Why Switzerland for your next biomanufacturing facility

Boasting a workforce of around 47,000, the pharmaceutical industry is a central pillar of the Swiss economy, responsible for more than one third of Swiss economic growth over the past 10 years. This strong performance is largely due to its phenomenal productivity: for every job, the value added is five times as high as the average for the overall economy. Even in international comparison, the Swiss pharmaceutical industry outperforms other countries in terms of productivity. The decisive factor behind this is the high level of research and innovation in the country. According to Interpharma, companies in Switzerland’s pharmaceutical sector invest more than 7 billion Swiss francs every year in the research and development of new medicines and therapies.

Western Switzerland’s life sciences hub – the so-called Health Valley – is one of the most advanced and diversified life sciences hotspots in the world. In 2021, it was ranked as the 2nd leading life sciences cluster in Europe, and the 12th worldwide, by Startup Genome. The Health Valley comprises more than 3,000 life sciences companies: from cutting-edge startups spun off from local universities to Swiss unicorns like ADC Therapeutics, MindMaze, and Sophia Genetics, to large multinationals such as CSL Behring, Lonza, Incyte and UCB.

Sartups and multinationals based in the Health Valley are supported by world-class research institutions, including the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL), ranked as the 3rd most international university in the world; the Universities of Bern (UNIBE), Fribourg (UNIFR), Geneva (UNIGE), Lausanne (UNIL), and Neuchâtel (UNINE); the Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH), the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland (HES-SO) and CSEM research and technology organization. The region is also home to three university hospitals: Inselspital, HUG and CHUV, ranked as the 11th best hospital worldwide. Innosuisse, the Swiss national agency funding R&D supports collaborative projects of some of the 500 public and private life sciences labs.

The deep talent pool available in Western Switzerland is the result of the region’s unparalleled quality of life, which is a magnet for foreign skilled workers, combined with an efficient educational system geared towards market needs. The education ecosystem in place in Western Switzerland covers all the needs for talent at every step of the bioproduction process. Three types of organizations are available across the region: research universities, technical universities – which supply of approximately 17,000 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) undergraduate and graduates – and specialized training schools for laboratory (including biomanufacturing) workers. As an example, specific training initiatives designed to boost capabilities in biomanufacturing have been launched by the Biofactory Competence Center (BCC) in Fribourg, the Bertarelli Foundation Gene Therapy Platform in collaboration with the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) at the Campus Biotech in Geneva , and the Intercantonal Professional School of Chemistry (EPIC) in Visp and Monthey and the Neuchatel Professional Training Center (CPNE) which trains hundreds of apprentices.

Western Switzerland is home to major contract development and manufacturing organizations (CDMOs) from Asia, North America, and Europe, as well as to local players active in the discovery, development and production of biologics. These include CordenPharma, ExcellGene, Merck, OM Pharma with its Geneva Biotech Center, Selexis, KBI Biopharma, ThermoFischer Scientific, DebioPharm, Lonza, WuXi STA and Swiss Biotech Center, just to name a few. They cater to the needs of large pharma groups and collaborate with smaller, highly innovative biotech companies, supporting them with the development of cell lines, industrialization processes and production.

Major pharmaceutical and high-growth biotech companies such as Kodiak, Incyte, CSL Behring, and Sanofi have recently started a new production facility or invested in extending their production capabilities to produce innovative biotechnology products. These sites were in direct competition with other manufacturing locations worldwide and all chose Western Switzerland as a strategic location.

Companies based in Western Switzerland have easy access to a wealth of reliable suppliers and service providers across the entire biomanufacturing value chain, enabling efficient production and secure exports. Contract Research Organizations (CROs) such as Labcorp (Covance), Aardex, and CELLnTec provide a full range of services from pre-clinical research to large-scale international clinical trials. Fill-finish specialists include ten23 health, Baccinex, and Seyonic. Among the logistics and packaging experts are NV Logistics, Medistri, and Galenica. Lastly, the proximity of air freight operators with warehouses certified for pharmaceutical logistics by IATA’s CEIV Pharma ensures secure exports.

The region also hosts intellectual property, regulatory affairs, merger and acquisition, legal, financial, and other experts and consultants, spanning all disciplines and technologies. A comprehensive list of suppliers and specialized service providers is available upon request.

Did you know that Western Switzerland boasts 130 years of vaccine technology know-how? Founded in 1898 in Bern, at a time where few vaccines or immunoglobulins were available, the Swiss Serum and Vaccine Institute has played a key role in the evolution of the field by introducing novel technology leading to safer and more efficacious vaccines. The company is now part of Janssen, the pharmaceutical company of Johnson & Johnson. Additional companies involved in vaccine research and production include Emergent BioSolutions, Amal Therapeutics, and MaxiVax. In 2020, Moderna tapped Lonza’s Visp site to produce its covid-19 vaccine and signed a 10-year strategic collaboration agreement to enable the production of additional Moderna products in the future.

Companies considering investing in their own manufacturing facilities can be sure to find the best fit for their needs in Western Switzerland. A diverse range of greenfield and brownfield sites – including ready-built facilities following GMP standards – are available in the region, from a few hundred square meters up to 200,000. Some of these already benefit from all the permits and authorizations required for biomanufacturing.

Switzerland enjoys free trade agreements with the EU/EFTA and 43 other partners including China, Japan, and Korea providing unimpeded access to the most important pharmaceutical markets. Around 200 million euros are saved annually for pharmaceutical and chemical exports to Germany, France, Austria and the United Kingdom alone. The mutual recognition of conformity and quality control also leads to significant cost savings when trading with the EU, the EEA, the EFTA states and Canada. Good framework conditions promote sales and ensure that cross-border value chains can be organized efficiently.

Direct financial incentives are available to support specific business projects for companies operating in industry, production-related services, and leading-edge technologies. Companies engaged in biomanufacturing activities can qualify for financial incentives and tax relief based on the added value of production, capital investment, and job creation. Under certain conditions, newly created companies can benefit from an exemption from cantonal and municipal taxes on profits and capital for a limited period of 10 years. We also offer the opportunity to access a single point of contact that will help expedite the permitting process for the construction and fit-out of your new facility.