and defining the ›Neue Mitte Golm‹. Our building will be a flagship and the new ›gateway‹ to the Technology Campus. That’s why THE SODA’s offerings, such as our ›Science Café‹ with its outdoor terrace, are intended not only for our tenants, but also for the entire local community.« says Nina Stoller from GARBE Institutional Capital GmbH.

»We are delighted to have found two renowned investors in iQ spaces and GARBE, who will continue to advance the Technology Campus in Golm with their projects. With the Technology Campus, a new cluster of highly specialized life science companies is growing in the immediate vicinity of Golm’s cutting-edge research, expanding Potsdam’s portfolio as a city of knowledge transfer«, explains Bert Nicke, Managing Director of ProPotsdam GmbH: »We still have further properties on offer for users from the fields of research and development and are happy to answer any inquiries and provide information.«

Evelyn Paschke, Managing Director of Technologie- und Gewerbezentren Potsdam GmbH, adds: »Many entrepreneurial success stories start in our innovation centers GO:IN and GO:IN 2. If we want the start-ups based in them to grow and at the same time remain loyal to the Potsdam Science Park, what we have to offer them above else is: space. The planned building complexes will give them development prospects beyond their start-up phase. The spaces that these growing companies leave in our innovation centers can in turn be offered to new start-ups. This way, the new construction projects will also bring a whole new dynamic to the start-up landscape in Potsdam, which we happily welcome.«

Stefan Bauer, Team Lead Healthcare Industry at the Economic Development Agency Brandenburg (WFBB), sees the projects as an important precondition for new settlements in the healthcare industry: »Space and skilled professionals are considered as ›gold dust‹ throughout Germany today. With the University of Potsdam, the Potsdam Science Park already has the best preconditions for attracting qualified specialists. The construction projects are now also creating the necessary space for new companies to settle here. It is important for the target group of biotechnology companies that many buildings also have rentable laboratory space. This strengthens the Golm site and the entire Berlin-Brandenburg life sciences region.«

Agnes von Matuschka, Managing Director of Standortmanagement Golm GmbH, summarizes: »Potsdam is an extremely worthwhile place to visit, not just because of its proximity to Berlin and its historical backdrop. In this city, excellent scientists and researchers from 40 scientific institutes and facilities meet top business leaders. Networking and transfer are city-wide themes. At the Potsdam Science Park, we actively support this process along the entire value chain. That’s why we are particularly pleased that, with the HEGEMANN-REINERS Group, iQ spaces and GARBE, further investors are now taking the initiative to shape the future of this special location. We look forward to the arrival of new companies and start-ups that will have the opportunity to play a decisive role in shaping the new laboratory buildings and this growing innovation location. As the location management, we are happy to connect interested companies with the responsible project developers and landlords.«