OpenZone

What OpenZone does

OpenZone is a privately-funded open innovation science campus located in Bresso, on the outskirts of Milan, Italy, dedicated exclusively to the health and life sciences sector. Founded by the Zambon pharmaceutical group and structured as an Italian società benefit (benefit corporation), the campus provides 17,000 sqm of offices, 15,000 sqm of laboratories, and 5,000 sqm of shared common spaces across more than 37,000 sqm, hosting approximately 30 organizations ranging from global biopharma and gene therapy CDMOs (AGC Biologics, Newron Pharmaceuticals, Genenta Science, Genespire, Tes Pharma, Sibylla Biotech) to diagnostics (Diasorin), specialty chemicals distribution (Eigenmann & Veronelli), and home healthcare services (ItaliAssistenza, part of Zambon Group). The 2023 expansion, completed at an investment of approximately €79 million, scaled capacity to 1,200 daily occupants.

The campus operates a community-led go-to-market model in which OpenZone monetizes real estate and shared services through recurring rental and service agreements with tenant companies, complemented by the Open Accelerator program (run by Zcube, Zambon's research venture arm) that deploys up to €100,000 per startup via SAFE agreements, with the 2024 edition focused on femtech. Supporting infrastructure includes the Benvivere corporate welfare program (shuttle, gym, physiotherapy, training), the Open Circle auditorium, the Oxy.gen edutainment laboratory, the Library with 35,000 volumes, the Koà restaurant, and the Polo della Salute meeting rooms. OpenZone is led by Elena Zambon, who also serves as President of Zambon Spa, and is a member of IASP, CEBR, InnovUp, and Cluster Lombardo Scienze della Vita. Tenant companies independently pursue enterprise sales and global commercialization through their own channels, with OpenZone's role being to provide the curated physical and community environment in which their R&D and operations occur.

Name

OpenZone

Legal name

OpenZone S.r.l.

Website

https://openzone.it

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

OpenZone is a privately-funded open-innovation life sciences campus in Bresso, near Milan, Italy, hosting approximately 30 biotech, pharmaceutical, gene therapy, diagnostics, and healthcare organizations across 37,000 sqm of offices, laboratories, and shared facilities. Founded by Zambon Group, it generates revenue through recurring real estate and shared services rentals and an accelerator program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Life Sciences Science Park

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate Accelerators & Startup Programs (FSANAHAD)

Keywords

• Life sciences campus
• Science park
• Open innovation hub
• Biotech incubator
• Laboratory facilities

Headquarters

HQ city

Bresso

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Real Estate and Campus Services: OpenZone generates revenue by providing laboratory and office space rental, shared services, and infrastructure to life sciences companies. The campus is entirely privately funded and hosts approximately 30 organizations.
2. Open Accelerator Investment Program: Zcube (Zambon Research Venture) invests up to €100,000 per startup via SAFE agreements in the Open Accelerator program, targeting femtech and life sciences startups.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

OpenZone is a privately-funded open-innovation science campus dedicated to health and life sciences, leasing equipped laboratory and office space on a 37,000+ sqm campus in Bresso (Milan) to roughly 30 biotech, pharmaceutical, gene therapy, diagnostics, and healthcare services companies. It also runs the Open Accelerator startup program with €100,000 seed investments via Zcube, the Benvivere corporate wellness program, and the OpenZone Talk lecture series.

Product overview

OpenZone is a unified physical campus platform offering a comprehensive ecosystem for life sciences companies. The core offering consists of 17,000 sqm of offices, 15,000 sqm of laboratories, and 5,000 sqm of shared spaces within a 37,000 sqm campus. The platform provides facilities (Library, Open Circle auditorium, Oxy.gen laboratory, KoÀ restaurant, Polo della Salute meeting rooms, Open Lamp event space), the Benvivere wellness program, the Open Accelerator startup acceleration program, and OpenZone Talk lecture series. The campus serves as an innovation hub hosting over 30 biotech, pharmaceutical, and gene therapy organizations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• OpenZone Campus A privately-funded science campus dedicated to health and life sciences offering 17,000 sqm of offices, 15,000 sqm of laboratories, and 5,000 sqm of common spaces; hosts 30+ organizations including biotech, pharmaceutical, and advanced gene therapy companies.
• Benvivere A corporate welfare program focused on improving quality of life and work for people on the OpenZone campus, including shuttle service, relaxation areas, gym, hairdresser, laundry, physiotherapist, osteopath, nutritionist, training courses, and piano lessons.
• Open Accelerator An international acceleration program for high-potential startups in life sciences created by ZCube (Zambon Research Venture); the 2024 edition focused on femtech/women's health and provides up to €100,000 seed investment per selected startup via SAFE agreements.
• Open Circle Auditorium An auditorium for open dialogue within a preserved industrial architecture, hosting events for up to 200 seated attendees, with control room, sound system, and 5 projection screens.
• Z-LIFE The Zambon headquarters building within the OpenZone campus designed by architects Michele De Lucchi and Carlo Ratti; 4,000 sqm open-plan space across two floors with biofilic design, LED Sun-Like lighting, and Building Management System (BMS).
• OpenZone Talk Periodic public meetings featuring prominent figures in innovation, science, economics, and institutions; past speakers include Issi Rozen (Broad Institute), Carlo Ratti (MIT), Iain Mattaj (Human Technopole), Alec Ross, and others.

Quantifiable outcome

• Campus expansion completed in 2023, increasing total surface to >37,000 sqm
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Rarity PBCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAGC Biologics (OpenZone member) entered a partnership with Rarity PBC to develop and manufacture gene therapy RDP-101 for ADA-SCID ('bubble baby disease') under GMP conditions. The therapy showed extraordinary results, improving 48 of 50 treated children. If approved by FDA, RDP-101 would be the first gene therapy for commercial use for ADA-SCID in the US. Project benefits from $14.7M CIRM funding.
• Molecular HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAxxam and Molecular Health formed a strategic partnership to accelerate identification and validation of new therapeutic targets. Axxam's DiscoveryMAXX platform (computational and biological validation) is combined with Molecular Health's Dataome AI platform (clinical-molecular insights from public, private, and proprietary data) to offer precision drug discovery programs.
• Genenta SciencecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAGC Biologics strengthened its partnership with Genenta Science by introducing an exclusive GMP suite at the Milan Cell and Gene Center of Excellence for manufacturing Genenta's cell therapy product (Temferon for metastatic renal cell cancer and glioblastoma). Genenta expects to treat 6 patients by mid-2025 and manufacture 27 autologous drug products in 2025.
• Intercept PharmaceuticalscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTes Pharma (OpenZone) renewed its R&D collaboration with Intercept Pharmaceuticals (Alfasigma subsidiary) for INT-787, a next-generation FXR agonist for severe alcohol-associated hepatitis. The collaboration began in 2015; Intercept purchased rights to INT-787 from Tes Pharma.
• Orchard TherapeuticscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAGC Biologics Milan site (at OpenZone) received FDA clearance to commercially manufacture Lenmeldy (atidarsagene autotemcel) for early-onset MLD. Partnership dates to 2018; AGC Biologics guided the product through both FDA approval (March 2024) and European Commission approval (2021).
• Myung In PharmcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerNewron (OpenZone) granted Myung In Pharm license to develop, manufacture, and commercialize evenamide (add-on therapy for treatment-resistant schizophrenia) in South Korea. Myung In Pharm contributes 10% of patients to Newron's pivotal Phase III trial and covers related costs.
• EA Pharma (Eisai subsidiary)coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerNewron announced license agreement with EA Pharma (subsidiary of Eisai) for evenamide in Japan and other Asian territories (announced December 13, 2024).
• Generali WelioncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorItaliAssistenza (OpenZone) signed an exclusive commercial agreement with Generali Welion (Generali Group) to provide home healthcare services. Generali Welion organizes and makes the service available; ItaliAssistenza delivers it through its network of 180+ centers reaching 40,000+ families annually.
• IASP (International Association of Science Parks and Areas of Innovation)minorOthersOpenZone is a member of IASP, the global network of science parks and innovation areas. IASP has 350 members across 77 countries, founded in 1984.
• CEBR (Council of European BioRegion)minorOthersOpenZone is a member of CEBR, a network of over 40 members and hundreds of partners worldwide including life sciences clusters and regional ecosystems.
• InnovUp (Italian Innovation & Startup Ecosystem)minorOthersOpenZone is a member of InnovUp, formed from the merger of Italia Startup and APSTI, representing Italy's innovation ecosystem including startups, scaleups, science parks, incubators, and investors.
• Cluster Lombardo Scienze della VitaminorOthersOpenZone adheres to the Lombardo Life Sciences Cluster, a network of all public and private actors in diagnostics, advanced therapies, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and health technologies in Lombardy.
• Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research (MJFF)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGolgi Neurosciences (OpenZone member) contributed as a community member to MJFF's Targets to Therapies (T2T) initiative, helping evaluate and refine therapeutic targets for Parkinson's disease, culminating in a publication in npj Parkinson's Disease.
• Fondazione Zoé – Zambon Open EducationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFondazione Zoé organizes the One Health traveling exhibition hosted at OpenZone (July-September 2025), and Brain Awareness Week events, promoting scientific education.
• S3NSOminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOpenZone partnered with S3NSO for the 'Places of Innovation' research, studying what makes places and communities suitable for generating innovation. Results presented in 'Innovation Taking Place' webinars.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• JLABS (Johnson & Johnson Innovation): Johnson & Johnson's global network of life sciences incubators offering modular lab space, community programming and mentorship — comparable as a branded, professionally-operated biotech campus network.
• Medicon Village: Life sciences science park in Lund, Sweden hosting ~140 organizations with shared labs, offices and open-innovation programming — comparable European life sciences campus with shared infrastructure and community model.
• Toscana Life Sciences: Italian life sciences hub in Siena providing research infrastructure, business development services and accelerator programs to biotech companies — comparable Italian open-innovation campus comparable to OpenZone.
• LabCentral: Premier US biotech incubator in Cambridge, MA providing shared lab infrastructure and community programming to early-stage life sciences startups — a global benchmark for the open-innovation campus model OpenZone operates.
• Dundee BioQuarter: Scottish life sciences park in Dundee providing laboratory and office facilities alongside translational research and incubator programs — comparable European biotech campus offering similar shared services.
• Bioindustry Park Silvano Fumero: Italian life sciences science park located near Turin, hosting biotech, pharma and medtech companies with shared lab and office infrastructure — directly comparable to OpenZone's Italian campus model.
• Biopôle Lausanne: Swiss life sciences campus hosting biotech and medtech companies with shared infrastructure and community programs — comparable European open-innovation science park focused on life sciences.

Broad incumbents

• Bayer CoLaborator: Bayer's biotech incubator program operating life sciences co-working lab spaces globally — comparable as a corporate-backed life sciences incubator providing modular lab infrastructure to early-stage ventures.
• Karolinska Science Park / Life Science Hub: Stockholm-based life sciences park affiliated with Karolinska Institutet, hosting biotech, medtech and pharma ventures with shared infrastructure — comparable Nordic European science park serving similar tenant base.

Regional players

• Geneva Biotech Center (Campus Biotech): Swiss life sciences innovation campus in Geneva hosting academic and industrial neuroscience/digital health tenants — comparable European life sciences campus operating similar community-driven open-innovation model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/openzonecampus
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC5KgjzO1Jt5ozNp1LQRLIlA
• Facebookfacebook.com/openzonecampus
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/openzonecampus
• Instagraminstagram.com/openzonecampus

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 OpenZone