Tokyo (SCCIJ) – According to new research, 20% of European biotech companies are now headquartered in Switzerland. Japanese companies are also attracted. For example, a Swiss subsidiary of Yokogawa Electric researches the potential of microalgae in Swiss laboratories.
According to the Swiss Biotech Report 2023, Switzerland has become the European center for biotechnology (© Pixabay).
European hub
“Many biotechs based outside Europe choose Switzerland for setting up their European HQ, driven by a business-friendly environment and a deep talent pool”, says Isma Hachi, Director of Emerging Biopharma of IQVIA which did the study. “Our research shows a 25% higher rate of availability in European markets for medicines, developed by Swiss-based biotech companies versus average, biotech launches in the past five years.”
Out of a total of 265 companies settling in Switzerland in the last year, 63 were biotechs, making it the second most important sector after information and computer technology. The influx was also strong from the US, with 23 companies setting up in either Basel, Geneva, Zurich, or Lucerne. Several of these were biotech companies self-commercialize their innovative therapies without large pharma support, and choose Switzerland as their European hub, in part because of the high approval rates by Swissmedic.
“We strengthen the Swiss research hub by supporting innovation and accelerating the approval process for new drugs long before they are ready to be commercialized,” says Jörg Schläpfer, Head of Management Services and International Affairs at Swissmedic. One example is Blueprint Medicines which put its international headquarters in Zug to support the commercialization outside the US of its first-to-market therapy for a rare hematologic disorder.
Scientist working on a research project (© Yokogawa Innovation Switzerland).
Launch in 2020
Yokogawa Electric from Japan sets another example. In 1996, a confocal scanner for observing living cells with high speed and sensitivity was developed, marking Yokogawa’s entry into the field of biotechnology. The subsidiary Yokogawa Innovation Switzerland (YIS) was established in June 2020, and Yokogawa Bio Frontier was launched the following year to sell materials such as S-CNF cellulose nanofiber, a next-generation plant-derived material.
From its base in Switzerland Innovation Park Basel Area, the subsidiary is to find promising biotechnology fields and work on research activities with members in Europe, Japan, India, and other countries to develop new bio business areas. “Currently, we are focusing on the potential of microalgae with the key concept: cell as a plant” explains Chief Science Officer Daisuke Nojima.
This involves microorganisms themselves acting as producers of valuable substances. Just as various microorganisms contribute to the fermentation process in food processing, such as Swiss cheese or Japanese soy sauce, microalgae can be used to realize highly sustainable production processes for food, pharmaceuticals, advanced materials, energy, and more. So far, Yokogawa Electric has invested in European start-ups in Spain, Germany, Denmark, Belgium, and of course Switzerland.
Text: SCCIJ with material of Switzerland Global Enterprise
