Top Stories from Western Switzerland (October 2025)

Nestlé strengthens child nutrition hub in Konolfingen with new quality laboratory

Nestlé has invested CHF 17.5 million to open a new quality lab at its Konolfingen site, enhancing infant nutrition product testing and reinforcing Switzerland’s role as a global center for dairy innovation and food safety.

UCB invests over CHF 100 million to expand its biopharmaceutical site in Bulle

Biopharma leader UCB is expanding its Fribourg site with new production and lab facilities. The CHF 100 million investment will create 80 new jobs and further strengthen Western Switzerland’s industrial biotech capacity.

Tubulis raises EUR 308 million to advance ADC therapies and expand its clinical pipeline

Biotech firm Tubulis has raised EUR 308 million in Europe’s largest-ever Series C round. With a new R&D base at Lausanne’s Biopôle, the company is accelerating the development of novel antibody-drug conjugates for cancer.

CSEM unveils DriverCheck, an AI-powered “guardian angel” for drivers

CSEM has launched DriverCheck, an in-cabin AI system that monitors a driver’s health in real time to detect fatigue or medical distress. The privacy-friendly solution processes data locally and aims to reduce road fatalities.

Spineart raises CHF 25 million to accelerate global expansion and innovation

Geneva-based medtech Spineart has secured CHF 25 million to scale its robotic and digital spine surgery solutions. The funding supports regulatory approvals, global growth, and continued development of precision spinal implants.

Switzerland named the world’s most competitive country in 2025

Switzerland has topped the Eight Competitiveness Report 2025, ranking #1 out of 58 countries across economy, society, education, and sustainability. The report highlights balance and resilience as the new global advantages.

Western Switzerland at the heart of artificial intelligence

From Lausanne’s co-developed open LLM “Apertus” to Geneva’s AI Health Hub and Neuchâtel’s embedded systems, Western Switzerland is shaping a human-centric, multilingual AI ecosystem built on ethics, science, and global collaboration.