Urban planning details of the innovation park

In 2016, a biotope is planned in Dübendorf in which the fruits of university research are turned into marketable products as quickly as possible in collaboration with international companies. ETH Zurich has supported the idea since 2004 with planning, comparison and feasibility studies. The campus in Dübendorf is to become one of two hubs of a Swiss innovation network; the second hub is scheduled for Lausanne near EPFL. ETH Zurich and EPFL are working closely together with the Swiss Innovation Park association and the cantons on details of the project.

Yesterday the authorities presented the development study (commissioned by the canton) and the test plan by the town of Dübendorf (on behalf of the town) with a view to a future innovation park in Dübendorf (see box). The development study is the basis for the cantonal development plan; its objective is to establish planning law binding for landowners and which will be the basis for the final decision on the site by the federal government. In February 2014, three interdisciplinary teams of experts (agps, Hosoya Schaefer and Lampugnani/Baukontor) began work on the study. Their task was to illuminate the urban development, open space, use and traffic-related issues for the development of the innovation park in Dübendorf. As Director of Economic Affairs Ernst Stocker and Director of Planning Markus Kägi announced yesterday, the project partners have selected the Hosoya Schaefer team to develop the cantonal development plan on the basis of these results. The plan will encompass an initial stage of 25 hectares; an implementation concept for the organising institution to be formed later is to be in place by the first quarter of 2015.

New urban district

At the same time as the study by the canton, the town of Dübendorf presented its test plan for the residential districts adjacent to the innovation park and the area of the railway station. The plan addresses open-ended questions relating to urban and traffic development. The mayor of Dübendorf, Lothar Ziörjen, has repeatedly emphasised that plans for the innovation park are inconceivable without plans for a new urban district as well. The plans envision mixed residential and commercial use in and around the grounds of the innovation park for up to 10,000 people. A new transport concept with an extension of the Glattalbahn and an expansion of rail capacity are currently being discussed.

The idea of a Swiss innovation park has been mooted for many years. In 2004, doctoral and master’s students under Roman Boutellier, Professor of Innovation and Technology Management at ETH Zurich, began to evaluate and compare innovation parks in Boston, Berlin, Cambridge and Barcelona. In 2007, FDP National Councillor Ruedi Noser (today president of the Swiss Innovation Park association) introduced the idea of such a park with a motion in the Federal Council and parliament. In 2013, the Economics Directors’ Conference (VDK) chose hub locations in the vicinity of ETH Zurich and EPFL.

Since then the ETH has worked closely with the canton of Zurich, the town of Dübendorf, universities and international companies to build a national innovation network. In addition to the two hub locations, the network also includes network locations: in June 2014, from eight cantonal entries, the VDK selected projects from north-west Switzerland (Basel-Landschaft, Basel-Stadt and Jura) and the canton of Aargau (together with the PSI) due to the maturity of the projects. In a subsequent process, further regions and cantons may qualify as network locations by the end of 2015.

No third ETH location

Boutellier has repeatedly emphasised that Dübendorf is not intended to be a third branch of ETH Zurich. The university is committed to the existing locations in the centre and Hönggerberg and, according to Boutellier, no departments or institutes will move to Dübendorf. ETH researchers will merely work together with industry partners on a project basis at the innovation park. “We’ve lacked the space in Zurich for this,” says Boutellier.

There are plans, however, for a conference and education centre that could be used by ETH Zurich, the University of Zurich, ZHAW and industry partners – infrastructure that until now has been lacking in Zurich and which will also appeal to companies.

In order to move quickly in Dübendorf, the master plan, which is currently in revision, must be approved by the cantonal parliament and the federal government. Final decisions on the deployment concept of the army and other air operations in Dübendorf are also still outstanding – these matters are expected to be resolved in the coming months.