GARBE Institutional Capital has acquired a property in the Leiden Bio Science Park (LBSP), the Netherland’s largest life-science cluster. The 3,500 sqm property will become part of the open-ended alternative investment fund "GARBE Science and Technology Real Estate Fund 1" (GARBE STREF #1).
The property at Einsteinweg 5 in Leiden offers laboratory, office and industrial space in two linked buildings. It is fully let to four tenants. The property also includes 24 parking spaces. It was originally built in 1967 but completely refurbished and extended in 1990 and 2003, respectively.
Thomas Kallenbrunnen, Managing Director of GARBE Institutional Capital, says: “We are delighted to acquire such a property in the heart of the LBSP, which is not only the main cluster for life-sciences in the Netherlands but also offers access to new talent from one of Europe’s most renowned science centres in academia.”
The 110-ha. Leiden Bio Science Park is home to over 30,000 students of the University of Leiden as well as 18,000 employees across 150 companies in the biomed sector, including pharmaceutical company Astellas, pharma research company Galapagos and multinational corporation Johnson & Johnson. Leiden is located between Amsterdam and The Hague. It is part of Randstad, with 8.4 million inhabitants one of Europe’s largest conurbations.
Michiel Dubois, Managing Director of GARBE Institutional Capital, says: “Part of the attractiveness of this property is the redevelopment potential which we will be exploring as part of the investment strategy for GARBE STREF #1.”
The deal marks GARBE STREF #1’s first transaction outside of Germany. The fund has a total target investment volume (GAV) of around EUR 400 million. The investment objectives of this AIF are defined by a tenant-oriented investment approach: all assets must be used primarily for research & development, and third-party usability is the most important investment criterion. The fund was launched together with the capital management company (KVG) INTREAL and is structured as a club deal of institutional investors.