SITE

Bellinzona has been one of Europe’s most strategic north-south crossroads for centuries. Located in an area of outstanding beauty, it boasts UNESCO World Heritage castles and high quality of life.

The arrival of the railway in 1895 led to huge changes for the city, which is also home to the constantly expanding Swiss Federal Railways Train Maintenance Facility. When the Facility will move to its new location in 2026, this huge area will take on a new life as Bellinzona’s new Officine district.

The Canton of Ticino, the City of Bellinzona, and Swiss Federal Railways will create this district within a 120,000 sqm area, incorporating housing, commerce and administration, a postgraduate education center, culture and leisure, and, above all, technological development. A real “innovation district”, in line with the latest sustainability concepts.

The new Alptransit railway links and sustainable mobility concepts will bring the region’s various centers closer together, forming a sort of “Ticino City”. Bellinzona’s new Officine district, near the railway station, will become Ticino’s “northern gate”, with first-rate connections to the economic hubs of Zurich and Milan.

This project aims to promote collaboration between innovative companies and academic institutions. Uniting people with the same objectives, but from different sectors and backgrounds, will create the perfect conditions for collaborative initiatives designed to develop new products and services, stimulating an innovative spirit not only within the Park but throughout the Ticino region.

Innovation Park Ticino will be located in the heart of this area, occupying a 25,000 sqm space. At walking distance from the headquarter, and so still considered an extension of the main location, there will be the labs of the Competence Center (CC) for Life Sciences.
In its final set-up, the Park will offer the following unique characteristics:

• Strategic location on the North-South axis in the heart of the cantonal capital.
• Excellent train connection to Lugano – location of the new USI-SUPSI campus -, and to the hubs of Zurich and Milan.
• Many opportunities for informal contacts generated by the new innovation district project.
• Prime location in terms of visibility: as the first train stop after the Gotthard base tunnel, will represent the gateway to Ticino, and the prominent building, with display the Switzerland Innovation logo, will be well in view to visitors arriving by train.
• The credible narrative offered by the history of the site and its historical “La Cattedrale” building, contributing to a strong image and identity.
• Advanced sustainability concept.

In the transition phase, the Innovation Park Ticino headquarter will be located by Agire Foundation in Manno (Lugano), the current location of Tecnopolo Ticino.

Innovation Park Ticino will have a second location 15 km north from the future Bellinzona’s headquarter, at Riviera Airport, which represents the functional site of the Competence Center for Drones.