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. 

Many big-name companies have 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 & deMeuron from Basel, now dominate the city’s skyline. Most recently. the company has invested in the Roche Innovation Center Basel for around 1,800 employees specializing 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. 

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. 

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.