10 reasons why you should consider the canton of Valais for your biopharma projects
Did you know that the canton of Valais is the perfect location for biopharmaceutical companies ? Here’s why.
1. It provides solutions at all phases of the drug development process
The canton of Valais possesses undisputed biopharmaceutical academic and industrial expertise covering the entire value chain, from education and research to both small- and large-scale production. The Institute of Life Technologies (ITV) at HES-SO Valais/Wallis provides a wide range of services and consultancy in the pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, medical diagnostics, agri-food, cosmetics and chemistry sectors.
swissfillon offers fill-and-finish project consulting and project management services from process development to secondary packaging.
With its flexible, multiproduct and 100% single-use biopharma platform, the Swiss Biotech Center is the partner of choice for biologics manufacturing.
2. It is home to around 100 life sciences companies
Successful industry players such as Debiopharm, Lonza, Bachem, BASF, TRB Chemedica, IHMA, ExcellGene, and many others have chosen the canton Valais for their biopharma operations.
3. It is specialized in hard-to-make products
Valais has a strong industrial tradition. Over the decades, it has developed a unique expertise in products that require complex manufacturing capabilities.
4. It counts 6,000 highly skilled life sciences employees
In Valais, life sciences employees are qualified, committed, and motivated. In numbers, this translates to about $315,000 of value added per employee per year.
5. It offers state-of-the-art facilities and plug-and-play labs
BioArk is a technology site focused on biotechnologies and diagnostics. Located in Monthey and Visp, it offers an attractive infrastructure with clean rooms, flexible office space, shared equipment facilities and plug-and-play laboratories.
6. It has a dynamic business community
Biopharma companies love investing in Valais. Swiss contract manufacturer Lonza and French drugmaker Sanofi are building a $285 million biologics facility in Visp that is expected to create 200 new jobs by 2020. German giant BASF has recently inaugurated a $10 million extension of its Monthey facility. Since 2000, Debiopharm has invested around $130 million in its Martigny site, where it is currently deploying a new production line following the acquisition of the Canadian start-up GenePOC last September.
7. It enables your products to stand out from the crowd
Switzerland is one of the world’s leading locations for high value-added manufacturing : Swiss products and services are universally associated with quality, precision, safety and reliability. The excellent reputation they enjoy is a clear competitive advantage for manufacturers and service providers, who can position their Swiss made products and services in a higher price segment.
8. It allows easy access to the European commercial market
Situated in the south-west of Switzerland, Valais shares borders with France and Italy. This provides a privileged access to the European commercial market and its 500 million consumers. Thanks to the Lötschberg tunnel, Germany is also at a stone’s throw. Both French and German are officially spoken in the canton.
9. It is very well connected to the world
Five international airports – Geneva, Bern, Zürich, Basel, and Milan – can be reached in less than two hours, and there are direct trains to Geneva, Zurich, and Bern. The Swiss federal railways (SBB) are Europe's most punctual railway company in the world's most intensively used mixed transport network. The Swiss motorways network is among the most well developed and maintained in Europe.
10. It is simply stunning
Quality of life is said to have an impact on productivity and performance. Your employees will certainly feel energized, inspired and motivated after a relaxing weekend in the thermal spa resort of Leukerbad, a hike in the Alps around Zermatt, or a day of skiing in Verbier.
Source : GGbA