Highlights
In 2023 Basel was fortunate to register several significant and successful economic development projects, among them Roche, Sandoz and CSL Behring. These top industry players are committed to the Canton of Basel-Stadt as a site for innovation in the Life Sciences sector. An additional reason is Basel-Stadt’s continuing investment in smart diversification to further bolster innovation promotion. This is a strategic move to capitalise on the potential and the promise of digitalisation and circular economy.
Company Foundings: Roche, Sandoz and CSL Behring are committed to Basel-Stadt
In 2023, Basel-Stadt was proud to witness three significant news.
In May, Roche disclosed the founding of its «Institute of Human Biology» in Basel. The company intends to create up to 250 new jobs during the next four years in order to advance its wide spectrum of applications of human model systems in pharmaceutical research and clinical practice.
This was followed by an announcement of Sandoz who are set on establishing their global headquarters in Basel, after the completion of its planned spin-off from Novartis. By mid 2024 already, Sandoz is planning to move into the «Elsässertor», a striking office building in the heart of Basel, right next to the city’s main station Basel SBB. Sandoz CEO Richard Saynor commented on the company’s decision as follows: «Basel is a global centre for the life sciences industry, attracting an unrivalled pool of talent and experience that will help us to grow further and achieve our ambition of being the sustainable global leader in generics and biosimilars.»
Finally, in early November biotech company CSL Behring officially opened a new office on the premises of the Switzerland Innovation Park Basel Area on the Novartis Campus. CSL Behring described this step as marking a pivotal milestone for strengthening its R&D network across Switzerland.
These three success stories are but a fraction of the many successful economic development projects across different industries we were able to complete and support in 2023.
Smart Diversification: A Strategy for Innovation Promotion
On 17 January 2024, the Great Council of the Canton of Basel-Stadt unanimously approved 42,5 million Swiss Francs in funding for the strengthening of the Cantonal Innovation Promotion.
Given the considerable dynamics in our current economy, the economic development strategy is regularly monitored, reviewed and adjusted if necessary. The main challenges are the trends in the employment and labour market as well as coping with structural change. To meet those goals, the Canton of Basel-Stadt is committed to smart diversification by focusing on strengthening the Life Sciences sector while capitalising on the potential and promise of digitalisation and circular economy. A new way of thinking within topical areas and ecosystems is growing ever more important, while the rigid and static logic of industrial sectors is increasingly taking the back seat. The financing approved by the Great Council is directed to the Economic Development Fund and will be invested in a total of nine programmes in the three innovation fields «Innovation in Life Sciences», «Digital Innovation» and «Sustainable Economy» by 2031.
You can find more information about the innovation fields and the programmes here.
«Blickpunkt Verwaltung» 2023
For the seventh time since its launch, the Economic Development team of the Canton of Basel-Stadt had the pleasure to invite cantonal administration officials and staff to its internal networking event «Blickpunkt Verwaltung (public administration viewpoint).» The event venue was at the premises of Bell Food Group AG, a beacon in Basel’s long-standing history of trade and commerce, on 22 June 2023.
Today, Bell is an internationally operating food producer with more than 12'000 employees in 15 countries, and the leader of the Swiss meat industry. Stefan Seiler, Head of Bell’s Fresh Meats organisational unit, gave a company presentation. Special attention was paid to the company’s wide operational footprint and to challenges Bell currently faces (prominently among them the skilled labour shortage), and the periodic investments made in its Basel headquarters. With approximately 1750 employees, the Basel location is Bell Group’s largest business unit. The delivery of detailed insights into the logistics and processing of fish, crustaceans and molluscs in the Seafood division was followed by a tasty reception to further the mutual exchange of ideas.
Administration and government officials of Basel-Stadt are in touch with companies located in the Canton on a daily basis, their efforts constitute a vital contribution to an attractive business location and economy. The main objectives of the event series «Blickpunkt Verwaltung» are to strengthen the internal administrative network and to foster the exchange between cantonal administrative authorities and local business and enterprises.
Development of Company Demographics
In December 2023, Switzerland’s Federal Statistical Office issued a new edition of its Statistics of Company Demographics report (UDEMO). The most recent figures for the year 2021 paint a positive picture and established a new record number of company formations in Switzerland.
A total of 15'118 active companies registered in 2021 amount to the highest number of active companies in the Canton of Basel-Stadt since the beginning of statistical records in the year 2013, exceeding the number of the previous year (14'823) by 295 active companies, and equivalent to a 2% growth rate. New company formations in 2021 rose to 1'166 creating 1'725 new jobs.
The numbers of individual enterprises and owner-proprietorships have seen strong increases in past years. In the year 2021, there were roughly 1’000 more individual enterprises operating in the Canton of Basel-Stadt than in 2013. Approximately 90% of local companies are active in the services sector, 10% are operating in the industrial sector.