“Moving to Basel has certainly exceeded my expectations, both professionally and personally. The social and business infrastructures are truly outstanding which along with the dynamic Pharma environment are key factors in attracting top international talent to the Basel-based headquarters of Abbott’s newly created Established Pharmaceuticals business.”
Mike Warmuth
Senior Vice President, Established Products Division, Abbott
Working in the Basel area

Flourishing economy

Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology

Basel is one of the most successful economic regions in the world. Two of the world’s five largest pharmaceutical companies – Novartis and Roche – were founded in Basel and also have their headquarters here. The life sciences cluster centered around Basel includes both multinationals and large companies as well as numerous small and medium-sized companies, such as Actelion, which is one of the fastest growing biopharmaceutical companies in the world.

 

Chemical Industry and Nanotechnology, Medical Technology and Engineering

The chemical industry and nanotechnology are also well represented in the Basel area with companies that include Syngenta, Lonza, Clariant and Huntsman. Medical technology is focusing increasingly on the interface between life sciences and medical technology and in Straumann and Synthes we already have two world leaders that are based here in Basel. In addition to these strengths, microtechnology and mechanical engineering are also strongly represented with companies such as Endress+Hauser that successfully service the global market from Basel.  

 

Precision Engineering, Watchmaking and Machine Tools
The watchmaking industry has enabled the development of an exceptional expertise in precision engineering. Nowadays, the region is known throughout the world for its skills not only in watchmaking but also in microtechnology and machine tools. Companies such as Willemin-Macodel, Biwi, Richard Mille, Maurice Lacroix, Wenger and Endress+Hauser are thriving enterprises on the worldwide market.
Basel has become one of the most important commercial platforms for watchmaking and jewellery, thanks to the annual exhibition BASELWORLD.

 

Logistics and Commerce

Its optimal location and accompanying public transportation system make Basel Switzerland’s logistics center. Basel airport is built for air freight, while heavy goods are transported by ship along the Rhine from the North Sea to Basel, right at the heart of continental Europe. The main road and rail routes for Europe all intersect in Basel and companies like Panalpina that operate globally make excellent use of this. Trading companies are also well represented in the Basel region.

 

Creative Industries (Art, Fashion, Design,  Architecture)

Art, design and architecture play an important role in Basel and are closely linked to its economy. The annual BaselWorld trade fair has turned Basel into one of the most significant commercial centers for the watch and jewelry business. Over almost 40 years, Art Basel has established itself as the worldwide leading trade fair for contemporary art and Basel architects – at the fore of which are Herzog & de Meuron – enjoy international acclaim.

 

Financial Services and IT

As a top business location, Basel also is a prime financial center, in which UBS, the world’s largest asset manager, and the Bank for International Settlements have their headquarters. As well as financial services, which include insurance, private banking and risk capital companies, leading IT organizations also offer their services here. In addition, the last few years have seen the foundation of innovative start-ups such as Genedata – one of the world’s leading companies in bioinformatics.

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