Roche opens Building 92 in Basel to house the Institute of Human Biology

SWITZERLAND—Roche has inaugurated Building 92, the new research facility dedicated to its Institute of Human Biology (IHB) at its Basel and Kaiseraugst campus in Switzerland.

The state-of-the-art building will accommodate up to 250 researchers and provides a collaborative workspace with modular laboratories designed to support both growth and interdisciplinary exchange.

The facility bridges the gap between fundamental scientific research and industry application, bringing together experts from multiple disciplines under one roof.

Replicating human disease to transform drug development

The IHB draws on human disease biology, computational biology, and translational bioengineering to build advanced systems that closely mirror how human diseases behave.

By uniting these disciplines in multidisciplinary projects, the institute’s scientists develop sophisticated models—including complex cultured tissue samples, organoids, microfluidic organ-on-chip technologies, and in silico (computer-based) modeling.

Together, these tools aim to give researchers a far more accurate picture of how diseases develop and how potential treatments might perform in real patients, long before clinical trials begin.

A Multi-billion Franc commitment to Swiss innovation

The inauguration reflects Roche’s sustained investment in Switzerland.

The company is currently directing CHF 1.4 billion (USD 1.78 billion) into site development across Basel and Kaiseraugst.

Since 2016, Roche has invested approximately CHF 7 billion (USD 8.9 billion) into its Swiss operations and spends around CHF 3.5 billion (USD 4.4 billion) annually on Swiss research, emphasizing Switzerland’s central role in Roche’s global innovation strategy.

AI and organoids

Thomas Schinecker, CEO of the Roche Group, described the IHB as a cornerstone of the company’s commitment to Switzerland as a global innovation hub.

He highlighted the institute’s potential to transform how Roche discovers and develops new medicines by combining human organoid models with artificial intelligence — an approach he believes will make R&D more predictive and efficient.

Schinecker also emphasised that through partnerships, Roche aims to accelerate the delivery of innovative treatments to patients worldwide.