Why so many life science and biotech companies wing their way to the Basel Area
The Basel Area has proven to be the favored location for many of the world’s biggest, best and newest innovators in life sciences and the undisputed leading European hub for pharma giants.
There is an old English saying: “Birds of a feather flock together.” It captures the idea that those who share common traits or passions are naturally drawn to one another.
In the Basel Area, the life sciences are more than just an industry—they are woven into the DNA of the region. With a rich network of scientists, cutting-edge R&D, and thriving commercial ventures, this area has become a vibrant culture medium for growth.
For life sciences companies, the Basel Area is not just an attractive location; it’s where they instinctively converge. Here, in this fertile ecosystem, they find themselves surrounded by like-minded peers and partners, thriving together, and growing stronger, just as cells flourish in the perfect culture medium.
Several of the biggest pharma companies have headquarters in the Basel Area
That’s perhaps why the Basel Area is the favored location for many of the world’s biggest, best, and newest innovators in life sciences as well as the undisputed leading European hub for pharma giants.
These companies and the Basel Area have superb chemistry:
this region offers a concoction of great centrally located infrastructure, solid support services, and access to some of the most advanced research institutions and leading like-minded companies globally. It possesses one of the richest veins of recruitment talent in Europe, and of course it offers the amazing quality of life in Switzerland, a most picturesque and culturally rich part of the world.
We initially sited it in Cambridge, Massachusetts. We realized that it would be desirable to have a second site for the company so that we could tap into a diverse workforce.
It became very clear that Basel was the place where we should be. There’s already such a well-established pharmaceutical and biotech industry. The greater Basel area has multiple sites not that far away from each other that are a magnet for talent
Greg Verdine
CEO, LifeMine Therapeutics
The Basel area is really the emerging center of life science, innovation outside of the United States. I can’t imagine starting a company without having a Basel site and a Boston site and allowing those to work synergistically.
Greg Verdine
CEO, LifeMine Therapeutics
Many big-name companieshave invested in the Basel Area
Roche and Novartis are just two companies that have invested heavily in the Basel Area in recent years.
Roche’s iconic towers, designed by world-renowned architects Herzog & de Meuron from Basel, now dominate the city’s skyline. Most recently. the companyhas investedin theRoche Innovation Center Baselfor around 1,800 employeesspecializing in Oncology, Neuroscience, Infectious Diseases, Rare Diseases, and Ophthalmology. The center includes The Institute of Human Biology (IHB).
The Novartis campus on the opposite bank of the Rhine also has an impressive line-up of architectural gems for its staff; for example, the latest addition to the Switzerland Innovation Park Basel Area. One of four sites in and around the region, the Novartis Campus site is dedicated to digital health. It provides a focal point for a unique community of digital healthcare experts, providing high-quality work and meeting space.
Top pharma companies with headquarters or a branch in the Basel Area
In the list of the world’s biggest pharmaceutical companies by market capitalization, 13 out of the top 100 are in the Basel Area, including Swiss companies Roche at number 6, and Novartis at number 8.
Top 40
Johnson & Johnson, R&D branch
Roche, Global HQs
Novartis, Global HQs
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Branch Office
CSL Seqirus, Branch Office
Zoetis, Branch Office
Lonza, Global HQs
Moderna, European Office
Top 60
Bayer, HQ Consumer Health
Celltrion, Branch Office
BioNTech, Branch Office
BeiGene, European HQs
Sandoz Group, Global HQs
Neurocrine, Branch Office
Dr. Reddy’s, Branch Office
Top 100
Recordati, Branch Office
Swedish Orphan Biovitrum, Branch Office
Roivant Sciences, European HQs
Abbott India, Abbott Laboratories GmbH, Abbott Products Operations AG in Allschwil
Bachem, Global HQs
WuXi Biologics, Domain partner BaseLaunch
Elanco, European HQs
Source: List of the largest pharma companies by market capitalization as per 06/08/2024. Only the top publicly traded pharma companies are shown in this list. A pharmaceutical company is a company that is involved in the research, development or distribution of drugs and medication.
What are the active ingredients behind the Basel Area’s investment injection?
The Basel Area is Switzerland’s most innovative region with the most European patent applications per capita.Then there’s the location, in the middle of Europe, on the borders of Europe’s biggest markets in France and Germany, and with excellent road, rail, and air links.
The area has Europe’s largest talent pool, with access to 33,000 highly qualified, multilingual international professionals. Switzerland is home to six of the top 20 universities in biosciences. The Basel Area alone counts over 14 internationally recognized research institutes within an hour’s drive, and more than 1,000 research groups.
In the Basel Area, we have a thriving ecosystem, from startups to big players, along the entire value chain: R&D, clinical trials, manufacturing, commercialization, and service providers
Paul Eschmann
Head of International Markets and Business Affairs at Basel Area Business & Innovation
At Basel Area Business & Innovation, we assist international companies and startups with setting up or expanding business operations in the region and connect them to its dynamic cluster of leading companies, top universities and world-class research centers.
Ellen Freiburghaus
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