Astellas investing in R&D in The Netherlands

Japanese Astellas investing in R&D in The Netherlands

Monday, December 3, 2012

The first sustainable combined office-laboratory complex in the Netherlands was opened today by Frans Weekers, State Secretary for Finance, Yoshihiko Hatanaka, Global President and CEO of Astellas, Steve Ryder, President Astellas Pharma Global Development, Ken Jones, President and CEO of Astellas Pharma Europe, Henri Lenferink, Mayor of the City of Leiden and the Ambassador of Japan, Yasumasa Nagamine.

This complex is the new location for Japanese R&D-driven pharmaceutical company Astellas Pharma, Inc. As one of the world’s top 20 pharmaceutical companies, Astellas’ strategic objectives include maintaining their position as a Global Category Leader (GCL) in the areas of Urology and Transplantation and targeting GCL status within oncology. To accommodate the growth of the company, construction of an office building (approx. 11,200 m2) and an accompanying laboratory (approx. 5,600 m2), situated at the Bio Science Park in the city of Leiden, began in 2010.

”The Netherlands offers an attractive fiscal climate for all foreign investors. And there are also special advantages for innovative companies. That is why I am proud that a company like Astellas chose to establish their European RD centre in the Netherlands,” says Frans Weekers, State Secretary for Finance.

Dick Kooijman, General Manager, Astellas Pharma B.V., adds, ‘The Netherlands has a long heritage with Astellas. Our new office and laboratory will mean that we can continue our commitment to developing pharmaceutical products that really contribute to people’s lives.’

Bio Science Park
In May 2010, Astellas announced its move to the Leiden Bio Science Park and cited such reasons for this site as its attractive location and accessibility. Another advantage was the proximity of the Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), relevant courses offered by Leiden University, and laboratory courses provided at the University of Applied Sciences Leiden.The Bio Science Park has the largest cluster of bioscience companies and institutions in the Netherlands and ranks among the top five most successful science parks in Europe.

Sustainably built
The design of the office building is characterised by its contemporary architecture that also implements responsible, cost-effective, sustainable measures. This was the first office-laboratory complex to be awarded a BREEAM (the world’s foremost and most frequently used environmental assessment method) certificate with a rating of ‘Good’ for its design. During the construction phase, the rating was even raised to ‘Very Good’, thus placing the building’s sustainability at an even higher level. The design of the façade devoted substantial attention to maximising light penetration while minimising the ingress of heat due to solar heat load. The design took advantage of such sustainable measures as: a thermal energy storage system, water saving measures, presence detection and daylight correction for lighting, energy-efficient lifts, and sedum roofs that last longer, provide good insulation and absorb particulate matter and water.