Meet our lab manager Bo Heinemann. He sometimes calls himself the janitor because being in charge of the construction of the brand new BII facilities requires a versatile skill set. In just a few days, BII will open the doors to the 2,500 square meters of labs and office facilities. We asked Bo a few questions about how he is handling it.

What is your experience with building labs?
I have built several labs in my prior jobs, so I know the process, and I have experience in when to do what. In addition to that, I have worked in many very nice and efficient labs, but I have also worked in some that were neither, so I am drawing on my know-how as well.

What is different this time?
I am used to building labs that accommodate a very specific workflow with a clear setup and needs of just one company. In BII, our labs will service many companies at the same time, and they may have very different needs, so we have to offer a flexible setup.

What is the most challenging part?
The most challenging part is to prepare the lab for scaling. We will not have to be at full capacity right when we open, but we will be welcoming new start-ups on a regular basis and eventually have more than 20 companies here.

What is the idea of having open labs?
The start-ups will all have one or more private lab benches, but they will be moveable, and in a large common area because we want people to support each other and learn from each other. It will most likely come naturally, once they see new ideas and ways of doing things come to life.

When can we see it?
Well, we open the doors in just a few days and I am planning to offer lab tours when we start our event series at the beginning of the year.

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