Space BioDistrictAn independent SSIP initiative
SSIP
View of Earth's illuminated night side through the window of an orbital laboratory module

Space BioDistrict · Lucerne, Switzerland

Where life sciencesmeet the orbital economy

An independent, capability-driven ecosystem coordinated by SSIP in Lucerne. It connects scientific expertise, deep-tech infrastructure, industry and international space access to transform complex ideas into credible pilot pathways.

Explore a pilotDiscover the model
Coordination
SSIP
Operational base
TECHNOPARK® Luzern
Connected science
HSLU · BIOTESC
Model
Independent · Non-governmental

01 / The Model

A district defined by capabilities,not boundaries

One entry point. A distributed ecosystem. Multiple routes to implementation. Space BioDistrict is not a government programme, public authority or exclusive representative of Switzerland. It is an independently coordinated ecosystem that brings the right organisations together around a specific industrial or scientific objective.

01Connect02Qualify03Structure04Convene05Accelerate
Read the full model

02 / From question to pilot

A disciplined pathwayto a credible first project

01

Challenge

A high-value problem with a defensible reason to leave Earth.

02

Consortium

The science, engineering, platform and commercial contributors.

03

Pilot

Requirements, governance, funding logic and decision gates.

04

Scale

Evidence to stop, iterate, expand or commercialise.

See all five stages
Gloved hand holding a sealed vial of cell culture against the Earth limb seen from an orbital cupola window

03 / Reason to leave Earth

Only what cannot beanswered on Earth

Microgravity removes sedimentation and convection. What remains is biology behaving in ways no terrestrial laboratory can reproduce.

Floating sphere of liquid in microgravity containing luminous cell cultures and protein crystals

03 / Capability fields

Built around industry questions,not technology theatre

  • 01

    Microgravity-enabled drug discovery

    Pharma
  • 02

    Biomanufacturing and bioreactors

    Biotech
  • 03

    Regenerative medicine and tissue models

    Life Science
All six capability fields
Industrial laser powder bed fusion metal printer with an open build chamber and glowing titanium powder bed

04 / District infrastructure

Print the hardware.Qualify it on site.

Companies established in the district share an LPBF metal production site and an environmental test site covering vacuum, vibration, shock and electronics, so flight hardware can be built and qualified without leaving Lucerne.

Production Site

LPBF metal printing

Titanium, Inconel, aluminium and stainless printing with DfAM support, post-processing, CNC finishing, CT inspection and qualification packages.

Explore the production site
Test Site

Vacuum, vibration, electronics

Thermal vacuum chambers, shaker tables and shock, EMC and electronics validation, thermal cycling and functional benches, run as one campaign.

Explore the test site

Start with the problem

Bring us the questionthat is difficult to answer on Earth

Tell us what you are trying to discover, develop, manufacture or scale. We will assess whether the ecosystem can help define a credible next step.

Start a conversation
Scientists and engineers reviewing an orbital mission plan around an illuminated table in a Swiss facility at night

04 / Consortium

The right organisations,around one objective

Structure before ambition. Work packages, governance and decision gates agreed before any pilot is committed.

Night launch of a rocket carrying a life-science payload seen across a dark alpine lake

05 / Access

From a Swiss questionto an orbital payload

Flight opportunities are arranged through established international platform providers, under their own qualification processes.