The Basel Area: a center for breakthrough innovation in oncology

Valentina Francia

10 June 2025 • 20 mins read

With companies specializing in oncology R&D and therapeutics springing up all over the globe, more and more companies are focusing in on the Basel Area as they search for a base for their new enterprises. Immunology and oncology research fields edge closer to the holy grail of personalized medicine and show real promise for treating certain malignancies.

Dr Stephan Emmerth and Paul Eschmann, from Basel Area Business & Innovation, explain the benefits of being in the location of Basel, Switzerland. They say it’s a multitude of factors, including an extensive and highly qualified talent pool, a unique industry cluster of global players, prestigious academic institutions, and major investors.

Located in the heart of Europe, at the apex of borders with Germany and France, it has first-class road and rail links and an international airport on its doorstep.

Added to this is Switzerland’s political and economic stability, with favourable tax laws and immigration policies. Then there’s the life in Switzerland, one of the most beautiful and culturally rich parts of the world.

"The Basel Area offers a broad and deep talent pool with 33,000+ skilled professionals on the ground along the entire value chain. Excellent framework conditions attract international talent and companies alike, whether they are relocating their headquarters, setting up a new division, or opening a research and development facility."

Paul Eschmann

Head of Investment Promotion at Basel Area Business & Innovation

Supporting pioneers in cancer research

Several leading companies focusing on developing novel cancer therapeutics have now established a base in the Basel area, taking advantage of this unique environment to accelerate their research.

SOTIO Biotech is an international biotech from the Czech Republic that focuses on immuno-oncology and develops innovative methods for treating cancer.

The company has conducted multiple Phase I to III clinical trials and uses four distinct technological platforms, including numerous promising drug candidates.

SOTIO has built a diverse biotechnology portfolio through its R&D collaborations and investments since 2010. It now employs around 240 personnel across Europe and the US. It chose to establish a base in Basel after evaluating several potential European locations and has since forged connections with many biotech professionals in the area.

Another example of ground-breaking oncology in action in the area is BeOne Medicines, the global biopharmaceutical company that recently established its European headquarters for clinical trial operations in Basel.

"Because we are based in Basel, we get access to the tremendous flow of innovation from this leading European life sciences hub. The academic and biopharma environment, the deep talent pool of the region and the entrepreneur-friendly economic policies of Switzerland make the difference for our portfolio’s success."

Stephan Emmerth

Director of Business Development & Operations, BaseLaunch

Similarly, Engimmune Therapeutics has also benefitted from the rich scientific ecosystem in the area to further its work in cancer drug discovery. The company was founded in 2021 as an early-stage spinout of a research group at D-BSSE Basel (the Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering). It applies genome editing, deep sequencing, functional screening, and machine learning to address key efficacy and safety challenges that currently limit the full potential of T-cell receptor (TCR)-based therapies.

Engimmune Therapeutics started in academia and harnessed local support to successfully launch in the biopharma field. It was supported by BaseLaunch which partners with scientists and entrepreneurs to help launch and grow exceptional biotech ventures and develop cutting-edge therapeutics.

BaseLaunch was fundamental in the company’s transition, providing initial financing, strategic advice, and access to its biotech network, allowing the firm to rapidly bring personnel on board and fast–track its fundraising efforts.

Another example of ground-breaking oncology in action in the area is BeOne Medicines, a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company from China that recently established its European headquarters for clinical trial operations in Basel.

"Our experience in setting up in Basel was similar to the city’s riverside current – effortless, smooth and refreshing. The support offered at launch let us focus on our operations with confidence."

John V. Oyler

Co-Founder, Chairman and CEO of BeOne Medicines

Access to a varied and highly skilled pool of talent, a business-friendly environment, and proximity to the European market were all crucial factors, and Basel Area Business & Innovation was pivotal in helping BeOne Medicines to evaluate business locations, establish its new site, and rapidly build a large team of experts to kick-start its success in the region.

This new base on European soil is helping the company to continue its mission: to transform the way drug discovery is made and to make medicines more affordable and accessible to patients worldwide.

The Basel Area: an international business hub

These three examples demonstrate the incredible diversity and quality of talents – from scientists to commercial experts. The excellent infrastructure and local support make the Basel area a perfect choice for entrepreneurs to establish companies in the life sciences and biotech industries.

In fact, no other life sciences ecosystem in the world is developing as rapidly as the Basel Region. For example, it demonstrated a 9.3% growth a year in the decade from 2010 to 2020, and in 2018, the area submitted 205 patent applications per million inhabitants, placing it second only to the city of Boston in terms of innovation capacity (1). The Basel area also generated $526 per hour worked in 2020, compared with $280 in the San Francisco Bay Area, further demonstrating its high level of productivity (1). 

The Basel Area ecosystem

The Basel Area is home to more than 800 life-science companies, many of whom are involved in research into antimicrobial resistance and the development of new drugs and therapies to combat diseases. It’s a progressive ecosystem comprising large companies, spin-offs, start-ups, suppliers, leading research organizations, an experienced talent pool and a pragmatic regulatory framework.

This dynamic hub in the heart of Europe has already helped many businesses grow beyond expectations and will certainly continue to back more innovators from across the globe. The many visionaries and business-minded professionals who call Basel home are driven to extend their network and translate their ground-breaking scientific research into impactful and accessible medicines on a global scale.

References and sources

(1) Interpharma. 2022. Pharmaceutical Hub Switzerland 2022 – Basel Region.
(2) Basel: a centre for ground-breaking oncology (18/10/2022 – Drug Discovery World Article)

The Basel Area: a center for breakthrough innovation in oncology

Supporting pioneers in cancer research

The Basel Area: an international business hub

The Basel Area ecosystem

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