For €170 million: Vienna gives AI and life sciences a new home

The Life Science Center Vienna is set to become the flagship project of the current governing term of the Austrian capital’s red–pink coalition. Mayor Michael Ludwig (SPÖ), together with Deputy Mayors Bettina Emmerling (Neos) and Kathrin Gaál, as well as City Councillor for Economic Affairs Barbara Novak (both SPÖ), has set the motto for the coming years: “Strong economy. Strong Vienna.” In Austria, science has long been regarded as a cornerstone of economic strength, and the country has therefore set itself ambitious investment targets for research spending.

With the Life Science Center Vienna, the city is launching the planning of one of its key future projects at the intersection of health research, life sciences and artificial intelligence. In the southern district of Neu Marx, in close proximity to the Vienna BioCenter, the Vienna Business Agency, on behalf of the city, will develop a new innovation and AI hub designed to provide companies, start-ups and research institutions with state-of-the-art infrastructure for data-driven biomedical research.

The new Life Science Center is expected to involve an investment volume of around €170 million. During the construction phase, approximately 1,000 jobs in the construction sector are to be secured, while the completed centre will accommodate around 500 highly qualified positions in research, life sciences and AI. Around 14,000 square metres of laboratory and office space will be created, complemented by technical infrastructure in the basement, including computing and server capacities.

Further enhancement of Vienna’s south

The site has been deliberately embedded in an established ecosystem: six research institutions as well as more than 40 life sciences companies and start-ups are already located in the immediate vicinity. The aim is to meet the growing demand for modular, future-proof laboratory space and computing power for established companies, SMEs, scale-ups and young start-ups.

AITHYRA, the Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Biomedicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, will play a central role. Funded by the Boehringer Ingelheim Foundation with €150 million over the next twelve years, the institute will occupy around half of the space and bring international top-level research to the building from 2029. Biochemist Georg Winter was appointed Scientific Director Life Sciences in April 2025, with AI expert Michael Bronstein serving as Scientific Director AI and Institute Director. Anita Ender acts as Managing Director. Winter is an expert in targeted protein degradation, an area of strong interest for Boehringer Ingelheim as an emerging therapeutic field, pointing to a pronounced applied research focus. Overall, the Life Science Center Vienna is intended to become a visible hub for AI-supported biomedical research in Europe.

Planning comes before occupancy

The building is designed as an energy-efficient and sustainable laboratory and office complex. Plans include a climate-neutral energy supply, photovoltaic systems on the roof and façade, as well as greening and shading concepts. The project is aiming for the Gold Standard of the Austrian Society for Sustainable Building. According to the timeline, 2026 will be dedicated to detailed planning, site preparation, marketing and the permitting process. Construction is scheduled to start in 2027, with completion and the move-in of AITHYRA planned for 2029. Until then, the AI institute will use space at the Vienna BioCenter. Full operations at the new Life Science Center are expected to begin in 2030.

With this project, Vienna is deliberately advancing the development of its life sciences hub. The sector has recently recorded strong growth, with revenues of €22.7 billion in 2023 and more than 49,000 employees. The Life Science Center Vienna is intended to support this momentum over the long term and further strengthen the city’s international positioning.