ABB has successfully completed the sale of a 7,000 square-meter property on a former industrial site in Zurich Oerlikon to real estate service provider Pensimo. Based in Zurich, Pensimo invests in real estate on behalf of Swiss pension funds.
By selling the property, which ABB no longer requires as a strategic land reserve, the company is enabling the further development of the Neu-Oerlikon district. Located at Max-Frisch-Platz in a prime central area, the site offers significant development potential under the special zoning regulations that were partially revised by the City of Zurich in 2022.
Over the coming years, the former industrial area is to be transformed into a mixed-use district combining residential space, services, workplaces and cultural and commercial offerings. The new owner, Pensimo, plans to develop the site over the next few years with around 500 apartments, including a high-rise building and commercial space.
As a result, ABB will record a pre-tax operational gain on sale of CHF 290 million in the first quarter of 2026.
ABB will remain closely connected to Zurich Oerlikon, where the group’s global headquarters has been located since the merger of BBC and ASEA in 1988. Around 500 people are based at ABB’s headquarters today.
