An agreement has been signed between Oslo City Council and Oslo Science Hub to sell the lots necessary for the planned building that will transform the Oslo Montebello area into an international power centre for cancer research.
“Our vision is to create a vital and inclusive environment where researchers, entrepreneurs and companies at the Radium Hospital Campus can meet and collaborate to contribute to developing better cancer treatments,” stated Thomas London, CEO of Oslo Science Hub to Oslo Cancer Cluster.
Accommodate up to 2 000 employees
The building will be 40 000 square metres, accommodate up to 2 000 employees, and offer laboratories, complementary hospital services, biobank facilities and offices. There will be a mixture of tenants from the public and private sectors in health, oncology and biotechnology. The vision includes creating a “miniature village” with town squares, cafés, restaurants and shops to facilitate interactions between employees, patients and visitors, describes Oslo Cancer Cluster.
An ecosystem
The Radium Hospital Campus already includes Oslo University Hospital, a Comprehensive Cancer Centre focused on innovation with its newly built clinic and proton centres. The area also encompasses the Institute for Cancer Research, which boasts solid research groups performing world-class research in several oncology areas. Right next door is Oslo Cancer Cluster Innovation Park housing a mixture of public and private stakeholders, such as the Cancer Registry of Norway, Oslo University Hospital, and the Oslo Cancer Cluster Incubator with different start-ups and established companies. A fourth building block is currently under construction, which will accommodate a restaurant, a cafeteria, a training centre, the non-profit organisations Active Against Cancer and Youth Cancer, and the international life science company Thermo Fisher Scientific.
“We have spent an unnecessary amount of time through the years handling the lack of space for our companies. We have needs from start-ups, established companies and the hospital. I am happy we have built this ecosystem with all its positive dynamics and see that it is essential for start-ups to collaborate with international companies. So there needs to be further investments both on a national and local level for the health industry to succeed,” commented Ketil Widerberg, general manager of Oslo Cancer Cluster.
Facts: Oslo Science Hub
Planned to be finished: 2030
Brutto area: 40 000 sqm
Potentially 2000 employees
State-of-the-art laboratories, complementary hospital services, biobank and offices
Mix of tenants similar to Oslo Cancer Cluster Innovation Park: public and private actors in oncology and biotechnology, especially international pharmaceutical industry
Open areas for the public, such as shops, restaurants, cafes and roof terraces
Facts: The Radium Hospital Campus
One of Europe’s largest campuses for cancer research and treatment
Consists of the new Radium Hospital, which opens in September 2024, the Institute for Cancer Research and Oslo Cancer Cluster Innovation Park and Incubator (OCCI)
Total building mass is 105 000 sqm
About 3 500 people work on the campus in different enterprises, while Ullern Upper Secondary School, which is an integrated part of OCCI, has 970 students
OCCI expands with 12 000 sqm that will be finished in 2025, which will include Thermo Fisher Scientific with several research departments, Active Against Cancer and some of the companies from OCC Incubator
A mix of public and private institutions that collaborate across organisations
Ullern Upper Secondary School have a school collaboration with other enterprises on campus, which includes placements and mentorships
Oslo Cancer Cluster Incubator with 16 start-up companies
A part of Oslo Science City, which is Norway’s first innovation district and an important part of Oslo City’s investment as a business capital
Source: Sofia Lindén/Oslo Cancer Cluster
Illustration: Nordic Office of Architecture. Image caption: Oslo Science Hub will bring laboratories, office spaces, biobank facilities and more, which will contribute to attracting international key players in research and development.
