Waldner celebrates Roche’s research center ‘Lab of The Year Award 2024’

Created in close collaboration with Waldner, Roche’s Pharma Research and Early Development Center (pRED) in Basel, Switzerland, has been honored with the prestigious Lab of the Year Award 2024 by the industry association SEFA. A jury of experts has recognized pRED as the most outstanding lab building for its innovative, advanced design and technology, as well as for what it will represent for science and research. The award was announced at a ceremony in California.

The pRED Center represents a breakthrough in research facility design, setting a benchmark for laboratories worldwide.

For Waldner, the pRED project was both a technical challenge and an opportunity for innovation. Working in close partnership with Roche, Waldner’s team enhanced existing products and introduced groundbreaking solutions, including the Secuflow-Vision fume hood, designed to meet the demands of a future-ready laboratory.

“This success shows that we can successfully plan and implement even the most complex projects with passion and expertise,” said Jochen Früh, CEO of the Waldner Group. “We are grateful for the trust that Roche has placed in us.”

A project of superlatives

The pRED project was monumental in scale, establishing new standards in laboratory design and construction. Over six years, more than 50 Waldner employees dedicated themselves to this ambitious endeavor.

The project’s sheer magnitude is reflected in its impressive figures:

• Over 250 fume hoods installed.

• 22,000 sockets integrated—comparable to the number in 550 detached houses.

• 420 media columns implemented.

• More than 2 kilometers of service spines and 77 kilometers of electrical cabling laid.

The pRED complex comprises two high-rise laboratory buildings, an office building and a conference center. This unique facility embodies a forward-thinking approach to research and collaboration.