basel is historically a place with its own university. it was one of the first university in switzerland and therefor has a long tradition. beside this there are other institutions hosted in basel that also serve as knowledge centers.
one is the polytechnic that new is organized within the whole of northwest switzerland. two other elements, the research and development of the different pharmaceutical companies can be called a third part.
trough these world-leading pharmaceutical companies the main field of knowledge in basel are the so called life sciences. the university and the polytechnic, both have a large branch of this life science topic.
at the moment, probably fro the next ten years there is a lot to be changed an newly installed in the field of knowledge. one reason is the new organization of the polytechnic within a larger swiss region. the different topics will be distributed over the region as a whole. it is planned that basel will be the main location for life science, but also for architecture, art and social science. the other reason is the now already started construction of the novartis campus, a very large new cluster of development and research buildings for on pharmaceutical company called novartis. this is project of an about fifty new office building and some new towers. the company aims to offer the best workplaces and places of communication to, of course, to get the best products. but in theoretical terms this large scale project adds a huge new knowledge base to the existing structure. although there is on the level of space very few connection, and as the site is owned by this private company specially now interaction between this campus and existing structures. but on an abstract level of knowledge this could generate new intense points in knowledge.
to come back to the university it self, it is interesting how this specially integrates within the city. the university and its buildings are spread over basel, but the main sight is just next to the old town. it is visually and specially very well integrated, one could say almost too much integrated. as it grew with the town over hundred years it is for visitors almost not visible not even if one stands in front of it. it provides certain spacial qualities such as shortcuts for pedestrians and squares but can not be said to be a generator. it is too smooth to generate interaction or energy negative nor positive.
the polytechnic at the moment is I guess too jung and too much divided into small units to generate something specially. in knowledge terms one can imagine this, especially in connection with its other parts in this northwest swiss region to be very powerful and potentially could generate a big deal - but this is going to be the future.
next is going to be about cycles
1 comment:
I haven't been to Basel, so it is a bit far from my imagination. It is nice to understand Basel from its “knowledge” facilities. There is an issue came to my mind when I read your descriptions for those new built “knowledge”, such as pharmaceutical companies, polytechnic and Novartis. The city, at least in social term, will gradually changes after such “knowledge” elements being imposed in Basel – I agree. But can we claim that such knowledge elements are the generators for the changes? I mean are they “primary” factor or they are “secondary” factor that was catalysed by some other primary factors.
My home city, Hong Kong got some very good medical research companies, at least in Asian standard, and we have been trying very hard on attracting those good pharmaceutical companies, but never success, as the requirement on skilled labour and infrastructure is very high. Why those good pharmaceutical companies chose Basel maybe due to some factors, like quality of people, geographical location and existing related industries, that I suspect are the primary factors. Then knowledge accumulation is a hybrid result of economic achievement (or somethings more). Knowledge is a result, not a start, except the following is happening - The existence of new built knowledge elements is a result of some strategies – Swiss National Strategy, Basel Strategy or those companies’ strategies. Why I raise this concern is because I’m trying to compare with the concept Lucho desires - to promote knowledge sharing starting from individuals. The strategies are very top-down approach that governors may impose and operate; while individuals organization is kind of bottom up mechanism. As their mechanisms are different, the ways they have influences on city transformation should be very different.
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