Current BioPark Business Report 2015
The number of biotechnology enterprises (core Biotech definition according to CapGemini Consulting) in contrast to the previous year has risen to 31 companies (+ 2). The number of biotech employees rose slightly from 1,224 to 1,235 (+ 1%). The total number of life science companies also rose slightly to 51 companies (+3). The total number of employees had risen on the cutoff date of 31.12.2015 to 3,863 in contrast to the previous year with 3,683 employees (+ 4.7 %) (see graphic 1). With a lease capacity of 95.8 % in total the BioPark currently accommodates in its three buildings on 18,000 m2 of gross surface area the same 36 leaseholders with a total of 601 employees.
Managing director Dr. Thomas Diefenthal sees with this current lease capacity that there is however no reason to sit back and wait. "In fact we can always settle a company in the BioPark, however the main growth comes predominantly from existing companies on site", he commented regarding the figures. Furthermore as planned a leaseholder from the BioPark is to move to larger premises in the forthcoming opening new start-up and innovation center TechBase from the sister company R-Tech GmbH (previously it-speicher). In fact there are interested parties for the free leasable areas, however it is possible that in this year coming a leaseholder may reduce their leasable area or another leaseholder may terminate their business.
"It is an increasing paradox, whilst loans for real estate are growing constantly, willingness in particular to invest in borrowed capital in innovative enterprises is continually sinking", commented Dr. Diefenthal on the development on site. And also on the theme of start-up the figures are sadly declining. For the first time in years not a single team from the life sciences has gone into phase 1 at the start of the Businessplan Competition of North Bavaria which is currently underway. One reason more for the BioPark to more strongly support the theme of start-up and idea competitions through events such as "Startup Weekend" or "FameLab" in Regensburg.
