The success of Basel Area Business & Innovation has stabilized at a high level. Operating on behalf of the cantons of Basel-Landschaft, Basel-Stadt and Jura, the investment and innovation promotion agency had a good 2023, with notable numbers of companies settling here and new startups founded in the region. Last year, 34 companies and 86 startups were supported in setting up business in the Basel Area. While both these figures are slightly lower than last year, they significantly exceed the average of the past eight years.
Over the years, more and more foreign life sciences companies have opted for the Basel Area. In 2023, as many as 26 companies, or more than three-quarters of those that settled here, operate in the life sciences sector. “This shows that the Basel Area is the leading Swiss location for companies in this sector. They find a well-networked ecosystem here that develops innovative solutions together,” says Domenico Scala, President of Basel Area Business & Innovation. Of the 86 new startups, 35 are in the consulting sector, 15 in the life sciences and 10 in construction. The companies newly settled here and the startups plan to create around 700 jobs in total over the next three to five years.
Newly settled companies from 17 countries
The entire value chain of the life sciences sector is represented in the Basel Area. Aside from more than 700 life sciences companies, over 1000 research groups and a unique talent pool with 32,500 highly qualified people, the Basel Area also stands out with its high quality of life and its international flair. Companies from 17 countries settled in the Basel Area in 2023, 20 from Europe, 8 from America and 6 from Asia. The companies from the US that opened branches in the Basel Area include the innovative biotech firms Regeneron, Neurocrine Biosciences and Treeline Biosciences.
Christof Klöpper, CEO of Basel Area Business & Innovation: “Last year showed once again that the Basel Area is an attractive destination for companies and startups. Every year we continue to make considerable headway in our efforts to make the region known both nationally and internationally as a unique location for forward-looking industries.”
