Guest editorial

State Secretary
Helene Budliger Artieda
State Secretariat for Economic Affairs SECO

Biotech sector as a reflection of Switzerland: locally grounded, globally connected

Of Switzerland’s many strengths, one in particular stands out in times of multiple global crises: as a bastion of reliability, our country offers stability and predictability. This allows companies from small startups to major international players to focus on their core business, further develop their products and services, and pioneer ground-breaking innovations. The resulting ecosystems are mutually beneficial, often across sectors and borders. Switzerland’s vibrant biotech industry with its close network of specialized companies, suppliers and research institutions is a prime example of this.

In the Federal Administration, we rely on local ecosystems to provide the Swiss economy with the best possible, needs-based support for businesses. As ‘Team Switzerland’ we want to open up additional business potential for companies and create added value through partnership-based cooperation between federal agencies, funding instruments and associations. We also work hard to develop international relations, foster joint initiatives and collaborations, and deliver an effective global healthcare system.

Our country is a reliable and competent partner beyond borders. This is particularly true in the life sciences sector, where cross-border cooperation is crucial for developing innovative products and technologies, as health crises such as COVID clearly demonstrate. The foreign trade policy framework is therefore of vital importance, and we continue to update and expand multilateral and bilateral trade agreements.

“The new agreement between Switzerland and the US on mutual recognition of GMP inspections will benefit life sciences companies in both countries.”

In July 2023, for example, the agreement between Switzerland and the US on the mutual recognition of inspections in relation to good manufacturing practice for medicinal products came into force. The agreement facilitates the trade in medicinal products between the two countries and reduces the administrative and financial burden for the life sciences industry. Switzerland is also committed to the reliable protection of intellectual property rights and their effective enforcement at international level, which is of crucial importance for sectors such as biotech with a high degree of research and development.

A rules-based system with international rights and obligations creates legal certainty, predictability and stability. This ensures that Switzerland remains an attractive location for value-added companies, which make a significant contribution to prosperity and employment. Even though there is a trend towards countries developing official industrial policies, based on strategic efforts to encourage economic growth, Switzerland continues to focus on ensuring the best possible framework conditions for companies that are based here. That way the economy can continue to write its own success stories – as the innovative and competitive biotech sector demonstrates.