Your specialist for lab containers · Federal capital with FOPH + Swissmedic on site

Lab containers Bern – BSL-3 with direct FOPH and Swissmedic access

Name: Planexus GmbH
Address: Am Steinbach 8, Albstadt-Laufen, Baden-Württemberg, 72459, DE
Telephone: +49 7435 7519 700
Price range: €€€

Our managing directors bring more than ten years of experience in lab-container construction. Modular, SIA 261-compliant, T1 customs-cleared. We deliver flexible research, hospital and public-health environments for pharma, biotech, universities, hospitals and the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH/BAG) and Swissmedic — from the Albstadt works directly to Bern, via the A81 and Schaffhausen-Thayngen clearance in only 220 km.

While others are still planning, you are already researching.

Complimentary Bern site audit +49 7435 7519 700

Specialist in modular laboratory construction

Award 2026 EU Business News

Schaffhausen customs clearance included

Wesemann Group · 60+ years of laboratory construction

Technically responsible

Planexus Engineering Team · Location ownership Bern

Content is owned by the Planexus engineering team — civil engineers, process engineers and laboratory planners with specialised experience in modular laboratory construction. Planexus GmbH is part of Wesemann Holding GmbH and delivers BSL-2, BSL-3, GMP and ATEX containers for pharma, biotech, research and crisis units across DACH.

HQ: Albstadt, BW Plant: Am Steinbach 8, 72459 Albstadt Award: German CEO Excellence Award 2026 Last technical review: April 2026

Pattern interrupt · World premiere at analytica 2026

Planexus shows Bern what a lab container can really do in 2026

An ordinary lab container has 2,400 mm internal height. Working upright at a fume cupboard is a struggle.

The Planexus LABtoGO has 2,750 mm internal height. 9.5 m external length. 3 m external width. A fully glazed front that brings genuine daylight into every Bern research, hospital and public-health laboratory.

An ordinary lab container fits entirely inside a LABtoGO. We configure it for Bern to SIA 261 seismic zone Z1a, SIA 380/1 energy stricter than the German GEG, T1 customs clearance from the Albstadt works via Schaffhausen-Thayngen, and a T13/T15 Swiss electrical connection to NIN 2020.

2,750

mm internal height

Standard: 2,400 mm

9,500

mm external length

3,000 mm width

SIA Z1a

Seismic agd 0.6 m/s²

as Zurich

220 km

Works → Bern

3.5 h via Thayngen

View the LABtoGO platform and all configurations

Planexus solves the three Bern bottlenecks at which public-health and hospital containers regularly fail

FOPH and Swissmedic proximity used wrongly

Both Swiss federal health authorities — FOPH (Schwarzenburgstrasse 157, Liebefeld) and Swissmedic (Hallerstrasse 7) — sit in Bern. That is a considerable advantage for ESV notifications, GMP inspections and therapeutic-product authorisations. Anyone commissioning standard freight operators from Zurich or Basel leaves this advantage unused and turns days into weeks.

Planexus answer: Application documents filed directly with FOPH/Swissmedic, on-site appointments in Bern.

Freiburgstrasse — hospital + translation together

Hospital and research buildings sit directly next to each other on Freiburgstrasse — unique in Switzerland. Containers that land here must be hospital-capable (hospital hygiene, BSL-2/3) and translationally capable (pharma pilot, IP protection, ISO 14644) at the same time. Standard containers can do one or the other — never both.

Planexus answer: Hybrid hospital + translational containers from the Albstadt works.

SIA + Schaffhausen customs — Swiss standards from day one

Swiss building inspectorates do not accept DIN structural calculations on their own. SIA 261 Z1a, SIA 263 anchoring, SIA 380/1 energy — and Schaffhausen-Thayngen clearance with T1 or ATA Carnet (Swiss VAT 8.1% or without VAT). Freight operators who treat Swiss customs as a flat rate are often thousands of CHF out.

Planexus answer: SIA structural + SIA energy + transparent Schaffhausen clearance from the works.

Lab containers for Bern: what FOPH, Swissmedic, hospitals and research demand of the engineering

Bern is the federal capital of Switzerland — and the country’s public-health, therapeutic-products and translational-medicine centre. Here sits the Federal Office of Public Health FOPH (Schwarzenburgstrasse 157, 3003 Bern, in the Liebefeld district), the Swiss counterpart to the German federal authorities for medicinal products, infection control and vaccines in personal union. Here sits Swissmedic (Hallerstrasse 7, 3012 Bern), the Swiss therapeutic-products regulator. Here sits the Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office FSVO (Schwarzenburgstrasse 155). And here university hospitals, translational research, universities, biomedical research departments and food and agricultural research institutions concentrate in a very small area.

We know this market in detail. We know that the City of Bern Building Inspectorate at Bundesgasse 38, 3011 Bern, decides under the cantonal Building Act (BauG) and Building Ordinance (BauV). We know that SIA 261 defines seismic zone Z1a for Bern with agd = 0.6 m/s² — moderate, but Bauwerksklasse II for safety-relevant hospital and research sites is mandatory. We know that containers for clinical research at university hospitals must practically always be hospital-capable (hospital hygiene standards) and study-capable (IRB-compliant data integrity) at the same time. We know Bern’s decisive advantage: FOPH and Swissmedic case officers are reachable by tram in 15 minutes — on-site inspections for ESV (BSL-3) and GMP (therapeutic products) can be scheduled at short notice, and written queries are answered in 5 to 10 working days. From Zurich or Basel those are travel days — from Bern tram rides. These details are not in our quotation — they are the engineering and authority foundation of every container that leaves our Albstadt works.

Made in Albstadt, customs-cleared at Schaffhausen-Thayngen, turnkey in Bern. Final assembly and interior fit-out are carried out with Wesemann furniture in our own works — factory visits can be arranged from either side. South on the A81 via Singen, clearance at the Thayngen customs office, then on the Swiss side west on the A4 → A1 via Zurich → Solothurn → Bern, the heavy-haulage distance is around 220 kilometres (~3.5 h). Standard delivery points: Freiburgstrasse for hospital and research sites, Liebefeld for the FOPH, Länggasse for universities, Murtenstrasse for biomedical research, Wankdorf for federal offices and industry.

Whether you need a mobile laboratory in Bern for a time-limited hospital refurbishment, a modular lab container in Bern for translational research, or a container laboratory in Bern with BSL-3 containment and Swissmedic-ready GMP for Bern pharmaceutical spin-offs — we deliver all three answers from the same platform: the LABtoGO from our Albstadt works, with Swiss customs, SIA structural, SIA energy and FOPH/Swissmedic authority path documented from the factory.

Applications Bern

Application areas for lab containers in Bern

Each area with a concrete Bern site and authority reference.

FOPH Liebefeld

Schwarzenburgstrasse 157, public-health containers and pandemic preparedness with direct FOPH proximity

Swissmedic

Hallerstrasse 7, GMP and therapeutic-product inspection readiness, IQ/OQ/PQ audit-ready

Pharma spin-offs

Bern biotech start-ups, pilot and GMP containers from translational incubation

Your application is not listed? We also develop individual modules far from the standard.

Enquire about a special solution for Bern

Six engineering disciplines for the federal capital

Planexus builds lab containers for Bern that are aligned in every discipline with Swiss realities and federal-authority proximity — not generic, but standard- and site-specific.

SIA 261 Z1a seismic

agd 0.6 m/s² + BWK II

Bern lies in Z1a (like Zurich, considerably lower than Basel Z2). Structural design with SIA 263 anchoring concept, BWK II for safety-relevant hospital and research sites — not DIN alone.

FOPH and Swissmedic path

ESV + therapeutic products, direct

ESV notification FOEN/FOPH (Schwarzenburgstrasse 157) and Swissmedic inspection (Hallerstrasse 7) — both a tram ride from the hospital and research precinct. Accelerated authority path.

Schaffhausen customs

T1 or ATA Carnet

T1 clearance at the Schaffhausen-Thayngen customs office from the Albstadt works with 8.1% Swiss VAT, or ATA Carnet for temporary import (e.g. clinical studies) without VAT.

Hybrid hospital + translation

Hospital + research in one

The hospital and research precinct demands hospital hygiene and translational IP protection at the same time. Containers with both properties — a unique Bern requirement.

SIA 380/1 energy

U ≤ 0.17 + HR ≥ 75%

SIA 380/1 and MuKEn 2014/2025 stricter than the German GEG. Sandwich envelope and triple glazing sized at the works. Bern: ~1,060 mm precipitation, continentally cool.

VKF fire protection

Swiss fire-protection standard

Fire protection to the Association of Cantonal Fire Insurers VKF fire-protection standard 2015 (instead of the German MBO/LBO). Fire-protection concept procedure-ready from the works.

Bern – federal city with FOPH, FOEN and Swissmedic on site

As the Swiss federal city, Bern concentrates health and environment authorities as well as university hospitals and translational research at one location — a clear advantage for GMP and BSL-3 permits. The journey from the Albstadt works runs via Schaffhausen-Thayngen clearance and takes around 3.5 hours (220 km). Planexus supplies SIA Z1a structural design and Swissmedic-ready documentation for Liebefeld, Freiburgstrasse and Wankdorf.

Planexus for Bern: EU Award 2026, SIA-compliant, Wesemann ecosystem

Three pillars that no competitor in the DACH region combines in this way.

Award 2026

EU Business News – German CEO Excellence Awards 2026: Planexus recognised as “Leading provider of innovative laboratory spaces”. Internationally awarded immediately after the LABtoGO world premiere.

Made in Albstadt

Final assembly, interior fit-out and QC at the Albstadt works. SIA 261 structural design, SIA 380/1 insulation and T13/T15 electrical connection pre-configured at the factory. Factory visits available.

Wesemann ecosystem

Part of Wesemann Holding, with more than 60 years of experience in laboratory fit-out. Containers, furniture, cleanroom technology — from a single source. Schaffhausen customs clearance included.

Comparison for Bern: LABtoGO, standard containers and conventional construction

An honest comparison matrix. So you can make an informed decision before we talk.

Criterion	Conventional build, Bern	Standard container	LABtoGO
Lead time	24–36 months	16–22 weeks	8–14 weeks
SIA 261 Z1a structural	Standard	Rarely from the factory	Standard from the factory
FOPH/Swissmedic path	Case by case	Rarely local	Co-ordinated on site
Thayngen customs	Case by case	Rarely co-ordinated	T1/ATA Carnet included
Mobility	None	Limited	Fully mobile
T13/T15 connection	Standard	Rare	Pre-configured at the factory

Investment models

Rent, buy or hire-purchase — we build the model around your Bern project

Container specification, biosafety level, FOPH/Swissmedic requirement, SIA structural design and duration determine the calculation. Instead of a dummy price range, you receive a project-specific written indication in CHF within 24 hours.

For the calculation we need: Bern site (Freiburgstrasse, Liebefeld, Länggasse, Murtenstrasse, Wankdorf), biosafety level (S1/S2/S3, GMP, BSL-3), desired duration and whether T1 Schaffhausen clearance (purchase) or ATA Carnet (rental).

Rental (ATA Carnet)

Flexible, without a VAT charge

For clinical studies, time-limited SNSF third-party-funded research at universities, pandemic-preparedness containers for the FOPH. ATA Carnet, temporary admission — no Swiss VAT.

Purchase (T1 Schaffhausen)

Asset, permanent import

For permanent expansion at translational research sites, federal-office properties and agricultural research locations. T1 clearance Schaffhausen-Thayngen, 8.1% Swiss VAT.

Hire-purchase

Transition from rental to ownership

When a study interim becomes a permanent site — the ATA Carnet is converted to T1, rental payments later credited against the purchase.

Logistics evidence

Albstadt works → Bern: 220 km via A81 + Schaffhausen clearance + A4 + A1

From the Albstadt works the heavy-haulage route runs south on the A81 via Singen, clearance at the Schaffhausen-Thayngen customs office, then on the Swiss side west on the A4 → A1 via Zurich → Solothurn → Bern. Driving time is about 3.5 hours; with Schaffhausen clearance typically one transport day. Alternatively via A98 → Weil am Rhein clearance → A2 → A1 (~250 km), according to the day’s load at the customs offices.

Standard containers under 4 m width and 18 t do not require an abnormal-load permit — next-day installation is possible. Oversized plants are co-ordinated with a 60–200 t mobile crane and escort vehicles. Junctions: Bern-Forsthaus for the hospital and research precinct, Bern-Bümpliz for Liebefeld (FOPH), Bern-Wankdorf for federal offices and industry.

From order to operational handover in Bern takes 8 to 14 weeks.

220

km from works

~3.5 h

Heavy haulage

A81/A4/A1

via Thayngen

Motorway junctions

Bern-Forsthaus for the hospital and research precinct (Freiburgstrasse, Murtenstrasse), Bern-Bümpliz for Liebefeld (FOPH Schwarzenburgstrasse), Bern-Wankdorf for federal offices and industrial quarters. Mobile-crane installation the following day after Schaffhausen-Thayngen clearance.

Bern permits

We prepare everything for the City of Bern Building Inspectorate, FOPH, FOEN and Swissmedic

Bern has the clearest authority path in Switzerland — both federal health authorities sit in the city. We use that.

BauG Canton of Bern + BO City of Bern

In Bern the Building Act (BauG) with the cantonal Building Ordinance (BauV) applies. The City of Bern has its own building code. The competent authority is the City of Bern Building Inspectorate at Bundesgasse 38, 3011 Bern. We classify your site and submit examinable building documents.

SIA 261 Z1a structural from the works

Swiss building inspectorates do not accept DIN structural calculations on their own. We supply SIA 261 with the Z1a factor and an SIA 263 anchoring concept, Bauwerksklasse II for safety-relevant hospital and research sites — procedure-ready for the Building Inspectorate at Bundesgasse 38.

ESV at FOEN/FOPH directly on site

BSL-3 in Switzerland requires notification under the Containment Ordinance (ESV) to FOEN and FOPH. The FOPH sits in Bern-Liebefeld. We supply a risk assessment, safety concept and complete application documents — personal filing instead of post is possible.

Swissmedic — 5 tram minutes from the hospital and research precinct

GMP and therapeutic-product inspections are carried out by Swissmedic at Hallerstrasse 7, 3012 Bern — 5 tram minutes from the hospital and research precinct. We supply IQ/OQ/PQ documentation and cleanroom validation that is Swissmedic-ready, and co-ordinate inspection dates directly.

How Planexus builds your container laboratory in Bern

Five steps, one point of contact — from the first sketch to customs-cleared handover.

We listen

Requirements workshop on site in Bern or by video. Which biosafety level, which site (Freiburgstrasse, Liebefeld, Länggasse, Murtenstrasse, Wankdorf), which SIA standard, which date, T1 purchase or ATA rental.

We plan

CAD layout, building services, structural design to SIA 261 Z1a + 263, energy to SIA 380/1. BauG-compliant building documents for the City of Bern Building Inspectorate, ESV application directly to FOPH/FOEN on site.

We build

Module prefabrication at our certified Polish partner, final assembly and interior fit-out at the Albstadt works with Wesemann furniture. SIA 380/1 insulation, T13/T15 connection and QC before dispatch.

We clear customs and deliver

T1 transit or ATA Carnet from the Albstadt works, clearance at the Schaffhausen-Thayngen customs office. Heavy haulage A81 → A4 → A1 (220 km, one transport day). Installation by mobile crane. Connection of all utilities, function and leak tests.

We hand over

IQ/OQ/PQ documentation, Swissmedic-ready — agreed in person in advance at Hallerstrasse. Training for your operators. Maintenance options up to 24 months — extendable on request.

FAQ — Lab containers for Bern

Seven questions, seven answers. Direct, without marketing speak.

How long does it take to deliver a lab container from the Albstadt works to Bern?

The heavy-haulage route from the Albstadt works to Bern runs south on the A81 via Singen, clearance at the Schaffhausen-Thayngen customs office, then on the Swiss side west on the A4 → A1 via Zurich → Solothurn → Bern. Driving time is around 3.5 hours over approximately 220 kilometres; with Schaffhausen clearance typically one transport day. Alternatively, clearance at the Weil am Rhein customs office and A2 → A1 (~250 km) — we choose according to the day’s load at the customs offices. Standard delivery points: Freiburgstrasse for hospital and research sites, Liebefeld for the FOPH, Länggasse for university sites, Wankdorf for federal offices and industrial quarters. From order to operational handover in Bern takes 8 to 14 weeks.

Which permits do I need for a lab container in the Canton of Bern?

In the Canton of Bern the Baugesetz Bern (BauG, Building Act of the Canton of Bern) and the Bauverordnung (BauV, Building Ordinance) apply. At city level the Bauordnung der Stadt Bern (BO Stadt Bern, City of Bern Building Code) applies. For the city the competent authority is the Building Inspectorate at Bundesgasse 38, 3011 Bern. Containers are treated as buildings and installations; a building permit is required in most cases. Temporary siting of under three months may, depending on the site, be possible under a notification procedure. Bern’s great advantage: both the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH/BAG) and Swissmedic are based in Bern — for BSL-3 containers and GMP pilot plants the authority path is considerably shorter than from Zurich or Basel. We review your site in advance and submit procedure-ready building documents.

What does proximity to the FOPH and Swissmedic mean for GMP and BSL-3 containers in Bern?

Every genetically modified containment in Switzerland requires notification under the Einschliessungsverordnung (ESV, Containment Ordinance) to FOEN and FOPH — the FOPH is at Schwarzenburgstrasse 157, 3003 Bern (Liebefeld). For every GMP cleanroom-container project with a therapeutic-products dimension, Swissmedic at Hallerstrasse 7, 3012 Bern, is the competent inspection authority. If your site is in Bern, both authorities are reachable by public transport in 15 to 30 minutes — on-site inspections can be scheduled at short notice, and written queries are generally answered in 5 to 10 working days. From Zurich or Basel those are always travel days — from Bern a tram ride. We use this proximity and file our application documents directly with the right case officers.

Which seismic and energy requirements apply to lab containers in Bern under SIA 261 / SIA 380/1?

Under SIA 261, Bern lies in seismic zone Z1a with a horizontal design ground acceleration of agd = 0.6 m/s² — like Zurich, considerably lower than Basel (Z2, agd 1.0 m/s²). Structurally the requirement is therefore moderate; however, containers for safety-relevant hospital and research sites must be classified in Bauwerksklasse II, because safety-critical functions are housed here. SIA 380/1 (thermal energy in buildings) requires similarly strict U-values as in Zurich — the German GEG is not sufficient. We supply Bern with structural design to SIA 261 with the Z1a factor and an SIA 263 anchoring concept, and energetically to SIA 380/1 with U ≤ 0.17 W/m²K and heat recovery ≥ 75% — procedure-ready for the Building Inspectorate at Bundesgasse 38.

How does Schaffhausen-Thayngen customs clearance work for containers to Bern?

We clear goods under the T1 transit procedure, with processing at the Thayngen (German side) and Schaffhausen-Thayngen (Swiss side) customs offices. Permanent import attracts Swiss VAT of 8.1 per cent (as at 2026). Temporary import (for example a rental container for a clinical study, a time-limited teaching cleanroom at a university, or a pilot container in translational research) can be cleared under temporary admission with an ATA Carnet — no VAT, with a security deposit. Thayngen is the most direct route from Albstadt to Bern (~220 km, ~3.5 h).

Which applications are particularly in demand in Bern?

Bern is Switzerland’s public-health and translational-medicine centre. Typical uses for lab containers arise around university hospitals — BSL-2 study containers during hospital refurbishments and pandemic preparedness; translational research institutions — research containers at the interface of hospital, university, industry and start-ups; universities and biomedical research departments — BSL-2 research containers and SNSF third-party-funded projects; the Federal Office of Public Health FOPH (Schwarzenburgstrasse 157, 3003 Bern-Liebefeld) and the Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office FSVO (Schwarzenburgstrasse 155) — public-health containers and pandemic preparedness; Swissmedic (Hallerstrasse 7, 3012 Bern) — internal teaching and inspection containers; and food and agricultural research institutions — food-safety and veterinary containers.

Can you supply BSL-3 containers for hospitals and translational research?

Yes. We build BSL-3 containers for clinical research, infectious-disease diagnostics and translational pharmaceutical piloting at the Albstadt works — HEPA H14 dual filtration, autoclaved airlock, negative pressure with a three-stage cascade, emergency power and data loggers. Notification under the Containment Ordinance (ESV) to FOEN and FOPH — generally accelerated in Bern because of FOPH proximity. Structural design to SIA 261 Z1a + 263, energy to SIA 380/1, fire protection to VKF. For study containers at a hospital site, co-ordination with the relevant building directorate would be required; for translational research, with the competent specialist department. IQ/OQ/PQ Swissmedic-ready — the short authority distance in Bern can be an advantage.

Complimentary site audit

Send us your Bern site and your laboratory profile

Within 48 hours we deliver: a site assessment (Freiburgstrasse, Liebefeld, Länggasse, Murtenstrasse, Wankdorf), a container configuration with dimensions and specifications, the permit path under BauG/BO City of Bern, the FOPH/Swissmedic authority path, a customs strategy (T1 Schaffhausen or ATA Carnet), a delivery and installation date, and an indicative investment bracket in CHF.

Direct contact

Phone

+49 7435 7519 700

info@planexus.de

Works & headquarters (220 km via A81 + Thayngen + A1)

Emil-Mayer-Straße 1
72461 Albstadt (DE)

Factory visit

We show you your container during manufacture — including SIA 261 structural design and SIA 380/1 insulation before dispatch. By appointment.

Write to us

Container laboratory Bern

Lab containers Bern — Albstadt factory visit and site audit

We manufacture LABtoGO to order at the Albstadt works — SIA 261 structural design, SIA 380/1 insulation and T13/T15 electrical connection pre-configured at the factory. Factory visits available at any time; complimentary site audit including Schaffhausen-Thayngen customs strategy and FOPH/Swissmedic authority path.

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