Life Science Zurich Business Network

What Life Science Zurich Business Network does

Life Science Zurich Business Network (LSZ Business Network) is a non-profit association that promotes cooperation among life sciences stakeholders in academia, industry, and the public sector in the greater Zurich area and across Switzerland. It operates as one of five functional units under the Life Science Zurich initiative, which was launched in 2001 by the University of Zurich (UZH) and ETH Zurich. The organization was formally incorporated as a standalone entity around 2010 and launched its public-facing website in 2017.

Its core services are event- and content-driven rather than technology-driven. The flagship offering is the LSZ Impact conference series, a multi-track biennial event that has run four editions (2018, 2020, 2023, 2025) with attendance in the 300-370 range and 150-200+ one-to-one partnering meetings per event. Complementary services include a Regulatory Affairs Workshop Series focused on MedTech MDR/IVDR compliance, Digital Health workshops, the publicly accessible Innovation Hub Directories of Zurich life sciences organizations, and the Cause of Health Initiative (including the Swiss Cause of Health Cohort, COHCOH, and the SugarandMe citizen science project). The network does not develop proprietary technology; its online presence is a WordPress-based website and directory.

Revenue mechanics are not disclosed; the organization is funded through institutional backing (Canton and City of Zurich, UZH, ETH) and event sponsorships from a recurring set of partners (Roche, CSEM, Wyss Zurich, USZ, Innosuisse, Super Computing Systems, Bio-Technopark Schlieren-Zürich). With 1-10 employees, the organization operates as a small coordination body serving a regional ecosystem rather than as a scalable commercial enterprise.

Name

Life Science Zurich Business Network

Legal name

Life Science Zurich Business Network

Website

https://lifescience-businessnetwork.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Life Science Zurich Business Network is a non-profit association that connects life sciences stakeholders across academia, industry, and the public sector in the greater Zurich area through the LSZ Impact conference series, regulatory affairs workshops, and an Innovation Hub Directory, operating under the Life Science Zurich initiative launched by UZH and ETH Zurich.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Life Sciences Industry Association / Cluster Organization

NAICS

Professional Organizations (813920)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Technical & Scientific Expert Networks (BPAHALAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Life Sciences & Biotechnology Congresses (THAHAJAB), Academic & Scientific Conferences (MPAGAGAD)

Keywords

• Life sciences networking
• Regulatory affairs training
• Industry academia partnerships
• Biotech cluster development
• Medtech compliance workshops

Headquarters

HQ city

Zürich

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Life Science Zurich Business Network is a non-profit association that promotes cooperation between life sciences stakeholders in academia, industry, and the public sector in the greater Zurich area. It convenes the LSZ Impact conference series, runs Regulatory Affairs and Digital Health workshops, maintains a publicly accessible online Innovation Hub Directory of life sciences organizations, and supports research initiatives such as the Cause of Health Cohort.

Product overview

Life Science Zurich Business Network is a non-profit association that provides a portfolio of networking and educational services for the Zurich life sciences ecosystem. The core offerings include the LSZ Impact Conference series (biennial multi-track conferences), Regulatory Affairs Workshop Series (MedTech focus with MDR/IVDR training), Digital Health Workshops, Innovation Hub Directories (searchable database of life sciences organizations), and the Cause of Health Initiative (citizen science research program). These services are designed to facilitate collaboration between academia, industry, and the public sector in the greater Zurich area.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• LSZ Impact Conference Series Biennial multi-track conference series providing scientists from academia and industry a platform to present life sciences projects to potential collaboration partners and investors, with themes such as translational medicine, data for health, and precision medicine with AI innovations.
• Regulatory Affairs Workshop Series Training workshops providing basics of regulatory affairs in MedTech, with focus on the EU Medical Devices Regulation (MDR) and In-Vitro Diagnostic Medical Devices Regulation (IVDR), covering regulatory landscape, concepts, processes, and market entry steps.
• Digital Health Workshop Online workshop covering regulatory affairs related to digital health applications, providing an overview of the regulatory landscape and requirements for bringing digital health products to market.
• Innovation Hub Directories
• Cause of Health Initiative Research initiative focused on studying health causes using data from healthy individuals, including the Swiss Cause of Health Cohort (COHCOH) project and citizen science projects like SugarandMe.

Quantifiable outcome

• LSZ Impact 2018: 300+ attendees, 150+ one-to-one meetings
• +3 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and supporting.

• University of Zurich (UZH)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2001In autumn 2001, the University of Zurich (UZH) and ETH Zurich initiated the project Life Science Zurich. The Business Network is one of five functional units under Life Science Zurich. UZH co-organizes LSZ Impact conferences and provides academic expertise.
• ETH ZurichcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2001ETH Zurich and University of Zurich jointly initiated the Life Science Zurich project in 2001. ETH provides venues (such as ETH Zurich Hönggerberg and ETH campus city center) for workshops and conferences, and participates in event organization.
• Canton of Zurich (Office for Economy and Labour / AWA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Canton of Zurich's Office for Economy and Labour (AWA), specifically the Division of Business and Economic Development, co-organizes LSZ Impact conferences and provides government support for the life sciences ecosystem.
• Bio-Technopark Schlieren-ZürichcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Bio-Technopark co-organizes LSZ Impact conferences and is a key member of the network. Mario Jenni, CEO & Co-Founder, is featured as a key advocate for Zurich as a life-science hotspot.
• ZHAW School of Life Sciences and Facility ManagementmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerZHAW partners in organizing LSZ Impact conferences and runs the Investor Track at these events, helping startups present to potential investors and cooperation partners.
• City of ZurichmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe City of Zurich is a partner in LSZ Impact conferences and supports the overall life sciences ecosystem development.
• University Hospital Zurich (USZ)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUSZ is a sponsor and partner of LSZ Impact conferences, contributing healthcare expertise and participating in conference programming.
• Wyss ZurichsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerWyss Zurich is mentioned as a sponsor of LSZ Impact 2020 conference, supporting the 'Cause of Health' event.
• InnosuissemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInnosuisse is a partner of LSZ Impact 2025 conference and their Enterprise Europe Network Switzerland organizes one-to-one partnering meetings at events.
• Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) SwitzerlandsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerEEN organizes one-to-one meetings at LSZ Impact conferences, connecting scientists from academia with potential collaboration partners and investors.
• Medidee Services AGsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedidee Services AG is a partner for Digital Health workshops, providing regulatory affairs expertise for digital health products.
• CSEMsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerCSEM is a sponsor of LSZ Impact 2025 conference on Precision Medicine and AI Innovations.
• RochesupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerRoche is a sponsor of LSZ Impact 2025 conference and contributes speakers for conference sessions on precision medicine and AI.
• Super Computing SystemssupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerSuper Computing Systems is a sponsor of LSZ Impact 2025 conference.
• USZ Health Innovation HubsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerUSZ Health Innovation Hub is a sponsor of LSZ Impact 2025 conference.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• French Healthcare: French public-private initiative promoting French healthcare expertise internationally — comparable as a national life sciences/healthcare cluster branding and ecosystem organization.
• Bio-Technopark Schlieren-Zürich: Zurich-based biotech park and incubator hosting life sciences startups and providing facilities and services — an actual partner of LSZ Business Network with overlapping ecosystem role.

Direct peers

• Medicon Village: Swedish life sciences innovation park and cluster organization in the Greater Copenhagen/Malmö-Lund region — a comparable regional life sciences cluster hosting research organizations, startups, and industry.
• Swiss Biotech Association: National industry association representing the Swiss biotech sector, organizing Swiss Biotech Day and stakeholder events — comparable in role and function to LSZ Business Network at the national level.
• Biocat: Catalonia's life sciences and healthcare cluster organization that convenes academia, industry, and public sector stakeholders — a close European parallel to LSZ Business Network's cross-stakeholder convening role.
• Switzerland Innovation: Switzerland-wide innovation network with sites including Zurich and Basel that connects academia, industry, and startups — a direct functional peer to LSZ Business Network as a Swiss innovation cluster organization.
• Life Sciences Nord: Northern Germany's life sciences cluster management organization coordinating academia, industry, and government stakeholders — directly comparable as a regional life sciences cluster body.
• Massachusetts Life Sciences Center: Massachusetts state-level quasi-public entity that invests in life sciences innovation, workforce, and ecosystem development — directly comparable in mission and structure to LSZ Business Network's public-academic-industry collaboration role.
• BioAlberta: Canadian life sciences industry association representing Alberta's health and biotech sectors — directly comparable as a regional life sciences cluster and stakeholder association.

Broad incumbents

• Innovate UK: UK's national innovation agency funding and connecting businesses with research organizations — comparable in mission to LSZ Business Network but operating at a much larger, broader scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/life-science-zurich-business-network

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Life Science Zurich Business Network