HELIX alpha Featured in FondsForum Magazin: Life Sciences Real Estate – Resilience and Impact

HELIX alpha CEO Martin Eberhardt has contributed an article to the current issue of the FondsForum Magazin, a publication dedicated to knowledge and strategic perspectives for the institutional real estate industry.

The article, titled “Life Sciences Real Estate: Resilience and Impact,” examines the growing strategic relevance of Life Sciences Real Estate (LSRE) as an emerging asset class for institutional investors. In a market environment characterised by economic volatility, geopolitical fragmentation and structural transformation, LSRE offers a compelling combination of resilience, structural growth drivers and long-term impact.

The contribution highlights how specialised real estate for biotechnology, pharmaceutical, medical technology and research infrastructure sits at the intersection of several powerful megatrends, including demographic change, medical innovation, digitalisation and the expansion of global healthcare demand. While the United States and the United Kingdom already host mature LSRE markets, Europe is currently experiencing a phase of accelerated institutionalisation, supported by strong research ecosystems and increasing policy attention to life sciences.

At the same time, the asset class remains relatively underrepresented in institutional portfolios. Market fragmentation, technical complexity and limited comparable transactions still require specialised expertise and long-term investment perspectives. As a result, many institutional investors are only beginning to develop a deeper understanding of LSRE as a distinct real estate segment. Against this background, HELIX alpha welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the broader industry dialogue and to support the further development of knowledge and transparency around this emerging asset class.

The article also addresses the portfolio diversification benefits of LSRE, its strong tenant stickiness driven by cluster-based ecosystems around universities and research institutions, and the dual ESG dimension of the sector. Life science facilities not only incorporate sustainable building standards but also enable companies whose innovations contribute to healthcare, diagnostics, biotechnology and food security. In this sense, LSRE can be understood as real estate infrastructure that enables societal value creation.

The full article is available in the current issue of FondsForum Magazin (03/2026).

→ Access the magazine here