Switzerland Innovation Park Zurich

What Switzerland Innovation Park Zurich does

Switzerland Innovation Park Zurich (legal entity: Stiftung Innovationspark Zürich) is a non-profit foundation founded in 2015 by the Canton of Zurich, ETH Zurich, and Zürcher Kantonalbank to operate an applied-research innovation campus on the former Dübendorf airfield site (Wangenstrasse 68, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland). The park connects science and industry across three focus areas: Robotics & Future Mobility, Space & Aviation, and Advanced Manufacturing & Materials. Its core offering is physical and programmatic infrastructure — flexible office, laboratory, manufacturing, and workshop spaces; outdoor testing fields including an active runway for research flights; renovated historic airplane hangars; and dedicated research facilities such as the ETH Hangar and UZH Space Hub.

The park operates an event venue (Event Hangar, capacity up to 250), an information pavilion with public café and exhibition, and an interim site at Maagtechnic (Stettbach) where early-stage tenants operate before relocating to the main campus. Its technology stack is fundamentally physical rather than digital: real-world testing environments, prototyping workshops, and direct access to airfield infrastructure are the primary differentiators, supplemented by an event and community programming calendar (European Hyperloop Week, AI+X Summit, Innovate Mobility, Talent Kick) and an active social/digital presence.

The business model is structured around a public-benefit foundation governed by representatives of the founding institutions, the cities of Dübendorf and Zurich, and corporate leaders. Revenue mechanics are not publicly disclosed and are quote-based across rental space and event venue use. Real estate development is executed through IPZ Property AG (a wholly owned development vehicle established with HRS Real Estate), funded in part by a syndicated loan of up to CHF 445 million arranged in February 2026 under Zürcher Kantonalbank leadership, alongside ongoing private investor participation (notably Angst+Pfister Group). The park is part of the multi-site Switzerland Innovation network.

Name

Switzerland Innovation Park Zurich

Legal name

Stiftung Innovationspark Zürich

Website

https://innovationparkzurich.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Switzerland Innovation Park Zurich is a non-profit foundation operating an applied-research innovation campus in Dübendorf, offering flexible offices, labs, testing fields, and an active runway for tenants in robotics, space/aviation, and advanced manufacturing, anchored by ETH Zurich, UZH, and Empa.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Innovation Campus and Research Infrastructure

NAICS

Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)

SIC

Laboratory Apparatus & Furniture (3821)

akta.pro primary industry

Makerspace, Innovation Lab & Fab Lab Operations (Tools, Safety, Programming) (EDAEAGAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Science & STEM Lab Equipment & Supplies (Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Makerspaces) (EDAEAIAC)

Keywords

• Innovation campus rental
• Research infrastructure leasing
• Technology transfer hub
• Testing facilities aerospace
• Laboratory workspace rental

Headquarters

HQ city

Dübendorf

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Switzerland Innovation Park Zurich operates a 36-hectare physical innovation campus on the former Dübendorf airfield site, providing companies and research institutions with rentable office, laboratory, manufacturing, and workshop space. The campus offers real-world testing fields including an operational runway, dedicated research facilities (ETH Hangar, UZH Space Hub), and event venues, with a focus on robotics and future mobility, space and aviation, and advanced manufacturing. It bridges academic research from partner universities (ETH Zurich, University of Zurich, Empa) with industrial application through prototyping, pilot projects, and knowledge transfer.

Product overview

Switzerland Innovation Park Zurich operates a physical innovation campus at the Dübendorf airfield site, serving as a bridge between science and business. The park offers a unified platform combining flexible workspace, laboratories, manufacturing spaces, testing facilities, and event venues. The portfolio includes office and lab rentals (Building B06 under development), the Event Hangar venue for up to 250 attendees, dedicated research facilities like ETH Hangar and UZH Space Hub, and extensive outdoor testing areas including runways for research flights and autonomous vehicle testing. The campus focuses on three innovation clusters: Robotics & Future Mobility, Space & Aviation, and Advanced Manufacturing & Materials, providing companies and researchers with real-world test environments, prototyping workshops, and access to academic partners including ETH Zurich, University of Zurich, and Empa.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Flexible Office, Laboratory, and Manufacturing Spaces Customizable office, laboratory, manufacturing, and workshop space for rent on the Dübendorf airfield campus, tailored to the research, development, and operational needs of companies, scale-ups, and research institutions. Planned space mix: approximately 24% office, 8% lab, 12% manufacturing, 36% flexible, and 20% campus services.
• Event Hangar Event venue in a workshop-style atmosphere within a renovated airplane hangar, accommodating up to 250 persons for conferences, meetings, and events such as the European Hyperloop Week and AI+X Summit.
• Testing Fields and Outdoor Test Areas Large-scale outdoor testing zones and operational runway on the former Dübendorf airfield site for prototyping, pilot projects, and scaling of innovations, including research flights, autonomous vehicle testing, and aerospace experimentation.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core, secondary and minor.

• Center for Space and Aviation Switzerland and Liechtenstein (CSA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026Key research partner for aviation and space activities at the park. Signed MoU with IPZ and Bavarian partners (bavAIRia, Munich Aerospace) in April 2026 for enhanced cooperation in aerospace.
• bavAIRia (Bavarian Aerospace Cluster)secondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026Bavarian aerospace cluster partner. Together with CSA and Munich Aerospace, signed MoU with IPZ in April 2026 for cooperation in aviation and aerospace.
• Munich AerospacesecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026Munich-based aerospace partner. Together with CSA and bavAIRia, signed MoU with IPZ in April 2026 for cooperation in aviation and aerospace.
• Canton of ZürichcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015One of the three founding partners of Stiftung Innovationspark Zürich (Foundation Innovation Park Zurich) established in 2015. Provides cantonal commitment credit and political support for the project development.
• ETH ZürichcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015One of the three founding partners and key scientific partner. ETH Zurich shapes the content direction of the location through its research and networks, ensuring excellence and international connections. ETH Hangar is established at the park.
• University of Zurich (UZH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey research partner with UZH Space Hub established at the park for research in air and space. Will settle at the park in coming months according to 2024 announcements.
• Empa (Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerScientific partner contributing research expertise in materials science and technology. Collaborates on innovation projects and provides research connections.
• HRS Real Estate AGcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor development partner and investor. Together with the foundation, established an area development company (IPZ Property AG). Martin Kull, CEO of HRS, serves as Vice Chair of the IPZ Operation Board.
• ZHAW (Zurich University of Applied Sciences)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerScientific partner institution contributing to the innovation ecosystem.
• ZHdK (Zurich University of the Arts)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerArt institution partner contributing to creative and design aspects of innovation.
• MaagtechnicsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost company for the decentralized interim site where multiple startups work before moving to the main campus.
• SV GroupminorOthersBusiness partner supporting the innovation ecosystem.
• AlphaplanminorOthersBusiness partner supporting the innovation ecosystem.
• LenzlingerminorOthersFoundation partner contributing to the development.
• Greater Zurich Area (GZA)secondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional economic development organization supporting promotion of the innovation location.
• Future Lab ZurichminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaboration partner for innovation initiatives.
• EuroTube FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss research and educational platform for hyperloop development. Operates DemoTube at IPZ - the world's first hyperloop infrastructure demonstration facility. Co-organizes Innovate Mobility events.
• European Hyperloop WeeksecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerAnnual international hyperloop event. Hosted at IPZ in July 2024. University teams present prototype components and compete on installed tracks.
• ETH AI CentersecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners with Talent Kick program. Hosts AI competitions and graduation events at IPZ as part of Swiss AI Week.
• Kick FoundationsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerRuns Talent Kick program that empowers university talents to form co-founder teams and gain entrepreneurial experience during studies.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Plug and Play Tech Center: Global innovation platform operating accelerator campuses and corporate innovation programs. Comparable in bridging corporates with startups via physical campus infrastructure, though focused more on corporate venture than lab testing.
• Techcode: Global accelerator and innovation campus operator with focus on hardware, IoT, and AI. Comparable as a sector-focused innovation campus operator offering lab space and corporate-startup collaboration programs.

Broad incumbents

• Empa: Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology — a founding scientific partner of IPZ. Comparable as a publicly funded applied research institution operating its own lab/testing infrastructure in close proximity to the park.
• Mindspace: Premium flexible workspace provider with campuses across Europe and Israel. Comparable as a multi-location innovation/flex-workspace operator serving startups and enterprise tenants in innovation hubs.
• CIC (Cambridge Innovation Center): US-based innovation campus operator providing coworking, lab, and venture services across multiple cities. Comparable business model of monetizing innovation ecosystems via workspace rental and ecosystem services.
• Station F: World's largest startup campus in Paris, backed by Xavier Niel. Comparable as a large-scale, sector-agnostic innovation campus combining workspace, labs, and ecosystem services with strong institutional backing.
• ETH Zurich (research collaboration): Founding partner of IPZ and the anchor scientific institution operating ETH Hangar on-site. While not a commercial competitor, ETH's broader innovation and tech-transfer activities shape the talent pipeline and competing innovation offerings in Zurich.

Direct peers

• Switzerland Innovation Park Basel Area: Sister park within the Switzerland Innovation network, focused on life sciences, medtech, and biotech. Same nonprofit foundation governance model and federal network structure, making it the most direct peer for tenant mix and operational structure.
• Switzerland Innovation Park Innovaare: Sister park anchored by the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), focused on advanced materials, accelerator technology, and energy. Direct peer as a sister innovation campus with academic anchor and specialized testing infrastructure.
• Park Network West EPFL: Sister park anchored by EPFL, focused on digital, ICT, and micro/nanotech. Direct peer under the same Switzerland Innovation governance umbrella, with similar tech-transfer mandate from a top Swiss university.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/innopark_zh
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCkz632iNX0Y9sqrmegWTTTg
• Facebookfacebook.com/InnovationsparkZH
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/switzerland-innovation-park-zurich
• Instagraminstagram.com/innovationsparkzurich

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles31 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Switzerland Innovation Park Zurich