Vienna Biocenter
Vienna BioCenter is a Vienna-based life sciences research campus comprising seven research institutions, 2,800 staff, and 42 biotech companies. It conducts fundamental research across molecular biology, genetics, and neuroscience, operates ten shared core facilities, and produces 350 publications annually.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1990
- HeadquartersVienna, Austria
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Vienna Biocenter does
Vienna BioCenter is a life sciences research campus located in Vienna, Austria, comprising seven research institutions: the Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Institute of Molecular Biotechnology (IMBA), Gregor Mendel Institute of Molecular Plant Biology (GMI), Max Perutz Labs, the Center for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science (CeMESS), the University of Vienna Faculty of Life Sciences, and AITHYRA (the newest institution, which began operations at Marxbox in 2026). The campus hosts approximately 2,800 total staff — including 2,000 scientists, 400+ PhD students, and 147 active research groups drawn from 80 nationalities — conducting fundamental and biomedical research across molecular biology, genetics, cell biology, neuroscience, plant sciences, computational biology, and biochemistry. Vienna BioCenter is credited with major discoveries including the foundational CRISPR/Cas9 work underlying Emmanuelle Charpentier's 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, human brain organoids, chromosome segregation mechanisms, epigenetics research, and the 1001 Genomes project, producing 350 publications per year — the highest publication rate of any life sciences institute in Austria according to the Nature Index.
Vienna Biocenter firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Vienna Biocenter
- Legal name
- Vienna BioCenter
- Website
- https://viennabiocenter.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1990
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- Vienna BioCenter is a Vienna-based life sciences research campus comprising seven research institutions, 2,800 staff, and 42 biotech companies. It conducts fundamental research across molecular biology, genetics, and neuroscience, operates ten shared core facilities, and produces 350 publications annually.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Vienna Biocenter industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Life Sciences Research
- NAICS
- Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171), Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)
- SIC
- Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Biomedical Sciences & Medical Research Institutes (University-Based) (EDAHAGAI)
Keywords
Where Vienna Biocenter is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Vienna
- HQ country
- Austria
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Vienna Biocenter business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Research Grants: Funding from European Research Council (ERC), Austrian Science Fund (FWF), and other national/international grant agencies supporting fundamental research
- Biotech Company Ecosystem: 42 biotech companies on campus generate economic activity through research collaborations, licensing, and potential spinoffs
- Educational Programs: PhD programs, summer school, internships, and postdoctoral training attracting talent globally
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Vienna Biocenter product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Vienna BioCenter is an integrated life sciences research campus in Vienna, Austria, operating seven constituent research institutions and ten shared scientific core facilities (VBCF) that deliver specialized services such as electron microscopy, next generation sequencing, proteomics, metabolomics, and advanced microscopy. The campus provides shared infrastructure, collaborative research environment, and educational programs (PhD, summer school, internships, postdoctoral training) to 2,000 scientists from 80 nationalities, while hosting 42 biotech companies for industry-academic translation.
Product overview
Vienna BioCenter is a leading life sciences research campus in Europe that functions as an integrated ecosystem combining research, companies, and education on a single campus. The organization is not a single unified product but rather a collaborative research infrastructure comprising seven major research institutions (GMI, IMBA, IMP, Max Perutz Labs, CeMESS, Faculty of Life Sciences, and AITHYRA), the Vienna BioCenter Core Facilities (VBCF) providing shared scientific services, 42 biotech companies, and comprehensive education/training programs. The research institutions conduct basic biomedical and plant research across all areas of life sciences, while VBCF offers specialized scientific services including computational biology training, electron microscopy, histology, advanced microscopy (BioOptics), metabolomics, next generation sequencing, plant sciences, preclinical phenotyping, protein technologies, proteomics, and the Vienna Drosophila Resource Center. The ecosystem hosts over 2,000 scientists and produces approximately 350 publications annually.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Vienna BioCenter Core Facilities (VBCF) A collection of ten shared scientific service facilities providing specialized instrumentation and expertise to researchers, including electron microscopy, histology, advanced microscopy (BioOptics), metabolomics, next generation sequencing, plant sciences, preclinical phenotyping, protein technologies, proteomics, computational biology training, and the Vienna Drosophila Resource Center.
- Education and Training Programs
- Research Campus Infrastructure A collaborative life sciences research ecosystem comprising seven research institutions (GMI, IMBA, IMP, Max Perutz Labs, CeMESS, Faculty of Life Sciences, AITHYRA) offering state-of-the-art laboratories and shared resources for over 2,000 scientists from 80 countries.
- Vienna Drosophila Resource Center
Quantifiable outcome
- 350 publications per year - highest in Austria for life sciences
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Vienna Biocenter
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Vienna Biocenter technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Vienna Biocenter partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- University of Vienna (Faculty of Life Sciences)coreOne of seven research institutions at Vienna BioCenter, conducting life sciences education and research within the campus ecosystem.
- IMP (Institute of Molecular Pathology)coreLeading research institution at Vienna BioCenter focused on molecular pathology research, part of the campus ecosystem since its founding.
- IMBA (Institute of Molecular Biotechnology)coreResearch institution at Vienna BioCenter conducting molecular biotechnology research, co-located on campus.
- GMI (Gregor Mendel Institute of Molecular Plant Biology)coreResearch institution focused on plant molecular biology, part of Vienna BioCenter campus ecosystem.
- Max Perutz LabscoreResearch institution at Vienna BioCenter named after Nobel laureate Max Perutz, conducting molecular biology research.
- CeMESS (Center for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science)coreUniversity of Vienna center at Vienna BioCenter focused on microbiology and environmental systems science.
- AITHYRAcoreResearch institution at Vienna BioCenter, recently started operations at Marxbox facility on campus.
- Pfizer (via Valneva collaboration)coreCollaboration on Lyme Disease Vaccine VLA15 development through campus company Valneva's partnership.
- Boehringer Ingelheim (via a:head partnership)minorGrass Roots Innovation Prize awarded to a:head bio AG, a campus company, demonstrating pharmaceutical industry recognition.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Vienna Biocenter competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- MaRS Discovery District: Large urban innovation district in Toronto co-locating university research, hospital partners, and startup companies across multiple sectors including health. Comparable as a multi-institution research-and-incubation campus, though broader in scope than VBC's life-sciences focus.
Direct peers
- Singapore Biopolis: Purpose-built biomedical research and commercialization hub in Singapore hosting A*STAR research institutes and private biotech tenants. Comparable as a government-anchored life-sciences campus ecosystem with shared facilities, talent concentration, and industry incubation.
- Cambridge Biomedical Campus: Cluster of research institutions, hospitals, and biotech companies co-located on a single site in Cambridge, UK. Directly comparable to Vienna BioCenter as an integrated life-sciences campus combining academic research, pharma presence, and company incubation in one footprint.
- Babraham Research Campus: Life-sciences campus in Cambridge, UK combining BBSRC-funded research institutes with on-site biotech companies and accelerator programs. Directly comparable as a multi-institution campus with shared core facilities and a company incubation track record.
- EMBL Heidelberg: European Molecular Biology Laboratory's main site offering intergovernmental basic research in molecular life sciences with shared core facilities. Comparable as a non-commercial European basic-research institute producing top-tier publications and hosting visiting researchers.
- Leiden Bio Science Park: Largest life-sciences cluster in the Netherlands co-locating Leiden University medical center, research institutes, and 200+ biomedical companies. Comparable as a European integrated research park model with academic-industry tenant mix.
- Mission Bay (UCSF): UCSF's life-sciences campus in San Francisco combining university research institutes, hospital functions, and biotech tenants in a single district. Comparable as a high-density academic-industry life-sciences ecosystem attracting global talent.
Regional players
- BioPark Regensburg: German biotechnology campus at the University of Regensburg combining academic research institutes with biotech company tenants and shared facilities. Comparable as a mid-sized European life-sciences cluster with academic-industry co-location.
- Karolinska Science Park / Hagastaden: Life-sciences campus in Stockholm anchored by Karolinska Institutet, hosting research groups, core facilities, and biotech companies. Comparable as a Nordic academic-medical life-sciences cluster with shared infrastructure and industry tenants.
- Science Park Amsterdam: Amsterdam-based science park anchored by University of Amsterdam and VU University research groups, hosting life-sciences startups and scale-ups. Comparable as a European research park with academic-industry integration in a single urban campus.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Vienna Biocenter social profiles
Digital presenceVienna Biocenter financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Vienna Biocenter leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Vienna Biocenter funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Vienna Biocenter M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Vienna Biocenter
What does Vienna Biocenter do?
Vienna BioCenter is an integrated life sciences research campus in Vienna, Austria, operating seven constituent research institutions and ten shared scientific core facilities (VBCF) that deliver specialized services such as electron microscopy, next generation sequencing, proteomics, metabolomics, and advanced microscopy. The campus provides shared infrastructure, collaborative research environment, and educational programs (PhD, summer school, internships, postdoctoral training) to 2,000 scientists from 80 nationalities, while hosting 42 biotech companies for industry-academic translation.
Is Vienna Biocenter a public or private company?
Vienna Biocenter is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Vienna Biocenter founded?
Vienna Biocenter was founded in 1990. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Vienna Biocenter based?
Vienna Biocenter is headquartered in Vienna, Austria, in the Europe region.
How does Vienna Biocenter make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Research Grants are the primary driver. The others are biotech Company Ecosystem and educational Programs.
Who are Vienna Biocenter's main competitors?
MaRS Discovery District is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are Singapore Biopolis, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Babraham Research Campus, EMBL Heidelberg, Leiden Bio Science Park and Mission Bay (UCSF). Regional players are BioPark Regensburg, Karolinska Science Park / Hagastaden and Science Park Amsterdam.
Does Vienna Biocenter have an API?
No public API is recorded for Vienna Biocenter.
What industry is Vienna Biocenter in?
Vienna Biocenter's product category is Life Sciences Research. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAHAGAI, Biomedical Sciences & Medical Research Institutes (University-Based). Its NAICS code is 54171 and its SIC code is 8731.