Welcome back — and happy new year.
This week’s deals point to capital and development activity favouring established life sciences clusters, with investors prioritising income security, scale, and long-term occupier demand.
Zurich, Cambridge, Berlin, Delft, London and Paris all feature — backed by a mix of institutional capital, public-sector support and large-cap R&D occupiers.
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Deal of the week
Swiss Life Asset Managers buys Zurich life sciences hub
One big thing: Swiss Life Asset Managers has acquired GHZ Gewerbe- und Handelszentrum Schlieren AG, owner and developer of the Wagi site in Schlieren.
Why it matters: The deal secures control of one of Greater Zurich’s largest and most established life sciences locations, totalling 143,400 sq m and hosting circa 250 life sciences companies and 2,400 jobs. It reinforces Swiss Life Asset Managers’ strategic push into life science and tech alongside living, logistics and light industrial (the "Four Ls" strategy).
What stays the same: The Schlieren location and all employees are retained. GHZ’s management team continues to run and develop the Wagi site.
Deal details: closed on 10 December 2025 and the price was not disclosed.
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Large-scale development, regeneration and expansion
🇬🇧 United Kingdom – Cambridge
Railpen has secured Secretary of State approval to demolish the 7.6 ha Beehive Centre retail park on Coldhams Lane, Cambridge, and deliver a lab‑led mixed‑use innovation park with around 157,700 sq m GIA of space across ten principal buildings.
The outline consent allows nine buildings for office, laboratory and local‑centre uses, including wet‑lab‑capable floorspace and roughly 5,200 sq m GIA of retail, F&B and community space in around 17–20 units.
For Railpen, it slots into an 11‑asset, 177,000 sq m Cambridge innovation cluster including 230 Newmarket Road, Mill Yard and Botanic Place.
Why it matters: a ministerial override shows strategically positioned life sciences schemes can trump local planning objections.
🇩🇪 Germany – Berlin
In Berlin, Technische Universität Berlin is developing the Center for Integrated Photonics Research on its East Campus.
The five-storey building will provide 4,496 sq m of usable space, including a cleanroom, specialist laboratories and research support areas, within a total cost framework of €93.75 million.
Federal funding totals €31.325 million, alongside €6.7 million allocated for new research equipment.
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